Ranking the NBA: Power Forwards

S : Best in the game (LeBron)

A+ : Right on heels of best player (Durant)

A : Top 5 player

A- : Top players at their position/Potential All-NBA players

B+ : All-Stars

B : Good starters/fringe All-Stars

B- : Good starter

C+ : decent starter

C : fringe starter/bench player

C- : good bench player

D+ : average bench player

D : Fringe rotation player

D- : bad player

F : not NBA caliber

Factors: production+efficiency+talent (emphasis on this year but whole career taken into account)

*Note: There is no specific order within each tier

- Previous Position Breakdowns -

• POINT GUARDS

• SHOOTING GUARDS

• SMALL FORWARDS

For the purpose of these grades/rankings, I am not looking at last season in a vacuum. I am trying to give an idea of where each of these players stands in regards to each other after last season. One poor season doesn't sink a player's stock if the rest of his career paints a different story, the exact opposite is true as well. However, I am not factoring potential into my rankings, meaning rookies are graded as NBA players and do not garner special consideration because of their youth.

I'm probably making this more complicated and subjective than it needs to be, but I suppose that only makes for more discussion. With that being said, on to the rankings.

Tier 1 (A-)

• Kevin Love
• Tim Duncan

These guys are the best in the game right now. What Duncan did last year was incredible; putting up his best season in years and being named First Team All-NBA... at 37 years old. Wow.

Tier 2 (B+)

• Dirk Nowitzki
• LaMarcus Aldridge
• Blake Griffin
• Zach Randolph
• David Lee
• Chris Bosh

Nowitzki and Randolph are starting to slow down as they age, but they're still pretty darn good. Lee and Aldridge are very productive players in the prime of their careers. Griffin hasn't progressed as quickly as some might have expected, but he's a double-double threat every single night and one of the most exciting players in the league. Bosh has sacrificed his individual numbers to play with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but he's still one of the best in the game.

Tier 3 (B)

• David West
• Carlos Boozer
• Amar'e Stoudemire
• Pau Gasol
• Josh Smith
• Greg Monroe

Wow. There are a lot of good power forwards in the NBA. STAT is difficult to place because when he's been on the court, he's still been pretty effective. He's just been hurt so much and with his history it's hard to see him bouncin back to consistent health.

Tier 4 (B-)

• Anthony Davis
• Paul Millsap
• Serge Ibaka

Anthony Davis is going to be incredible in a couple years. Millsap is a cagey vet and Ibaka has had a few years to develop, and Davis was on their level as a rookie. The only thing that held him back were injuries. Let's all hope he can get past them this coming season.

Tier 5 (C+)

• Ryan Anderson
• Luis Scola
• Tristan Thompson
• Amir Johnson
• Derrick Favors

Solid, solid players that can bring plenty to a team. A lights-out shooter, a crafty post player and a few double-double guys round out the group.

Tier 6 (C)

• John Henson
• J.J. Hickson
• Andrew Nicholson
• Jason Thompson
• Derrick Williams
• Channing Frye
• Taj Gibson
• Carl Landry

These guys are productive players that would look really good coming off the bench but can also start and hold their own if necessary. It's a diverse group, but a pretty talented one. Again, there a re a ton of good power forwards in the league.

Tier 7 (C-)

• Ed Davis
• Patrick Patterson
• Jason Smith
• DeJuan Blair
• Nick Collison
• Darrell Arthur
• Chuck Hayes
• Elton Brand
• Jared Sullinger
• Brandon Bass
• Udonis Haslem
• Boris Diaw
• Brandan Wright

This is a mix of young players with potential, useful journeymen and veterans nearing the end but still effective. All these guys can really bring something to a team coming off the bench.

Tier 8 (D+)

• Reggie Evans
• Ekpe Udoh
• Terrence Jones
• Glen Davis
• Kris Humphries
• Chris Wilcox
• Trevor Booker
• Jeff Pendergraph
• Lamar Odom
• Matt Bonner
• Dante Cunningham
• Thomas Robinson
• Josh McRoberts
• Marreese Speights
• Kevin Seraphin
• Tyler Hansbrough
• Arnett Moultrie
• Ivan Johnson
• Kenyon Martin

These guys all have their own skills and are rotation-worthy players.

Tier 9 (D)

• Charlie Villanueva
• Rashard Lewis
• Anthony Tolliver
• Jason Maxiell

These guys can be rotation players in the right situation. They've proven they belong on a roster at the very least.

Tier 10 (D-)

• Anthony Randolph
• Markieff Morris
• Mirza Teletovic

Kieff's inability to be effective consistently lands him in this spot. I haven't completely given up on him, but I'm close.

Tier 11 (F)

• Andrea Bargnani
• Hakim Warrick
• Joel Freeland
• Lou Amundson
• Tyrus Thomas
• Drew Gooden

Yuck yuck yuck.

Plenty of current and former Sun on this list. Unfortunately, most of them are pretty far down the list. Here's to hoping for a giant step forward from Markieff Morris and a complete return to health for Channing Frye.

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