The Power Forward position is both deeper and more top-heavy than centers (and more top heavy than any other position this year.)
Power Forward is now one of the most needed positions in the NBA and a good 4 can make or break both a team’s offense and defense. Players like Draymond Green or PJ Tucker will not wow you with their stats but are incredibly important to their teams.
Overall rankings are based on the latest edition of the Draft Prospect Big Board.
1 Overall – Chet Holmgren
20: 7’1 200 Big Gonzaga. Comp= smaller but better passing KP.
“Chet is too skinny.” You will hear it all the time. Chet is the most technically sound defender to come out of the NCAA since Tim Duncan. While his body has limitations, his footwork, effort, and timing combat that. Chet is not going to be the first option on a championship team, but he might be their best player.
2 Overall – Paolo Banchero
9: 6’9 240 Big Duke (Italy) Comp= Domnatas Sabonis+
Paolo is a scorer. His passing is also intriguing. The thing that worries me is how incapable he seemed as a defender in the small ball 5 role. That being said, his strengths far outweigh any weaknesses and Paolo is probably the best pure scorer in the draft class.
3 Overall – Jabari Smith Jr.
19: 6’10 210 Front Court Auburn. Comp= Rashard Lewis but stronger.
Jabari is an absolutely incredible shooter and a good, if overrated, defender. Jabari has the ability to guard 3-5 on switches and the ability to pull up off the dribble. The only problem is he cannot do anything else on offense.
8 Overall – Keegan Murray
22: 6’8 215 Forward Iowa. Comp= Marcus Morris who isn’t a dirty player and plays real defense.
Keegan is going to be the most solid role player from this draft. He’s a fantastic defender with solid offensive potential. He just doesn’t make mistakes.
15 Overall – Nikola Jovic
19: 6’10 Forward Mega Basket (Serbia). Comp= Tom Chambers with handles
Jovic is a giant shot creator and great passer. He can score from all 3 levels and has a flair for the dramatic. He struggles with defense but has tried to improve there as the year has progressed.
17 Overall – Peyton Watson
19: 6’7 190 Wing UCLA. Comp= Jeff Green
Watson is a super athletic wing who struggles with decision making and shot selection. His struggles have lead to him losing playing time in a stacked Bruins squad, but he has earned some back. If he transfers he could be a lotto pick this year. If he doesn’t he’s the perfect pre draft candidate.
19 Overall – Tari Eason
21: 6’8 215 Big LSU. Comp= James Johnson
Eason is a fantastic defender with a questionable offensive skill. Tari will wow you with his passing and defensive instincts.
24 Overall – Patrick Baldwin Jr.
19: 6’10 205 Forward Milwaukee. Comp= Worse Shooting Davis Bertans
Baldwin’s shot looked beautiful when he played high school ball he shot 43% on 109 attempts, when playing against any sort of hard competition; FIBA, AAU, NCAA he’s dropped drastically to only 29% on 122 attempts. In theory Baldwin should be what Jovic is, but he’s not been that whenever he’s not beating up on inferior competition. At a certain point in the first round he’s worth the risk.
27 Overall – Harrison Ingram
20: 6’8 230 Wing Stanford. Comp= Anthony Mason
I’m not really sure if Ingram is a 3 or a 4 so I just went with 4. He’s super strong and smart as a defender. He makes solid decisions with the ball. A unique player who could really make a team happy when/if he hits.
28 Overall – Jeremy Sochan
19: 6’7 220 Forward Baylor (Poland) comp= taller Matisse Thybulle
Sochan might be the best defender in the draft if everything works out well. His offense is nothing to write home about but he is flying up draft boards.
37 Overall – EJ Liddell
21: 6’7 240 Big Ohio St. Comp= Poor Man’s Tobias Harris.
I have no idea if Liddell will translate, his size for a big man is not ideal but he really tries and is SUPER fun to watch.
41 Overall – Trayce Jackson-Davis
22: 6’9 245 Forward Indiana. Comp= Terrence Jones
Dale Davis was was a man-child, his son is also an absolute beast. Davis can probably find his way into the first round on the right team with his defense and hustle.
49 Overall – Michael Foster
19: 6’9 220 Big Ignite. Comp= Julius Randle’s cousin
Foster can do a little bit of everything on offense but struggles mightily on defense. He’s only been playing organized ball for a few years so maybe good coaching can fix that.
58 Overall – Alex Fudge
19: 6’7 175 Forward LSU. Comp= Dorian Finney Smith
Fudge is a pre draft candidate who, if he stays, will almost certainly make the first round next year. He is a great defender and disruptor of opponents’ offenses.
65 Overall – Roko Prkacin
19: 6’8 225 Forward KK Cibona (Croatia). Comp= Rudy Gay
Roko withdrew from the draft on deadline day last year, and it was a huge mistake. He has struggled mightily with injuries all season long and his stats have regressed a great deal.
66 Overall – Leonardo Okeke
19: 6’9 215 Forward NOVIPIÙ JB MONFERRATO (Italy/Nigeria). Comp= Thad Young lite.
Okeke could find a spot on a team with his energy and smart play. At just 19 he has a very mature game.
67 Overall – Tristan Vukcevic
19: 6’10 218 Big Partizan (Serbia/Greece/Sweden/Spain) Comp= Andrea Bargani
Recently left Real Madrid on a multi year deal. This probably means he is a stash candidate or just will wait to declare for the draft. The young man is busting with potential.
76 Overall – Marcus Bagley
21: 6’6 215 Forward Arizona St. Comp= Marcus Morris lite
While his brother Marvin has disappointed in the pros, Marcus has slowly watched his stock decline as he has struggled to improve on a decent freshman season.
82 Overall – Pete Nance
22: 6’9 210 Big North Western. Comp= Lite version of his older brother.
Larry Nance makes athletic big men with all his children apparently, Pete could really find a spot as an energy big off the bench somewhere.
91 Overall – Kenny Lofton Jr
20: 6’7 275 Forward Louisiana Tech. Comp= Slower Mo
Lofton is the most fun player to watch in the NCAA. The problems with his weight limit his ceiling but his mastery of angles is absolutely mesmerizing.
98 Overall – Kevin Obanor
22: 6’8 225 Forward Texas Tech. Comp= Orlando Ryan Anderson
The ORU transfer had said he wasn’t planning on going to the NBA, 3 days before he declared. He then transferred and is now trying. The waffling probably hurt his stock too much and he might not make it.
Jordan Ennis
Jordan Ennis lives in West Africa where he is a pastor at an international church, he also co-hosts the Assisted Development Podcast on the HoopSocial Podcasts feed. He can be found at Assisted Development Podcast on Facebook and @HoopSocialDraft on Twitter.