NBA: Top 5 power forwards from 1990 till present
The National Basketball League of America has displayed various dynamic power forwards over the years, legends like Charles Barkley who came in the 80’s and shocked the world with his uncanny ability to shoot past the 2-point line and make his way through charging and knocking the centre over while making a board thrashing dunk. Also legends like Dennis Rodman who played right beside Michael Jordan, and had managed to win 5 NBA championships in 14 years, dominating the 80’s and 90’s, but a time comes when even the best fall down.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 power forwards from 1990 till present, that have come to the NBA and created waves;
Arguably Tim Duncan is the best forward in NBA currently and is regarded by experts as one of the best forwards ever to step foot in the NBA. His consistency as a player is astonishing; he is also one of the best defender in the NBA currently. When on court he is a double-threat to the opposing team. He can be an elegant player when he wants to be and he can brutal as well. Either way he gets his job done by keeping a scoring average of 23.0 points per game with 12.4 rebounds per game. Despite the fact that Tim is 34 years of age, he is one of the healthiest players on the league, whose performance has only got better with the passage of time. He has led the San Antonio Spurs to win 4 NBA Championship titles in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. He is a player, if revoked from the Spurs, the team will lose its identity, as he promises the team every year to have a shot at the national championship. Besides having 4 championships to his name he has won 3 MVP titles and has played for the NBA All-Star team 12 times.
Kevin Garnett is a player who started of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995 when he was drafted as the 5th pick overall. The Timberwolves might not be a very significant team in the NBA but they got hold of gem who helped their team grow and get recognized a bit in the league. Kevin obtained his first championship title in 2007 after he joined the Boston Celtics. Paul Pierce might have been the centre of attention since long time in the team but Kevin has certainly stolen the spot from him. While Paul is busy announcing how he is the best player in the world, Garnett is in the gym working hard, preparing himself mentally, hoping he will take the Celtics to another championship title. Besides showing his commitment to his new team and the game, Kevin has won countless awards and titles; he has played for the NBA All-Star team 13 teams and was awarded MVP in 2004 for the first time. He obtained the J.Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2006, which is given to a player or coach who shows dedication in serving his community.
Carlos Boozer, the dynamic player who came not long ago into the league and has caused an up riot since then. Critics might argue the fact that he is not the best power forward present currently but statistics say otherwise. Although Carlos has only appeared in four playoffs, he has kept a striking number 20 points per game with 12 rebounds per game and 2.7 assists with an average of only 40 minutes per game. Carlos has entered the NBA All-Star team twice and won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics which were held in Beijing, as he played for the US basketball team. Carlos started his career off with the Cleveland Cavaliers, after which he joined the Utah Jazz and served them for 6 years. Carlos recently signed a contract with the Chicago Bulls for over a five year period worth $80 million.
Amar’e Stoudemire is famously known for his long term duo with Steve Nash in Phoenix Suns. Although Amar’e has yet to get hold of the championship ring, he has contributed to the Suns in tremendous ways, helping them qualify for the playoffs five times. Amar’e and Nash together formed one of the smoothest duos ever seen in the history of NBA. The two had a flawless connection and scored against the top most defensive teams of the NBA. Despite Amare’s injury in 2005, he came back strong on to the court and is known to be a raging monster, with his solid rebound catching skills and intimidating persona. He is also known for his excellent shot-blocking ability. He was the player along with Nash who have virtually insured the Phoneix Suns that they could have a shot at the title. However Amar’e opted out of his contract recently and joined the New York Knicks for a contract worth almost $100 million. Stoudemire now will be playing at the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden.
Dirk Nowitzki, is not an easy guy to forget. Every time he enters the court his huge halo around him is visible. Dirk came to the NBA after he was drafted in 1998 by the Dallas Mavericks as the 9th pick overall. Unquestionably he is one of the fittest players in NBA despite the fact he is in early thirties, the player does not cease to give an amazing performance every year at the playoffs; he is recognized as a 3-pointer machine. He is also one of the key players of the Mavericks and has ensured them a position in the playoffs since the past decade. He has an astounding average of 25.6 points per game with an average 10.9 rebounds per game. Nowitzki has appeared in the NBA All-Star 8 times consecutively since 2002 and become the MVP for the first time in 2007. He was also honoured with the “Oscar” of basketball “Euroscar Award” 5 times.
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