For more than a decade, Zach Randolph embodied what it meant to be a true power forward. Known for his bruising post play, relentless rebounding, and ability to punish defenders with his strength, Randolph thrived in an era where big men planted themselves on the block and went to work. But in his eyes, that era is gone.
Appearing on the No Limit podcast, Randolph said he doesn’t see real power forwards in today’s NBA.
“I feel like they making the bigs extinct. Like it’s 6-7, 6-8 your bigs now. I call them hybrids now. You got some teams playing five 6-8 guys, you know, the tallest guy on the court 6-9, and the guy who’s running the plays is 6-6, 6-7, 6-11. So I think it’s called hybrid. I think it’s really positionless.”
“Like you said, they making a big extinct. You got to be able to shoot the ball. You got to be able to guard. You know what I mean? You got to be able to guard one, two, three, four.”
Randolph isn’t wrong. The days of players like himself, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Charles Barkley before them are long gone. Traditional fours who operated primarily inside the paint, punished mismatches, and lived in the mid-range have been replaced by floor-spacing bigs and switchable defenders.
Spacing and shooting now drive the game. Coaches want their big men not just to rebound and score inside, but also to step out to the three-point line, guard wings in isolation, and keep up with the pace of small-ball lineups.
If you look around the league, it’s hard to argue with Randolph. Julius Randle might be the closest thing to a throwback four. He’s physical, strong, and thrives when he can bully defenders on the block, though even he stretches the floor more than traditional power forwards ever did.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has some of the bruiser mentality Randolph is talking about, but his offensive game is built on spacing the floor, blocking shots, and versatility more than living in the paint.
Giannis Antetokounmpo may be the best example of a power forward in the league today, but as Randolph pointed out, he’s really a hybrid. Giannis handles the ball like a guard, defends multiple positions, and thrives in transition.
He dominates physically, yes, but not in the traditional half-court, back-to-the-basket way that players like Randolph once did.
What Randolph calls “hybrids” is really the evolution of basketball into a positionless game. Players are taller, longer, and more skilled across the board.
A modern four isn’t expected just to bang inside; he needs to shoot threes, defend guards on switches, and initiate offense. The bruising style Randolph thrived in has been replaced by versatility and speed.
That doesn’t mean Randolph’s style wouldn’t work today. In fact, some teams could use an interior enforcer who controls the glass and punishes mismatches. But as long as the league prioritizes spacing and flexibility, the “true power forward” as Randolph defines it may be a relic of the past.
