- Tim Duncan has the most NBA championships among the power forwards on this list with five
- Karl Malone has scored the most points by a power forward in NBA history with 36,928 total points.
- Tim Duncan is the only power forward on this list with multiple Finals MVP awards
We continue on with our position NBA rankings using the most accurate formula we concocted earlier this year. Using this formula, we have already crowned Magic Johnson the King of point guards, anointed Michael Jordan the undisputed GOAT, and given LeBron James the title of greatest small forward with ease. Today, we switch our attention to the big men of the frontcourt, starting with the power forward position.
Today’s list of legends is one of the most talented groups that we have analyzed using this formula. It includes dominant players at the position, such as Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. We all think we know who is in command of the top spot when it comes to power forwards, but as we have seen with this formula so far, many surprises are just around the corner.
It is also important to remember the points system that we use in each of these formulas. The top player for each category will receive six points. Second place will get five points, and it will continue down the list from there. In the end, we will add up the point totals and determine the order in which these six power forwards should be placed.
The anticipation is killing us so let’s get into it. This is the perfect order of the greatest power forwards in NBA history using the most accurate formula.
Best Stats
1. Karl Malone – 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG (6 Points)
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 22.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.3 BPG (5 Points)
3. Kevin Garnett – 17.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.4 BPG (4 Points)
4. Tim Duncan – 19.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.2 BPG (3 Points)
5. Charles Barkley – 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG (2 Points)
6. Dirk Nowitzki – 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG (1 Point)
When it comes to which power forward has the best stats, it is an extremely close race between every player here from top to bottom. Karl Malone gets the nod for the top spot with his 25.0 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game. During his career, Malone scored the third-most points in NBA history and averaged at least 20.0 points per game in nearly every season of his career. When it comes to just stats and taking out accolades, Karl Malone is the number-one option here quite easily.
Although his career is in much earlier stages than anyone else on this list, Giannis Antetokounmpo has the second-best stats on this list for now. He averages the second-most points per game behind Malone with 22.6 and is one of just two players to average over 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. The other player in that category, Kevin Garnett, takes home the third-place points due to his versatile defense and playmaking ability with 3.7 assists per game, which ranks just behind Giannis.
Dirk Nowitzki, Charles Barkley, and Tim Duncan bring up the rear in this category, with Duncan claiming three points, Barkley claiming two points, and Nowitzki taking home just one point. Duncan’s stats are about as complete as they come with 2.2 blocks per game to lead all players on this list. Barkley also averaged a double-double in his career while Nowitzki was clearly an offensive force to be reckoned with.
Most NBA Championships
1. Tim Duncan – 5 NBA Championships (6 Points)
T2. Dirk Nowitzki – 1 NBA Championship (5 Points)
T2. Kevin Garnett – 1 NBA Championship (5 Points)
T2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 1 NBA Championship (5 Points)
T5. Karl Malone – 0 NBA Championships (2 Points)
T5. Charles Barkley – 0 NBA Championships (2 Points)
When it comes to NBA championships, no power forward has won more on this list, or ever, than Tim Duncan. From the time he was a second-year player in 1999 through 2014, Duncan led the Spurs to all five of their NBA championships, which they have won in franchise history, and was the best player on the court for three of them. Duncan’s two-way play resulted in dominance on the game’s biggest stage, with a 5-1 career record in NBA Finals series in his career.
After Duncan, the race gets much closer. Giannis Antetokounmpo led his team to an NBA championship in 2021 over the Phoenix Suns and still has plenty of time to add to his total before his career is over. Dirk Nowitzki led his team to one of the most impressive championships ever in 2011 over the Miami Heat, defeating the Lakers and Thunder along the way. Kevin Garnett added his only NBA championship in 2008 with the Celtics over the Lakers alongside Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.
Then, there are the two all-time great power forwards who never won an NBA championship. Karl Malone had two different opportunities to get the job done in 1997 and 1998. Unfortunately, he ran into Michael Jordan and the Bulls each time in the NBA Finals. The same fate was met for Barkley when he led the Phoenix Suns to the 1993 Finals only to lose to Michael Jordan’s improbable 41.0 points per game, an NBA record that is likely to stand for quite some time.
Most MVP Awards
T1. Tim Duncan – 2 MVP Awards (6 Points)
T1. Karl Malone – 2 MVP Awards (6 Points)
T1. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 2 MVP Awards (6 Points)
T4. Dirk Nowitzki – 1 MVP Award (3 Points)
T4. Charles Barkley – 1 MVP Award (3 Points)
T4. Kevin Garnett – 1 MVP Award (3 Points)
The MVP award makes this entire race much closer as well, with three players capturing two MVPs in their careers and three players winning one. Tim Duncan won two MVP awards for the Spurs in 2002 and 2003 during a dominant two-way stretch over those two years. Giannis also went back-to-back as MVP in 2019 and 2020 while also being named the NBA’s best defender in 2020. Karl Malone won his two MVP awards in 1997 and 1999 with the Utah Jazz, where he spent 18 years of his 19-year NBA career.
Dirk Nowitzki, Charles Barkley, and Kevin Garnett were each one-time winners of the MVP award in their careers as well. Nowitzki took home his MVP in 2007, only to drop the Mavericks’ first-round playoff matchup to the Warriors in embarrassing fashion. Barkley won his MVP with the Phoenix Suns in 1993 but his team would lose to the Bulls in the NBA Finals. Garnett would win his MVP with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2004 and lead his team to the Western Conference Finals but fall to the Lakers in one of the best playoff series ever.
Most Finals MVPs
1. Tim Duncan – 3 Finals MVPs (6 Points)
T2. Dirk Nowitzki – 1 Finals MVP (5 Points)
T2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 1 Finals MVP (5 Points)
T4. Kevin Garnett – 0 Finals MVPs (3 Points)
T4. Karl Malone – 0 Finals MVPs (3 Points)
T4. Charles Barkley – 0 Finals MVPs (3 Points)
Only three players on this list have won a Finals MVP in their career, and only one has won more than one. Tim Duncan would win Finals MVP in each of his first three championship runs with the Spurs in 1999, 2003, and 2005. In 1999, he led the Spurs to a win over the Knicks in the NBA Finals, and in 2003, he led them to a dominant win over the New Jersey Nets. Duncan would claim his third and last Finals MVP in 2005 with a hard-fought series win over the defending champion Detroit Pistons.
Dirk Nowitzki and Giannis Antetokounmp each won one Finals MVP in their career. Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to their only NBA championship in 2011 over the Miami Heat. During that series, he averaged 26.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game to take home the award. Giannis would lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the championship in 2021. Giannis averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.
Kevin Garnett is the only former NBA champion on this list to not be named Finals MVP. Garnett won his championship with the Celtics in 2008, but Paul Pierce would take home the honor for that series win. Of course, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone were not eligible for Finals MVP awards, considering they have never won a championship and both fell to the greatest player of all time in their efforts.
Most Defensive Players Of The Year Awards
T1. Kevin Garnett – 1 Defensive Player Of The Year Award (6 Points)
T1. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 1 Defensive Player Of The Year Award (6 Points)
T3. Karl Malone – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (4 Points)
T3. Tim Duncan – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (4 Points)
T3. Charles Barkley – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (4 Points)
T3. Dirk Nowitzki – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (4 Points)
Only two players in our analysis today have ever been named the best defender in the NBA and taken home a Defensive Player of the Year award. Kevin Garnett is the first of these two players with his win in 2008 with the Boston Celtics. Garnett averaged 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game that season to claim the win. Giannis Antetokounmp would claim his award in 2020 with 13.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game while playing in 71 contests that year.
The fact that Tim Duncan never won a Defensive Player of the Year award doesn’t sit right with me. He earned 15 All-Defensive Team selections, including eight to the First Team, but never was named the best in the NBA. Nowitzki, Barkley, and Malone never winning one is less surprising. Malone was a decent defender, as was Barkley, but never to the point in which they stood out among the better players in the NBA on that side of the ball. Nowitzki was never seen as a defensive stopper, and in many ways, was a liability on that side of the ball as his career went on.
Most All-NBA Team Selections
1. Tim Duncan – 15 All-NBA Team Selections (6 Points)
2. Karl Malone – 14 All-NBA Team Selections (5 Points)
3. Dirk Nowitzki – 12 All-NBA Team Selections (4 Points)
4. Charles Barkley – 11 All-NBA Team Selections (3 Points)
5. Kevin Garnett – 9 All-NBA Team Selections (2 Points)
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 7 All-NBA Team Selections (1 Point)
When it comes to All-NBA Team selections, the race was incredibly close to claiming this category’s six points. Tim Duncan steals the points with 15 selections in his career. Of those 15 selections, 10 of them were to the First Team, four were to the Second Team, and only one was to the Third Team. Karl Malone finished just behind him with 14 All-NBA Team selections. Of those 14 selections for Malone, 11 were to the First Team, two were to the Second Team, and one was to the Third Team.
Dirk Nowitzki and Charles Barkley were also extremely close to challenging for the top spot in this category. Nowitzki was named to 12 All-NBA Teams in his career, with only four selections to the First Team, five to the Second Team, and three to the Third Team. Barkley would just fall short of Nowitzki with 11 All-NBA Team selections in his career. Of Barkley’s 11 selections, five were to the First Team, five were to the Second Team, and one was to the Third Team.
Kevin Garnett and Giannis Antetokounmpo bring up the rear with nine and seven All-NBA Team selections to their names. Giannios still has time to add to his total, with his last five selections going to the First Team. Garnett had a total of nine All-NBA selections in his career, with four of them being to the First Team, four to the Second Team, and one to the Third Team as well.
Most All-Defensive Team Selections
1. Tim Duncan – 15 All-Defensive Team Selections (6 Points)
2. Kevin Garnett – 12 All-Defensive Team Selections (5 Points)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 5 All-Defensive Team Selections (4 Points)
4. Karl Malone – 4 All-Defensive Team Selections (3 Points)
T5. Dirk Nowitzki – 0 All-Defensive Team Selections (2 Points)
T5. Charles Barkley – 0 All-Defensive Team Selections (2 Points)
Only two players on this list can be considered among elite defenders in their careers, with a third not yet finished with his to be included in that group. Of course, Tim Duncan’s 15 All-Defensive Team selections lead the pack here with eight First Team selections and seven Second Team selections. Just behind him is Kevin Durant with 12 overall All-Defensive Team selections with eight of those going to the First Team as well.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Karl Malone are the only other two players on this list to even have All-Defensive Team selections in their careers. Giannis has plenty of time to catch up to Garnett and Duncan as one of the elite defenders in the NBA today. Malone’s three First Team selections all came between 1997 and 199 when he won two MVP awards and led the Utah Jazz to two NBA Finals appearances.
Most All-Star Selections
T1. Tim Duncan – 15 All-Star Selections (6 Points)
T1. Kevin Garnett – 15 All-Star Selections (6 Points)
T3. Dirk Nowitzki – 14 All-Star Selections (4 Points)
T3. Karl Malone – 14 All-Star Selections (4 Points)
5. Charles Barkley – 11 All-Star Selections (2 Points)
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 7 All-Star Selections (1 Point)
All-Star selections have become less and less meaningful over the years, with the All-Star Game becoming less and less exciting. When it comes to the most All-Star selections among power forwards, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan both take home six points with their 15 All-Star selections in their careers.
Just behind those two players are both Dirk Nowitzki and Karl Malone, who earned 14 All-Star selections in their careers, which lasted over 19 seasons in the NBA. Charles Barkley is another player who earned double-digit All-Star selections in his career, with 11 over the course of 16 seasons in the NBA. Giannis may only get one point for this category, but when we revisit this formula at the end of his career, the story has a chance to be dramatically different.
Total Win Shares
1. Karl Malone – 236.4 Total Win Shares (6 Points)
2. Tim Duncan – 206.4 Total Win Shares (5 Points)
3. Dirk Nowitzki – 206.3 Total Win Shares (4 Points)
4. Kevin Garnett – 191.4 Total Win Shares (3 Points)
5. Charles Barkley – 177.2 Total Win Shares (2 Points)
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 96.1 Total Win Shares (1 Point)
As opposed to our small forwards list, there are three players to have over 200 total career win shares. The leader is overwhelmingly Karl Malone, who had 236.4 win shares. He led the NBA in win shares just twice in back-to-back seasons in 1998 and 1999. He had nine seasons with over 15.0 win shares. Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki finished within 0.1 win shares of each other for their careers to take the second and third spots.
As for Kevin Garnett, he takes home three points for falling just shy of 200 total win shares with 191.4 in his career. Charles Barkley also fell short of the 200 win shares mark with 177.2 in his career but picked up two points for his total. Once again, Giannis Antetokounmpo gets the short end of the stick due to the lack of longevity in his career just yet.
PER
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 24.9 PER (6 Points)
2. Charles Barkley – 24.6 PER (5 Points)
3. Tim Duncan – 24.2 PER (4 Points)
4. Karl Malone – 23.9 PER (3 Points)
5. Kevin Garnett – 22.7 PER (2 Points)
6. Dirk Nowitzki – 22.4 PER (1 Point)
The final category to decide the greatest small forward of all time in PER. The player efficiency rating is a decent judge of how impactful a player has been in their career so far. This happens to be a circumstance in which Giannis benefits from his minimal years of service compared to the others, considering he hasn’t had a chance to decline just yet. Giannis has led the NBA in PER twice in his career, with three seasons that have exceeded 30.0.
Charles Barkley and Tim Duncan are the final two players with a career PER that ranks over 24.0. Neither player ever led the NBA in player efficiency, but their consistency across their entire careers is the reason they still rank so high among the greatest power forwards ever. Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett bring up the rear in this category as well. Although their primes were among the best in NBA history, their time on the court toward the end of their careers hurt their standing here today.
Who Is The Greatest Power Forward Of All Time?
1. Tim Duncan – 52 Points (6 Categories Won)
2. Karl Malone – 42 Points (3 Categories Won)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 40 Points (2 Categories Won)
4. Kevin Garnett – 37 Points (2 Categories Won)
5. Dirk Nowitzki – 33 Points (0 Categories Won)
6. Charles Barkley – 28 Points (0 Categories Won)
It turns out that using our flawless formula also presents Tim Duncan as the overwhelming GOAT power forward. Duncan won six categories using this formula, including most NBA titles, Finals MVPs, and MVPs, which some would argue are the most important categories of this whole process. When you add in his 15 All-Star selections, 15 All-NBA Team selections, and 15 All-Defensive Team selections, the conclusion is clear that Duncan put forth the greatest career of any power forward in NBA history.
I am sure that many will be surprised by the two players in second and third place. According to this formula, Karl Malone remains the second-greatest power forward in NBA history but only just above Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is right on Malone’s heels and another MVP or NBA championship should skyrocket him right into the second spot. Now, I can already hear the Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett fans complaining about the flaws in this process, but you cannot dispute the facts we presented.
I would also like to show some love to Charles Barkley who received the fewest amount of points. Coming in sixth when compared to the other great power forwards in NBA history should never be a hit to any player’s legacy, and that should not be the case with one of the best ever, Charles Barkley. It simply means that his career is not as impressive as these other five players. It does not take away from his status as a Hall of Famer or all-time NBA great.
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