August, our rankings month at Soaring Down South, is well and truly underway so let’s continue our Atlanta Hawks top-5 series. Today, let’s move on to the power forwards.
The power forward position is a very different one now to what it was some time ago. Unlike its bigger brother, the center, the power forward has evolved from big, inside center-like presences to floor-stretching scorers and defenders.
The best in this position from any era will have to score, either from near the basket or from range, rebound and defend. And it’s worth noting that longevity and loyalty have to factor into the decision.
Here, though, the only thing that matters is what happened in a Hawks jersey, be it in Milwaukee, St. Louis or Atlanta. A player’s talent and reputation garnered elsewhere is irrelevant and so you won’t be finding someone like Rasheed Wallace, who played just one game for Atlanta, on this list.
The power forwards of the league are often overshadowed by their neighbours at the three or the five, but the Hawks have had a number of really talented power forwards and here are the top five.
Next: No. 5