The Top 10 Small Forwards in the NBA

1. Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs)

Age: 25

2015-16 Per Game Averages: 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 steals, 1 block

Career Per Game Averages: 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.7 blocks

The only player on this list to have won the Defensive Player of the Year is of course in the top three. Kawhi Leonard won the Finals MVP in the 2013-14 season and followed that up with the DPOY a year later to put the now-25-year-old firmly among the league’s elite.

"“I think he’s going to be a star. And as time goes on, he’ll be the face of the Spurs, I think. At both ends of the court, he is really a special player. And what makes me be so confident about him is that he wants it so badly. He wants to be a good player, I mean a great player. He comes early, he stays late, and he’s coachable, he’s just like a sponge. When you consider he’s only had (two years) of college and no training camp yet, you can see that he’s going to be something else,” coach Greg Popovich said back in 2012, via Sporting News’ Sean Deveney."

How right was Pop? The Claw is an absolute menace on the defensive end. He fights for everything, has an incredible reach and hands that could pluck the moon from the sky.

This year, though, Kawhi took his offense to the next level as he took one giant leap toward superstardom. His points per game soared by nearly five to 21.2, while improving his three-point percentage to .443, also a career-high. In his new primary role with the Spurs, Kawhi has also added a post game. That gives him a complete offensive arsenal to complement his frankly redonkulous defense.

With Tim Duncan retiring and Ginobili and Parker continuing to wane with age, the San Antonio Spurs most definitely are Kawhi Leonard’s team and he has every weapon in the book. The Claw could have pushed into number two and may well do should (obvious spoiler alert) that small forward struggle to stand out in the Golden State.

Kawhi Leonard is elite.

Next: No. 2