Modern Day Superstar
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Back-to-the-basket bigs dominated the NBA in the ’90s. The plays were designed to go through the center. The ball was thrown to the big, and he either kicked it out for an open shot or went to work in the paint. Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Shaquille O’Neal are some of the names that come to mind when you talk about dominant bigs from the ’90s.
The 2000s saw the explosion of the shooting guard position led by Kobe Bryant. This involved many pick-and-roll and isolation plays to create shots for the guard. Notable names that took advantage of this era include finals MVPs Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker, and Bryant, as mentioned above. The guard battles in the 2000s were elite, with every team boasting All-NBA caliber guards each night. The likes of Gilbert Arenas, Deron Williams, Jason Kidd, and Baron Davis come to mind.
Fast forward to the 2010s, and the forwards have taken over. After Bryant won the 2010 Finals MVP, the next 11 Finals MVPs were all forwards, with Steph Curry breaking the trend a few months ago. The likes of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard picked up two or more Finals MVPs. Giannis Antentokumpo, Dirk Nowitzki, and Andre Iguodala earned one each.
As we go into the 2020s, I believe that point forwards are next to dominate in this era of positionless basketball. The point forward is a player of a small forward build that brings the ball up the court, initiating the offense. You have 6-7, 6-8, and 6-9 wing players with a handle, playmaking abilities, and elite shot-making.
In 2021, Leonard went down in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Jazz. Paul George assumed the point forward role and had one of his best playoff runs since his Indy days. The defense is at your mercy with the skill set that a modern-day point forward possesses. With draft day comparisons to Paul George, Cade Cunningham is another player who fits the description. His size and playmaking ability make him a very exciting player to watch in the coming future. Scottie Barnes is another player with elite playmaking skills to go along with his athletic build, making him a great defender.
In the coming years, this is the type of player we are going to see take over.
