Foreword
At some point in NBA history, there will always be many superstars in the same position and close strength, such as the previous four centers and four quarterbacks have contributed very exciting competition for fans, these stars may have a gap in career achievements, but they are also equal on the court in their prime. And with the change in the league's style of play, the most prominent stars in the league in the last decade are no longer centers and point guards, but very good small forwards.
James, Durant, Antetokounmpo, and Leonard are representative players of small forwards, although their playing styles are very different, they have played small forward for most of their careers, and they have all achieved a lot. Now these four have also been selected as the top 75 in NBA history, and even the latest brother who entered the league has started the 11th season of his career, and James has reached the end of his career, so let's review what kind of performance these four small forwards played when they first entered the playoffs.
4.Brother Alphabet (2014-2015 season).
In the playoffs, he averaged 11 per game5 points, 7 rebounds, 27 assists and 36 percent shooting6%
The class of 2013 was a famous draft boy, and Brother Alphabet was only selected until the 15th pick, but it doesn't mean that his talent is not good, mainly because although he was talented at that time, there were still many details to polish at both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. Before joining the NBA, he was basically a blue-collar player in the Spanish league, and at that time he was physically gifted, but fortunately, the Bucks gave him a chance.
After entering the league, the young brother could only start off the bench, and he averaged 24 games per game in his rookie season6 minutes can contribute 68 points 44 rebounds, and then the Bucks poured more energy into him from the regular season of the second season, so his performance this season has also improved significantly, averaging 127 points 67 rebounds 2With 6 assists and 1 block, the Bucks also managed to return to the playoffs as sixth in the East.
It's just that the Bucks faced the Bulls in the first round of the series, although Rose was no longer at his peak at that time, but they still had Gasol, Noah, and Butler These defensive giants, so Brother Alphabet was also extremely struggling in this round of the series. In the end, the Bucks not only lost to the Bulls with a score of 2-4, but they were abused by their opponents for 54 points in the final game on their home court, and in that game, they only made 2 of 6 shots in 15 minutes. I have to say that at that time, I didn't see the potential to become an MVP, and his growth had a lot to do with the later meeting of Kidd, who helped him practice holding the ball.
3.Kowhi Leonard (2011-2012 season).
8. In the playoffs, he averaged 86 points 59 rebounds 12 steals, shooting 50% from the field
When Leonard entered the draft in 2011, he was drafted by the Pacers, but because the Spurs saw his talent at the time, they traded him for Hill, who was already an instant player. At that time, Leonard was physically gifted, but like his brother, his style of play was still rough, so he had to start as a blue-collar player at first, and although the Spurs were aiming for a championship, they still gave the rookie plenty of playing time.
In the regular season, Leonard averaged 24 minutes per game and contributed 79 points 51 rebound 13 steals, although he was not only not good at holding the ball on the offensive end at that time, but his three-point shooting was also very average, but his air cutting, rebounding, and defense could help the team. The Spurs' main core that season was the GDP combination, and they led the team to the first record in the West, and Leonard made the playoffs in his rookie season.
The Spurs advanced in the first two rounds of the playoffs very easily, winning 4-0 against the Jazz and Clippers, while Leonard's series statistics in these two rounds were 7 points and 33 rebounds, 10 points and 6With 5 rebounds and 2 steals, his performance on the defensive end was as consistent as ever. In the Western Conference final against the young Storm Thunder, the Spurs were unable to continue to win in the end, and they fell to the Western Conference Final with a score of 2-4, while Leonard's performance was still very consistent, averaging 88 points 73 rebounds, but unfortunately he was just a role player at the time, and he couldn't change the team's outcome on his own.
2.Kevin Durant (2009-2010 season).
In the playoffs, he averaged 25 points per game and 77 rebounds 23 assists on 35% shooting
As the star of the list in 2007, Durant's first two seasons in the league failed to help the team reach the playoffs, but his individual performance is getting better and better. In the 2008-2009 season, Durant averaged 25 per game3 points 65 rebounds 2With 8 assists, he has become one of the best scorers in the league by then, and in his third season, Durant has ushered in a metamorphosis.
In the 2009-2010 regular season, Durant averaged 30 per game1 point 76 rebounds 2With 8 assists, he not only won the scoring title for the first time in his career, but also was selected to the best team for the first time. With Durant's help, the Thunder's results have also improved significantly, they have a 50-32 record, and they have improved by 27 wins compared to the previous season, but the competition in the West at that time was too fierce, and even the 50-win Thunder could only rank eighth in the West.
The reason for the regular season ranking led to the Thunder meeting the defending champion Lakers in the first round, when there was a significant gap between the hard power of the two teams, and Durant, who entered the playoffs for the first time, was also a little helpless in the face of the Lakers' three-high lineup, although the entire series was able to average 25+ per game, but the shooting rate was extremely inefficient, so in the end the Thunder lost to the Lakers without any suspense.
1.LeBron James (2005-2006 season).
In the playoffs, he averaged 30 per game8 points 81 rebound 58 assists and 47 percent shooting6%
In the first two seasons of James' career, although the Cavaliers failed to make the playoffs, both James and the team's strength have been on the rise. In the 2004-2005 season, James averaged 27 per game2 points 74 rebounds 72 assists, under his leadership, the Cavaliers are only one step away from returning to the playoffs, and they have the same record as the Nets that year, but because the two teams are down 1-3 in the head-to-head record, they can only accept the fact that they were eliminated.
And in the 2005-2006 season, James led the Cavaliers to a comeback, and he averaged 31 per game in the regular season4 points, 7 rebounds, 6With six assists and 48 percent shooting, James was the first season to be named to the All-Round Team, and with his help the Cavaliers finished fourth in the East with a 50-32 record, so the team finally returned to the playoffs.
In the first round against the Wizards led by Arenas, James averaged 357 points 75 rebounds and 57 assists 1With 3 steals and a 51% shooting percentage, it took the team six games to advance. However, in the second round, the Cavaliers met a strong rival, and in the face of the Pistons, a strong defensive team at the time, James's average data per game also dropped to 266 points 86 rebounds and 6 assists, although he was still the best player in the series, but there was still a gap between the teams, and in the end they also lost the tiebreaker.