With the trade deadline fast approaching, NBA basketball teams are actively seeking to improve their squads. You should be doing the same with your fantasy basketball team. It’s at this point in the year that you could get a player on the rise that may be underrated by a few fantasy basketball managers in your league. Especially since you’re going by my ranking system. Many fantasy GMs out there are lured in by points, rebounds and assists, and ignore the other stats that are so essential to a fantasy basketball team like true shooting percentage, 3 pointers, turnovers, and steals. Rest assure, I’ve got your basis covered in this edition of the Fantasy Basketball Power Rankings for power forwards.
Kevin Garnett – (19.2 pts, 9.9 reb, 3.8 ast, 1.4 blk) – I know he is injured, but he still leads all power forwards in PER. Until somebody passes him on that front or he is injured for the season, KG is playing the best low post game in the NBA right now. If you have watched any Celtics game since KG has been out of the lineup, you can tell how much a lack of a low post presence is hurting the team; especially the way he can direct the offense from the post. But I’m sure those 20 points and 10 rebounds are slightly missed as well.
Tim Duncan – (19.7 pts, 11.3 reb, 3.2 ast, 0.7 blk) – Duncan got off to the slow start this season, but has picked it up since returning from injury, especially with Tony Parker out for an extended period of time. Thus, you can see the bump in scoring since his last appearance in the power rankings, and he has increased his rebounding over a board a game during the last 2 months. Anyone who thinks Tim Duncan is slowly down is certainly fooling themselves. He can still play at a high level, which is why he ranks 3rd among all power forwards in PER.
Amare Stoudemire – (22.7 pts, 9.3 reb, 2.5 ast, 2.3 blk) – Yes, ladies, and gentlemen! Your eyes are not fooling you. Amare is now listed as a power forward in the power rankings due to the emergence of Shaquille O’Neal with the Phoenix Suns. And you can bet the farm that Amare will become a much more efficient when Shaq is on the floor, because he will be guarded by smaller, and often less talented players, because more of the defenses focus will be on the Diesel. But even outside of Shaq’s arrival and Amare’s prospects, Stoudemire has had a great season thus far without Shaq, and his numbers are proof of that.
Carlos Boozer – (21.6 pts, 10.7 reb, 2.9 ast, 0.5 blk) – Booooooooooozer! His points are done, as are his rebounds, which is why he is a slot lower on this edition of the power rankings. Nevertheless, it has been his efficiency that has gotten the Jazz back into the Western Conference 2nd tier with a 10-game winning streak. Boozer is shooting 53% from the field and is rarely turning the ball over despite a high level of touches. If he keeps playing like this, he could be starting in the all-star game next year instead of being a reserve.
