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NBA: Ranking The League’s Top 10 Power Forwards For 2016-17

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 31, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) is guarded by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the first half of a game at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) is guarded by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the first half of a game at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 26, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) poses for a photo during Media Day at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

9. Dirk Nowitzki

2015-16 Stats:  18.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, .448/.368/.893 shooting, 19.0 PER

Just a few years ago, having Dirk Nowitzki this low on a list of the league’s top power forwards would’ve been blasphemous. Entering his age-38 season, however, it’s reasonable to wonder how much more this future Hall of Famer has left in the tank.

That being said, Dirk is still the best player on the Dallas Mavericks, and along with head coach Rick Carlisle, represents the biggest reason you can never count this team out of the playoff hunt. Don’t forget, Nowitzki was in 50-40-90 territory for the first month of the season last year until some aggressive regression to the mean.

He’s a major liability on the defensive end and he’s certainly lost a step, but Dirk is just going to keep chugging away, putting up 18-6 stat lines while draining one-legged fadeaways until the day he retires.

Dirk is no longer what he once was, but he’s still one of the best 4s in the league. If the Mavs once again manage to return to the playoffs, it’ll either be because Harrison Barnes made an unexpected, exponential leap, or because Nowitzki once again postponed his meeting with Father Time.