NBA All-time Player Tiers: The 20 greatest small forwards ever, ranked
By Cal Durrett
Tier 4: All-star level
14) Jayson Tatum
13) Paul George
12) Vince Carter
11) Carmelo Anthony
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum is rapidly ascending up the all-time small forward tiers thanks to a strong start to his career. In his first seven seasons, he's averaged an impressive 23.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, while making five all-stars and four all-NBA teams.
Factor in that he is only 26 years old, and he could double up on those accolades. He can also add another championship and even a league and Finals MVP to his resume and he has a chance to be a top-3 small forward all-time.
Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George isn't thought of as an all-time great but he is entering the conversation. He's made nine all-star and five All-NBA appearances and is still playing incredibly well at age 34. One more all-star appearance and he'd be one of 43 players all-time with at least 10 selections. All that's needed for his career is a championship.
Eight-time all-star Vince Carter had a surprisingly long career, playing 22 seasons and 1,541 games. His longevity alone doesn't make him deserving of this list. Over his first 11 seasons, or 1/2 of his career, Carter was one of the best players in the NBA, averaging 23.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. Even after his time as a star was over, he still played 11 more seasons, allowing him to rack up more than 25,000 career points.
10-time all-star Camelo Anthony has somehow become overlooked despite only being a couple of seasons removed from the end of his career. Melo might not have won a championship, but he did impact winning thanks to being a dominant offensive player. He carried the Denver Nuggets to the playoffs all seven of his seasons there, including leading them into the Western Conference Finals.
He also led the Knicks to their best season of the 21st century. He also has the distinction of averaging at least 20 points over his first 13 seasons and 24.8 points per game over that span, allowing him to rack up more than 28,000 points in total.