Who were the best NBA small forwards in 2017-18?
Slower, stronger small forwards have graduated to power forwards in the age of small ball. So the three spot has quickly become the league’s shallowest position. Just ask Otto Porter, a perfectly fine small forward who landed a max contract. Or ask one of the larger-side shooting guards tasked with shutting down the league’s biggest and best on the wing. So here’s our list of the best NBA small forwards in this rapidly changing hoops environment. (For more reviews of the 2017-18 NBA season, check out our center and point guard rankings, as well as our lists of the most underrated and overrated players in the league.)20. Wesley Matthews
Thanks to the lack of depth at the position, the pickings were slim for the end of our list of small forwards. Though he’s slowed significantly with age, Matthews can still bang it in from deep, hitting 2.4 threes at a 38.1 percent clip in 2017-18. A valuable decision-maker, he dished 2.7 assists per game to just 1.3 turnovers.