Top NBA small forwards for 2022-23 Ranki

We're ranking all 30 NBA starters at every position during the offseason. Small forward is up next.A few caveats before we begin coaches don't release their starting fives before tipoff of games, let alone in October when they've barely seen how their players perform together. for all 30 teams are my best gue ses, but there will inevitably be some that I get wrong.Some of these positions may also look a little funky.But what do you do with a team like the Raptors when their small forward, power forward and center are all between 6-7 and 6-9? Stick 'em all somewhere.More and more, Mitchell Trubisky Jersey teams play a positionle s form of basketball. As Jalen Rose noted in , positions are more designations for fans than anything else these days.With that out of the way, here are the 30 best small forwards for the 2022-23 season.MORE: 1. Kawhi Leonard, ClippersLeonard's last game played was in June of 2021, so it's understandable if many people have forgotten just how good he is. Prior to an ACL tear that he suffered that season, he was one of the best players in the league. At 31, he still has a few high-level seasons left in the tank.Leonard is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and has been named to an All-Defensive team seven times. He's also a deadly offensive player. He's able to bully players with his strength and get to his midrange spots or step out to the 3-point line.He can manufacture offense whenever he needs to.2. LeBron James, LakersAt age 37, James doesn't have NFL Chicago Bears Jersey quite the pop at the rim that he did when he was younger. But he's made up for it with the greatest understanding of the game of all time. He's still an All-NBA level player, and it should be another historic year for him. He's set to break the all-time scoring record about two-thirds of the way through the year.James isn't really a small forward these days. He played more at the center position than ever last year, and he did it extremely well. But the Lakers could be starting both Anthony Davis and another big (Thomas Bryant or Damian Jones), pushing James back to the wing.3. Jayson Tatum, CelticsTatum took his game to another level in the second half of the season and NBA Playoffs before being hampered by a wrist injury in later rounds. His regular season averages of 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 a sists had him as a sixth-place finisher in the MVP balloting.At 24 years old, he should continue to improve. Behind Tatum, the Celtics are firmly in the championship conversation.4. DeMar DeRozan, BullsDeRozan last season. He was one of the most clutch players that the team had seen since Michael Jordan.DeRozan is still able to trick defenders with a flurry of shot fakes and superb footwork, even though all of his moves have been on scouting reports for years. He truly is a master of his craft.Bite on that pump fake, and he's going to the line for two free throws. When defenders stay down, he's rising above them and canning jumpers as well as anyone else in the league.5. Khris Middleton, BucksThe Bucks couldn't recover from Middleton's absence in the NBA Playoffs, proving how vital he is for that team.The three-time All-Star is another solid shot creator on the roster that can take the load off Giannis Antetokounmpo. He's also a career 39.2 percent 3-point shooter that helps spread the floor. And defensively, he's a solid presence.6. Brandon Ingram, PelicansIngram has improved significantly since joining the Pelicans three seasons ago. He got a chance to show his skills on a national stage, averaging 27 points per game in their first-round series with the Suns.Ingram has developed into a dangerous shooter, hitting 37.3 percent of his 3-pointers since joining the Pelicans. He really does his damage from the midrange area, though, where he hit 46.6 percent of his shots last season, .His playmaking has gotten better, too. He averaged a career-high 5.6 a sists to go with his 22.7 points per game.7. Mikal Bridges, SunsBridges might Kyle Long Jersey be the best wing defender in the league. His length, instincts and ability to be in the right place schematically are all elite.Bridges is no slouch on offense, either. He's solid from 3-point range (37.4 percent over four seasons), and he averaged 14.2 points per game as a fourth option for the Suns. James Daniels Jersey He is quickly rising up the ranks of best two-way players in the game.8. Andrew Wiggins, WarriorsWiggins is coming off a season in which he was an All-Star starter and NBA Playoff X-factor. Between those highs, he also faded for stretches of the season. That's been the Wiggins experience throughout his career, but maybe he's finally turned the corner for good this time.Wiggins was a tenacious defender in the postseason, and his rebounding took a huge jump as well. With the Warriors, he can contribute more to various areas of the game rather than focusing primarily on scoring.9. Michael Porter Jr., NuggetsPorter looked to be one of the best young players in the league before back injuries held him out of all but nine games last season. Those same i sues red-flagged him in the NBA Draft and forced him to mi s his entire rookie year.If Porter can return to the lineup, as the Nuggets are expecting, then he is a natural three-level scorer. He was coming off a great second season in which he averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Porter is a marksman from 3-point range, hitting 41.9 percent of his Cody Whitehair Jersey attempts for his career.He's improved defensively, but he still gets targeted. He's limited in other facets of his game, too, but his offense is incredibly valuable.10. O.G. Anunoby, RaptorsAnunoby is a career 37.2 percent 3-point shooter on big volume. He's a good finisher at the rim, too. That in-between game still needs some work, and while he took some strides in self-creation, it's still not one of his strong points.Defensively, Anunoby is one of the most talented and versatile players at his position. He has great strength and mobility, able to guard bigs in the paint or guards on the perimeter. It's only a matter of time before he starts making All-Defensive teams. 11. De'Andre Hunter, Hawks12. Tobias Harris, 76ers13. Franz Wagner, Magic14. Dillon Brooks, Grizzlies15. RJ Barrett, KnicksHunter is a solid 3-and-D wing, but he didn't have quite the consistency of the other players ahead of him. Still only 24 years old, he needs to focus on his finishing at the rim and playmaking going forward.Harris gets a lot of hate for his contract. His $37.6million salary is the , and he is nowhere close to that level. But that obscures the fact that Harrisis an above-average starter and jack-of-all-trades. He can handle, shoot, reboundand guard adequately, thoughheisn't elite at any of those skills.Wagner is coming off a