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| The best small forwards in the PBA right now. |
The small forward position hasn’t been
the most productive in recent times, what with the advent of talented big men
and the continued influx of highly-skilled playmakers and off-guards. Gone are
the days of guys like Danny Seigle, Lordy Tugade, and Vergel Meneses
continuously dominating the scoreboards and filling the stat-sheets. Nowadays,
PBA SFs have to be more versatile than ever before – able to defend the
opposing team’s best player, shoot from the outside, and be occasional
playmakers. As a result of having to play multiple roles, modern swingmen’s
contributions are, ironically, hardly felt in the stats. Rarely do they produce
double-doubles or big, explosive scoring games. Still, they are surely vital
parts of each team’s championship aspirations.
Without
further ado, here they are – the top five small forwards of the entire 2013-2014
PBA season (as always, this is based on the Player Efficiency ratings as
calculated by PBA-Online.net):
5. Gabe Norwood (ROS) - 7.8ppg, 4.3rpg,
2.5apg, 1.0spg, 23.6 EFF
- Despite his numbers being on a
downward trend the past few seasons, Norwood remains one of the most respected
perimeter players in the league. His combination of size and versatility is
rare, and though his offense is not as potent as it once was, he has redefined
his game so that he continues to have an invaluable role for the
Elasto-Painters. With the continued rise in the games of Paul Lee, Jeff Chan, Beau
Belga, and Jervy Cruz, Norwood will inevitably fall behind in terms of the
stats, but he will surely continue to be one of the most sought after swingmen
in the pros.
4. Sean Anthony (AIR) - 8.6ppg, 5.0rpg,
.309 3pt%, .762 FT%, 24.0 EFF
- Anthony had a pretty good season,
highlighted by Air 21’s miraculous run in the 2014 Commish Cup playoffs. He was
awesome in the series against San Miguel and his presence was missed when he
was injured in a couple of games against San Mig Super Coffee. If his
development continues, Anthony should be a constant two-way threat for the NLEX
Road Warriors next season.
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| Sean Anthony should have another good season in 2014-2015, unless he gets injured again. (image by Paolo Papa/Sports 5) |
3. Joe Devance (SMC) - 9.4ppg, 4.3rpg,
2.3apg, 24.1 EFF
- Devance has long been one of the most
multi-faceted players in the PBA, and Tim Cone has been able to harness all the
Fil-Am’s talents into a very effective package. At 6’7, Devance poses a match-up
threat to all the other nine PBA clubs. He can shoot from beyond the arc, post
up in the low block, and even put the ball on the floor. His uncanny combo of
size and quickness also makes him an asset on the defensive end. In short, he’s
just a tough match-up for anybody.
2. Jared Dillinger (MER) - 10.5ppg,
4.5rpg, 2.7apg, .348 3pt%, 26.0 EFF
- In his first full season away from
Talk N Text, Jared Dillinger has thrived as one of Meralco’s top offensive
options. In fact, he averaged a career-high in scoring, rebounding, assists,
and FG% this past season. He’s quick enough to guard the best wingmen in the
country and big enough to play a small-ball PF when needed. With the entry of
Norman Black, it’s also reasonable to expect that Dillinger should continue
playing a major role for the Bolts.
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| Jared Dillinger is expected to be a leader for the Bolts moving forward. (image by Pranz Kaeno Billones/Sports 5) |
1. Calvin Abueva (ALA) - 10.9ppg,
8.4rpg, 1.8apg, 26.2 EFF
- Yes, last year’s Rookie of the Year
wasn’t as beastly this season as he was in 2012-2013, but that doesn’t mean he’s
no longer the best small forward in the land. Abueva is still right up there
despite the drop in practically every major stat category, and the reality is
the Aces would probably be a cellar-dweller if not for his presence. He’s still
one of the most, if not the most, polarizing individuals in the PBA, but nobody
can really deny that Abueva, right now, is the country’s most productive swingman.
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| You may love him or hate him, but the fact is Calvin Abueva is still the PBA's best SF. (image by Pranz Kaeno Billones/Sports 5) |
Outside looking in:
Danny Seigle (TNT) - 23.2 EFF
JC Intal (BAR) - 22.7 EFF
KG Cañaleta (TNT) - 22.5 EFF
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