How strong was the "ok" group from 2000-02?

① There are only four teams in NBA history that have won three consecutive championships: the Minneapolis Lakers, Boston Celtics and Jordan's Bulls in ancient times. Neither Big Bird, Magic, James, nor the Warriors Dynasty did it.

② O'Neal and Kobe both scored more than 26 points in the playoffs for two consecutive years (01 and 2002), which is unique in NBA history.

③ During the Lakers’ three consecutive championships, no one except the two scored in double figures in the playoffs, no one was selected as an All-Star, and no one entered the top ten in statistics (scoring, rebounds, assists, steals) .

This is the last duo to defeat the entire league, and it is also the "most offensively powerful" partnership in the history of the league.

These two dominated the league for three years in a relationship of scolding and dissatisfaction with each other

But their success was more like the strong insertion of talents, because during that period This was a "golden age" dominated by peak power forwards.

①Duncan, Garnett, Webber, and Nowitzki were collectively known as the "Four Forwards" at the time, plus Lachey, who caused big trouble for O'Neal in 2000 and 2004. De Wallace and the core of the Pacers O'Neal formed the "grand front era" in the first five years of the century.

In the heyday of the "OK Combination", the four star power forwards in the Western Conference were the Lakers' main enemies

② From 1999-2004, six regular season mvp trophies The power forwards here took 4.

③In the ten years from 1999 to 2008, except for the four championships won by O'Neal, the others were all centered on these power forwards. Even the Pistons who won the championship in 2004 also had Rasheed Wallace. of sitting in charge.

④ In the nine years from 1999 to 2007, the top three in the regular season mvp selection all had at least one power forward, and in the 2003-04 season, they were dominated by three power forwards! (Garnett, Duncan, O'Neal Jr.)

These four power forwards all had MVP-level performances at their peak. Only Webb lost to the amazing Iverson in the 00-01 season

Before 1970, there was no distinction between big and small forwards in the NBA. Bob Pettit (the first generation star power forward) who was 2.06 meters tall could run rampant on the court. By the end of the 1970s, with the enrichment of NBA tactics, the transfer of strong and weak sides gradually became popular. Teams began to set up double inside axes, and power forwards also had a stage to perform.

Pettit, McAdoo, and Hayes were the early star power forwards in the league

So the legendary power forwards in the league-McAdoo, Hayes, McHale, Barkley, and the Postmen mostly began to emerge in the 1970s and 1980s.

The power forwards at that time were either extremely talented and capable of strong output on the offensive end - typical examples include McHale, Hayes, Barkley and Malone. Or he is a perfect puzzle piece within the overall framework of the team, with special skills as a center deputy - such as Buck Williams, Rodman, Larry Nance, etc.

In Barkley, Malone, Mike In Haier's heyday, each was the team's main scorer

But in the 1990s, with the continuous evolution of player technology, players with power forward heights (2.02-2.10 meters) no longer exist. They are content to just do rebounding, defense, blocking and other tasks. The expansion of their shooting range has expanded their offensive range to inside and outside the three-point line. Almost every star power forward after the 1990s has an extremely accurate bottom-up mid-range shot. .

So in this decade, a group of talented giants entered the league as power forwards, and half of the "No. 1 picks" were taken by them:

1990 No. 1 pick Derek Kerr Mann (New Jersey Nets)

1991 No. 1 pick "Big Mom" ??Johnson (Charlotte Hornets)

1993 No. 1 pick Chris Webber (Golden State Warriors)

1995 fourth pick Rasheed Wallace, fifth pick Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves)

1997 No. 1 Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) < /p>

1998 No. 9 pick Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks)

1999 No. 1 pick Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls)

Previous In the 1990s, a large number of talented power forwards gathered together to enter the league

Their offensive end is more flexible than traditional centers, they can post-up, mid-range shot, support and pivot; on the defensive end, they can both protect the basket and Being able to fill positions, Duncan and KG themselves are even the core of the team's offense and defense.

So in the last ten years (1997-2006) at the end of the last century and the beginning of this century, unless you have unique weapons like Jordan and O'Neal, most strong teams have an offensive and defensive player. A versatile power forward.

Even as strong as O'Neal, his dominance was ended by two power forwards. In the 2003 Western Conference semifinals, the "three consecutive championship" Lakers fell at the feet of MVP Duncan 2:4. In the series, "Stone Buddha" averaged 28 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. In the 2004 Finals, the Lakers lost to the Pistons 1:4. The "Double Wallace" combination announced the complete end of the "Sharks" dominance in the paint.

The power forwards' "dominance" of the NBA was finally proven with a championship.

①The greatest of his career - Tim Duncan

The undisputed number one power forward in history. His perfect basic skills and outstanding physical talent make him the perfect benchmark for power forwards. . In his second year as a rookie (98-99 season), he replaced the "Admiral" and became the team's offensive and defensive axis. He led the team to win the championship and personally won the finals MVP. He was also the first to end the dominance of the "OK combination" and start a Spurs Silver Dynasty that "wins every single order".

Duncan, like "Magic", is the undoubted best in history at his respective position

In his 19-year career, he has won 5 championships, 3 finals MVPs, and 2 times Regular season mvp, as well as countless best lineups and defensive lineups, the Spurs with him on the team all entered the playoffs in 2019.

②The most comprehensive technique - Kevin Garnett

He was the only power forward of that era who could be compared with Duncan. He is 2.11 meters tall but has superhuman flexibility. He can truly switch between offense and defense at positions one to five. He left his peak period of 12 years to the Timberwolves in the Western Conference and switched to Kyle in his third year. The special man won the championship that year. At his peak, he was both internal and external and could be called the most versatile presence in the league at that time.

The matchup between the two "21"s was the most exciting and interesting top-level matchup at the beginning of this century

And compared to his contact performance on the offensive end, his contribution to NBA defense may be bigger. He is the most outstanding "defensive spider" in NBA history, covering the entire three-point line. The "strong-side accumulation-weak-side rotation" defensive system tailor-made by the Celtics with him as the core has become a generation classic, and it also allowed the Celtics to once again win the O'Brien Cup in 2008 after a 22-year absence from the championship.

Garnett contributed a historical level of defensive performance to the Celtics and has continued to influence the current league

③The most gorgeous style of play - Chris Webber

Extremely strong physical fitness + unparalleled gorgeous skills, this is the label of Webber, who first entered the league in 1993. But it wasn't until he joined the Kings and became the core of the "Princeton" offensive system that all the talents of this 2.06-meter-tall power forward were released to the greatest extent.

The Kings led by Webber were the most exciting and beautiful team at the beginning of this century, and the "Princeton Offense" was all the rage in the league.

The extremely powerful dunks, the unconstrained passing, coupled with the The extremely accurate mid-range shot allowed Webb to compete with superstars such as Duncan and Garnett at the beginning of this century. The Kings he led were only one step away from overthrowing the "OK" team, and even today are considered the biggest shady scandal in the league.

In the 2001-02 season, the Kings led by Webber had the best regular season record in team history of 61 wins and 21 losses. In the first five games of the Western Conference Finals, they led the Lakers, who had already won two consecutive championships, 3:2. But in the crucial sixth game, the referee completely favored the Lakers. The Lakers took 40 free throws in one game, 15 more than the Kings. What's even more exaggerated was that in the fourth quarter, the Lakers took 40 free throws. *Only scored 18 points, 16 of which came from free throws. Even so, the Kings only lost to Horry's desperate three-pointer.

Horry's 2001 buzzer beater was an eternal pain for Webb and the Kings team

④The most far-reaching impact - Nowitzki

Dirk· Nowitzki changed the league much more than we thought. He is the greatest "spatial" inside man and the greatest international player. He proved that international players without American background can also win regular season championships, MVPs and even championships as the team leader. He used the most spectacular playoff performance in history to "lead the team with a single core" and led the Mavericks, whose main players had an average age of 34, to defeat the Thunder's third youngster, Kobe Bryant, and James and win the final championship.

Nowitzki has defined the current league's "spatial inside" style of play and is the undisputed benchmark

His infinite shooting range and almost impossible to defend "Golden Rooster Independence" His shooting skills and the top post-up skills he developed in the later period have made him the NBA's most comprehensive offensive power forward with the most powerful scoring ability.

His playing style and achievements also deeply influenced the subsequent development of NBA power forwards. Nowadays, a strong long-range shot has become an essential skill for every top insider.

Nowitzki's "super" performance in the 2011 playoffs brought the Mavericks their first and only championship trophy

And in their glory Underneath, there are also the "Roaring God" Rasheed Wallace, who brought great trouble to the "OK Combination" in the 2000 and 2004 playoffs, and the "second boss" who was the greatest insider in Fiba and defended the championship with Kobe Bryant. Stoudemire, the ultimate partner of Pau Gasol and Nash, represents the new generation of "brutal" power forwards. In that era when "O'Neal was old and James had not yet ascended to the throne", they were the most powerful force in the league.

But after 2004, two things had a huge impact on the league.

① In 2004, the NBA announced "No Handcheck" (hand-checking of defense is prohibited), and the data of the league's outside players ushered in an explosive growth.

After 2004, top breakthrough players generally ushered in the "spring"

② Steve Nash led the "Seven Second Offense" small ball storm in the Suns , Nash himself also won two regular season MVP awards (in 2005 and 2006).

When Marion, who is capable of both inside and outside, stands outside the three-point line as a power forward with two other shooters, allowing Stoudemire and Nash to launch pick-and-roll attacks wantonly, there are two players with similar functions standing inside. The tower seemed bulky. And when the changes in interior defensive rules make it difficult for many centers to adapt, the power forwards have even less space in the interior.

The Suns' classic "high pick-and-roll + V-shaped positioning" made the opponent's two insiders very embarrassed, but now this has become the norm in the league

By 2009 At the peak of the year, Howard led the two outside turrets Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis to form a pure "one star and four shooting" lineup. When he eliminated the peak 1.0 version of James, the status of the traditional power forward in the league It’s also getting more and more embarrassing.

As a result, the league is becoming more and more inclined to use the inside combination of "a center + a space-oriented fourth position" in order to maximize the space in the offense while also providing a high degree of mobility on the defensive end. to compress space. Therefore, outstanding power forwards have switched to center, and their shooting range has become farther and farther.

Comparing the shots of Ade and Griffin before and after their careers, we can see the changes in the function of power forwards today

So we see the amazing performance of the Raptors All-star power forward Bosh has become the representative of the "spacing No. 5"; Anthony Davis, the top center embryo with "thick eyebrows", has been the "leader of the empty-cutting group" every year with the title of power forward, but in 2017 After Cousins ??was injured, he "slaughtered" the Trail Blazers in the playoffs and achieved a personal breakthrough; even Aldridge, the most offensive and defensive power forward, also practiced three-pointers with the Spurs, which appeared more and more frequently. At the center position, Griffin and Love would have been at the center long ago if they weren't inadequate in size and defense.

Up to now, the three forwards in the NBA last season: Antetokounmpo, George, Durant, Leonard, LeBron, Griffin - Griffin is a serious power forward, others All of them are small forwards.

Among the six forwards in last season's best team, only Griffin is the only power forward left.

Currently, Griffin occupies most of the power forward positions in the NBA, or Either a power forward with three-point shooting ability, a small forward directly moved to the fourth position, or an all-around monster like Giannis.

① Space forwards (representatives: Porzingis, Collins, Jaren Jackson)

They have become the main weapons to open up space in the offense, and the team has them all A great offensive ball-handler who leads the offense. Through the pick-and-roll, whether he shoots a three-pointer from outside or cuts inside to "eat the pie", he can score smoothly, but it is always only used as an efficient end point, and the offensive weight is not the same as before.

Working with Doncic, Porzingis has regained his former bravery, but his tactical status is completely different from before

② Upgraded striker (representative figure) : Tatum, Tobias Harris, George & Leonard)

They have a standard small forward body, and their shooting ability is no longer a problem, but they rely on their outstanding personal abilities to achieve it. There is no disadvantage in defending the big man (Embiid is standing behind Harris), and he can be misplaced at will when attacking.

Harris, who was upgraded from the "3" to the "4" position, still ranks first in the 76ers' three-point attempts and hits

③All-round forward (Antetokounmpo, Antetokounmpo, Adebayor, thick eyebrows)

They are the backbone of the team on both offense and defense.

They can not only guard the penalty area and protect the rim, but also sweep around to cover and block shots. During the offense, they can also be both inside and outside, and continue to output firepower. Antetokounmpo has become the current league's top single fast break and inside scorer, but now he still He is defined as a power forward, is it appropriate?

The duel between "power forward aces" has become our eternal memory