Ranking the Top 10 Small Forwards In the NBA

Feb 15, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Eastern Conference forward Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls speaks to the media during a press conference at the Hilton Americas. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

7. Luol Deng

2012-13 Season Averages: 16.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.9 apg

Luol Deng made his second consecutive All-Star game this year and is definitely among the best small forwards in the league. His numbers have not changed much since last season, but they are solid nonetheless.

Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has never been shy of giving his players big minutes, and Deng plays 39 minutes per game, which is most among all small forwards. He is an extremely important player to the Bulls, not only because of his offense, but because he is capable of taking on tough match ups defensively.

He is shooting 30.3% from the three-point line, which isn’t ideal, but the high amount of minutes and his effort on defense could have something to do with that.

The 27-year-old forward has also shown a lot of toughness, as he decided against having surgery to repair torn ligaments in his wrist, and played through the injury in the 2011-12 playoffs and 2012 Olympics.