Washington Wizards: Ranking The Top 5 Small Forwards In Recent Franchise History
In the NBA, the small forward position has always been stacked with stellar talent.
From Larry Bird to LeBron James, the league has been dominated by threes for quite some time. But, how much of that talent suited up for the Washington Wizards?
Well, not much of it.
After selecting the top-5 point guards and shooting guards in recent Wizards history, we’ve reached the small forward rankings.
As always, Nithin Kuchibhotla (@NKuchibhotla), Osman Baig (@Obtoojiveforyou), David Statman (@DJStatman77), John Cannady (@John_Cannady) and myself (@BenMehicNBA) contributed to the ranking.
Enjoy…
5) Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard? This is not a typo.
Howard comes in at number five on the list of best small forwards in Washington Wizards/Bullets recent history.
But he’s a power forward!
If that is your reaction, we know you either weren’t paying attention or weren’t old enough to know that while Howard was on the Washington Wizards/Bullets with Chris Webber, he was primarily a small forward.
So two power forwards and a 7-foot-6 center who can barely move was the frontcourt?
You have that right.
This is a far cry from the current state of the NBA where just one traditional big man seems to be treated as a nuisance and hindrance towards an open style of play and space for the guards to operate.
In the four seasons Howard played alongside Webber in Washington’s frontcourt, he averaged 19.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
*To note, perhaps his best statistical season did come in 1995-96 when Webber missed significant time with a shoulder injury, however Rasheed Wallace starting 51 games for Washington that season – Yes, that same Rasheed Wallace
Advanced metrics don’t paint as good of a picture as Howard had a PER of 15.9 and a TS% of .525 over that same four season period with an ORtg of 104 and a DRtg of 108.
That doesn’t do justice for Howard, though.
While I think most would agree that Howard failed to live up to expectations after signing his $100 million contract, his initial arrival in Washington was met with great joy.
Coming off a high profiled college career as a significant part of the Fab Five, fans who attended the team’s draft party at the Capitol Center (myself included) loudly cheered when John Nash told the crowd that Juwan Howard be the selection with the 5th overall pick, barring a trade.
After a holdout that extended into his rookie season, Howard quickly signed with Washington coinciding with the arrival of his ex-college teammate Webber.
From there, Howard quickly became a fan favorite with his performance, leadership and tenacity he would approach the game with.
It was a breath of fresh air and a new excitement for a franchise that was stuck in mediocrity for some period of time, missing out on lottery luck that landed them the 6th pick (Tom Gugliotta) in the 1992 draft that had Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning selected as the top two, and the 6th pick again (Calbert Cheaney) in the 1993 draft in a draft that saw Webber, Anfernee Hardaway and Jamal Mashburn all selected in the top four.
Washington had to have felt snake bitten, considering in each of those drafts they fell from their original position entering the draft.
The fortune of having the high profiled duo in Howard and Webber come to Washington D.C. together was a huge moment for the organization – one which had many expecting the Bullets to jump to contender status.
As Richard Justice with the Washington Post noted on the day both Howard came to terms and Webber was acquired:
“It was a pair of stunning moves for a franchise that, after suffering through seven consecutive losing seasons, seems finally on the verge of being a serious contender after adding a pair of former University of Michigan teammates who should be the cornerstone of the team’s front court.
Although things did not work out as we all hoped, Howard’s arrival to D.C. was a significant moment in the franchise’s recent history, and his play and relevance of those games was deserving of his inclusion on this list.
4) Trevor Ariza
If Trevor Ariza never played for the Washington Wizards, the team never would have set high expectations for the seasons that came after his time in D.C. was over.
Ariza, along with Emeka Okafor, played a huge role in transforming the way the entire organization operated after they were acquired from the New Orleans Hornets.
Having played on championship teams, Ariza knew what it took to win games at the highest level. Most importantly, he embraced his role as a veteran leader for a team that desperately needed role models.
Quietly, Ariza became one of the league’s best 3-point marksmen, shooting a career-high 41 percent from beyond the arc in Washington. He perfected the corner three and was often the beneficiary of John Wall‘s court vision.
Instead of relying on his individual talents, Ariza owned the fact that he was strictly a high-level role player. That, in itself, is somewhat of a talent. There aren’t a lot of players that accepted their roles in Washington. Those that did, though, went on to have the biggest paydays of their respective careers.
Ariza didn’t have a problem with being a spot-up shooter and a lockdown defender. Washington didn’t have a 3-and-D player before Ariza arrived and they’ve yet to replace his skill-set in that capacity since he left in 2014.
In many ways, Ariza was the backbone of Washington’s elite defense for years. He led the way on the perimeter and was often given the toughest offensive assignment, no matter how big or small the offensive player was.
In the playoffs, Ariza shut down Mike Dunleavy and D.J. Augustin after the two had explosive games in the series. His “you’re not scoring on me” mentality carried over to the rest of the team and Wall, in particular, became a fantastic perimeter defender, making the All-Defensive Second Team.
Ariza is everything that a supporting player should be. He found a signature shot from the corner, played excellent defense and mentored the younger players.
Washington hasn’t replaced his presence yet, but the Houston Rockets might consider moving Ariza this upcoming season. If the Wizards aren’t sold on Otto Porter by then, maybe we’ll get an opportunity to see Ariza in the nation’s capital again.
3) Paul Pierce
Statistically, Paul Pierce was a shadow of his former self during his lone season as a Washington Wizard. It didn’t feel like it.
When Pierce was cranking daggers and giving the team a cocky swagger it’s never had before or since, it felt like the Truth, in all his glory, could lead Washington to the precipice.
It was weird. It was glorious. It was also completely stunning.
After Trevor Ariza broke our hearts by signing with Houston, the Washington Wizards immediately rebounded by signing the type of man they never get: an all-time great hunting for another ring. A winner.
And then Pierce stepped onto the floor in a Wizards uniform, and quickly showed that he still had something.
Shouldering a much smaller offensive load than he had ever had before, Pierce averaged a then-career low 11.9 points per game, but his shooting stats were right on par with the rest of his work: 44.7 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from three, and 82.6 percent from the line.
Pierce was certainly a beneficiary of the John Wall Effect, but where his talents were most vital was as Washington’s bailout option.
Pierce was 37-years-old and a step or two slower than anyone on the court, but he still retained incredible body control and he was a master of manipulating his defender.
Whenever the halfcourt offense stalled, Washington could feel secure in the knowledge that they could simply toss the ball to Pierce, and the old man would find a way to twist his body around and get his shot up – and usually make it.
This was the way Pierce created the greatest Wizards moment of the last 10 years: the Night He Called Game. In Game 3 of Washington’s second round series against Atlanta, Pierce banked in a fallaway stepback jumper at the buzzer in one of the most dramatic playoff wins in Wizards history.
It was everything Wizards fans had dreamed about when Pierce elected to come to DC. Pierce was going to be the final piece: the veteran scorer who would hit the big shots and give Washington a mainstream legitimacy it had never before enjoyed.
That’s exactly what Pierce was, although for various reasons the pieces never quite came together for the Wizards to become an actual contender. Pierce was Washington’s source of confidence and leadership, an NBA champion who wasn’t afraid to call out John Wall, Bradley Beal or anyone on the team not living up to the proper standard.
It was impossible not to appreciate him at the time, but when you see what happened after he left – a fractured locker room, a maddening team-wide regression and a lack of players who can actually create their own shot – you appreciate him even more today.
That’s because Paul Pierce did something almost no one else ever has: he gave the Wizards a sense of purpose.
2) Michael Jordan
I really tried campaigning hard for Michael Jordan at no.1
I mean, this is His Airness we’re talking about. MJ. The GOAT. Playing in a Washington Wizards jersey. Are you kidding me? I don’t care about the circumstance – that has to earn the top spot, I thought.
Nonetheless, saner heads prevailed and I relented on that argument. But while I do admit Caron Butler deserves it since his play actually resulted in team success, even the height of the Gilbert Arenas-era Wizards couldn’t match the buzz in the building for the two years Jordan called D.C. home.
When MJ hit that final shot over Byron Russell in the 1998 NBA Finals, there was poetic justice unlike any we’ve ever seen.
More from Wiz of Awes
Here was a man at the peak of his powers, coming off six titles in the last full six seasons he played, hanging it up because the challenge just didn’t exist anymore.
We had seen one return before, back in 1995, but understood that his first exit from the game was definitely premature.
This actually had a finality to it and was at an age more representative of Jordan’s stature in basketball.
But ultimately, this break didn’t last either.
After three seasons off the court, including one spent as a disastrous general manager, Jordan was coming back to the…Wizards?
Of course, much of his decision hinged on his established relationship with Abe Pollin and his control of player personnel decisions that led to the drafting (and later excoriating) of Kwame Brown and the eventual fateful deal that sent Rip Hamilton to Detroit for Jerry Stackhouse (technically occurred while Jordan was on the team, but he was GM LeBron before there was a GM LeBron).
At any rate, those two years with Jordan in the blue and gold couldn’t have been more fun.
The Wizards sold out all 82 home games across two seasons. The building was loud, and made sure to ooh and ah at each of his patented moves.
He had 40 and 50 point games, game winning shots, and defensive plays that defied his age. Jordan was still Jordan, but only at times.
Ultimately, the Wizards did not achieve team success, as those two seasons represent the only in Jordan’s career that he failed to qualify for the playoffs. And despite those moments of brilliance, it was clear to anyone who’s followed his career that this third act was a shell of his former self.
I say it doesn’t matter.
What other 38-year-old can miss three full seasons of action, then come back and average 23-6-5 per game against youthful competition – and then follow it up the next year with lower counting stats but heightened efficiency while playing all 82 games and averaging 37 minutes per contest??
Jordan’s conditioning and athleticism were waning but nonetheless he was the best player on a mediocre team and the only reason they mattered within the context of the league.
He made the All-Star team twice, had his number retired by the Miami Heat (of which half the jersey is attributed to Washington in hilarious fashion), and even got Mariah Carey to don a Wizards jersey-dress contraption during his send-off event.
The numbers were there, some good, some bad (his 36% Usage Rate in 2001-02 ranked unbelievably as the 2nd highest in his career across a full season), but his presence was felt much more.
Unfortunately, Jordan’s legacy in D.C. was tarnished by some highly questionable and debilitating front office moves as well as a nasty breakup with ownership thereafter.
No love was lost between Pollin and Jordan, but Washington Wizards fans will always love that #23 played for them.
1) Caron Butler
Although Gilbert Arenas was perhaps the most well-known Washington Wizards player from the early 2000’s era, everyone knew that Caron Butler was definitely the heart and soul of the team.
Butler was a hard-nosed player whose style rubbed off on everyone else, including the Wizards players and fans.
Tuff Juice always played hard and fit right in with the type of player that D.C. sports fans loved.
Butler was a multi-talented player on offense that could hit the three, could back down in the post, and could outrebound most wings in the league.
On the defensive end, he would always defend the other team’s best wing player and usually would shut them down.
With Butler on the Wizards, other teams knew they were in for a tough game and the Wizards weren’t going back down…because Butler wouldn’t let them. While only playing with the Wizards for five seasons, Butler comes in as the Wizards’ number one small forward in recent team history.
After stints with the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers, Butler came over to the Wizards in the Kwame Brown and Laron Profit trade.
Butler immediately fit in with Arenas and Antawn Jamison to form a trio that would lead the Wizards to some of the most successful and fun seasons in franchise history.
I remember watching a Wizards game during that era and thinking, “wow, Butler may not be the best in the league at one particular skill, but he’s pretty damn good at everything.”
As a matter of fact, some of the lineups that the Wizards used with Butler in this era would probably be effective in today’s NBA.
Butler had a good three point shot, he used his size to his advantage to post up smaller wings, and could handle the ball well. While Butler officially played the small forward position in the lineup, Butler often would lead the Wizards in rebounds and assists.
On some nights, it was almost like Butler didn’t have a position.
During his time with the Wizards, Butler went on to make two All-Star teams (and had to sit out the game due to an injury in 2008).
As good as those Wizards teams were, they unfortunately went head-to-head with one of the best players in NBA history in LeBron James in a few of the classic playoff matchups.
Watching the Wizards featuring Butler with Arenas and Jamison, you always felt that if the team didn’t get disbanded due to “Gun Gate,” they could have made a real run or two at the Eastern Conference title.
While Butler’s basketball game was hard-nosed and no-nonsense, he always had some interesting quirks about himself that stuck out in our minds.
For example: Butler loves chewing on drinking straws so much that he would often play whole games (!!!) with one in his cheek.
Once the league found out about it, they banned him from doing that again.
It’s no secret that D.C. sports love to root for underdogs, and in some ways, that’s what Butler was.
Butler is now in his 14th season in the NBA and looks to catch on with a team for this upcoming season. While the Wizards have had plenty of talented small forwards in franchise history, Caron Butler will always be remembered with fond memories and stories of how Tuff Juice helped make the Wizards teams of the mid 2000’s one of the funnest to watch.