Power forward is a position in the sport of
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the
four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". Power forwards play a role similar to that of
centerThe center, colloquially known as the five or the pivot, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
in what is called the "post" or "low blocks". They play offensively with their backs to the basket on
offenseIn sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...
and position themselves defensively under the basket in a
zone defenseZone defense is a type of defense used in sports which is the alternative to man-to-man defense; instead of each player guarding a corresponding player on the other team, each defensive player is given an area, or a "zone", to cover....
or against the opposing power forward on
defenseIn many team sports, defense or defence is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring. The term may also refer to the tactics involved in defense, or a sub-team whose primary responsibility is defense...
in
man-to-man defenseMan-to-man defense is a type of defensive tactic used in American football, association football, and basketball in which each player is assigned to defend and follow the movements of a single player on offense. Often, a player guards his counterpart , but a player may be assigned to guard a...
.
The power forward position entails a variety of responsibilities at higher levels of play.
Power forward is a position in the sport of
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the
four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". Power forwards play a role similar to that of
centerThe center, colloquially known as the five or the pivot, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
in what is called the "post" or "low blocks". They play offensively with their backs to the basket on
offenseIn sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...
and position themselves defensively under the basket in a
zone defenseZone defense is a type of defense used in sports which is the alternative to man-to-man defense; instead of each player guarding a corresponding player on the other team, each defensive player is given an area, or a "zone", to cover....
or against the opposing power forward on
defenseIn many team sports, defense or defence is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring. The term may also refer to the tactics involved in defense, or a sub-team whose primary responsibility is defense...
in
man-to-man defenseMan-to-man defense is a type of defensive tactic used in American football, association football, and basketball in which each player is assigned to defend and follow the movements of a single player on offense. Often, a player guards his counterpart , but a player may be assigned to guard a...
.
The power forward position entails a variety of responsibilities at higher levels of play. Many power forwards are noted for their mid-range jumper, and several other big men have become very accurate from 12 to even 18 feet. These skills are more typically exhibited in the European style of play. While
Dirk NowitzkiDirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
is not noted for his strong inside game or his physical post play, many of his skills, particularly his strong reliance on the jump shot, compare favorably to those of a typical
small forwardThe small forward, or, colloquially, the three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
. Other power forwards who add long-range shooting to their skillset include
Antawn JamisonAntawn Cortez Jamison is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association...
,
Yi JianlianYi Jianlian is a Chinese professional basketball player for the New Jersey Nets. Yi played power forward for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2002 and subsequently won the Rookie of the Year Award...
,
Rasheed WallaceRasheed Abdul Wallace is an American professional basketball player who is currently a member of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association . At 6 ft 11 in and 230 lb , Wallace is a power forward/center...
, and
Troy MurphyTroy Brian Murphy is an American professional basketball player, currently playing at center and power forward for the NBA's Indiana Pacers. Murphy was born in Morristown, New Jersey but grew up in Sparta located in north west New Jersey...
. In addition, some "natural" power forwards often play the
centerThe center, colloquially known as the five or the pivot, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
position and have the skills but lack the height that is more closely associated with that position.
As the position runs the gamut of offensive and defensive capabilities for players ranging from 6' 4" to 7' 0" and above, a variety of players fit "tweener" roles that may find them in the small forward and/or center position depending upon the matchup and coaching philosophy. One example of an effective power forward who did not fit the standard physical description for that position was
Dennis RodmanDennis Keith Rodman is an American retired professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The Worm" and was...
, who was able to out-rebound and defensively shut down rival power forwards despite being listed at 6 ft 7 in, 210 lb (2.01 m, 95 kg) but his real height was closer to 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m). Likewise,
Charles BarkleyCharles "Chuck" Wade Barkley is an American retired professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" for his aggressive and outspoken demeanor, and "The Round Mound of Rebound" for his unusual build and talent, Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's ...
was widely considered as one of the most dominating power forwards of his time, despite being officially listed at only 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) and reportedly closer to 6' 5" or 6' 4" (1.96 to 1.93 m). Barkley's playing weight of roughly 255 lb (116 kg) was typical for the position, despite giving up more than four inches in height in many matchups. Likewise,
Shawn MarionShawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks...
annually ranks among league leaders in rebounds while of similar size to Rodman; he is often listed as a small forward while assuming the defensive duties of a power forward for many matchups. Power forwards are not necssarily undersized; the duos of
David RobinsonDavid Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". Robinson and teammate power forward Tim Duncan,...
/
Tim DuncanTimothy "Tim" Theodore Duncan is a Virgin Islander American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
&
Ralph SampsonRalph Lee Sampson, Jr. is a retired American college and professional basketball player.A 7-foot-4 phenom, three-time College Player of the Year, and No...
/
Hakeem OlajuwonHakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led to Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995...
are a notable pairs that could play either position.
Power forwards who were named to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players list include
Charles BarkleyCharles "Chuck" Wade Barkley is an American retired professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" for his aggressive and outspoken demeanor, and "The Round Mound of Rebound" for his unusual build and talent, Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's ...
,
Dave DeBusschereDavid Albert DeBusschere was an American NBA and major league baseball player and coach in the NBA. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history....
,
Elvin HayesElvin Ernest Hayes is a retired American basketball player. He is a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.-Early years:...
,
Jerry LucasJerry Ray Lucas was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history...
,
Kevin McHaleKevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player who starred for thirteen seasons in the NBA for the Boston Celtics. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach...
,
Karl MaloneKarl Anthony Malone is a retired American professional basketball player.Born in Summerfield, Louisiana, he was nicknamed in college as the Mailman for his consistency and his work in the post. Malone twice won the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award...
,
Bob PettitRobert E. Lee "Bob" Pettit is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks . He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970...
, and
Wes UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988....
.