Saddiq Bey will be the opening night starting small forward for the Detroit Pistons, and they are hoping he finds a new level in his third season.
Bey has been a solid all-around player for Detroit who has flashed glimpses of star power, like when he dropped 51 on the Magic last season.
The small forward or wing position is arguably the most important in the NBA, and the Eastern Conference has some great ones.
But who is the best? When looking at the rankings for the small forward position in the East, they can be broken into three tiers. The lower tier (which is actually quite small), the big middle ground and then the top-tier guys who are all either All-Stars or even MVP candidates.
But where does Saddiq Bey of the Detroit Pistons rank?
Detroit Pistons: Eastern Conference small forward rankings
The Lower Tier
There are some really good small forwards in the East, so the lower tier guys are still good, but are either on their way out, have unclear injury status, or haven’t yet shown their full potential in the NBA. Here are the three guys I would put in this tier, in order from best to worst.
- PJ Tucker-76ers
- Joe Harris-Nets
- Oshae Brissett-Pacers
It’s actually arguable whether any of these guys are truly small forwards, but they have or will play the wing position for their respective teams next season. Tucker is still a productive player at age 37, a guy who can guard three positions and knock down 3-point shots, but he only averaged 7.6 points and 5.5 rebounds last season, though his contributions often don’t show up in the scorecard.
Joe Harris is one-dimensional sharpshooter who only played 14 games last season and has never averaged 15 points per game in a season.
Oshae Brissett is a good young role player (who is also more of a combo forward for Indiana), but failed to average double digits last season, which puts him in the lower tier for small forwards in the East.
Detroit Pistons: Eastern Conference small forward rankings
The middle tier
This is the largest group of the three and shows just how talented the East is when it comes to small forwards. Most of these players are young, up-and-coming guys or players who were once All-Star level but fell off due to injuries.
Here they are, in order from best to worst:
- OG Onunoby-Raptors
- RJ Barrett- Knicks
- Saddiq Bey-Pistons
- Franz Wagner-Magic
- Gordon Hayward-Hornets
- Lauri Markkanen-Cavaliers
- Will Barton-Wizards
- De’Andre Hunter-Hawks
There are plenty of arguments to be had over this one, especially at the top, as the players are fairly equal. I gave Onunoby the top spot because he is a great two-way wing who has played on winning teams.
RJ Barrett averaged 20 per game last season and added 5.8 rebounds and three assists, so certainly has a case for the top spot himself. But unlike Onunoby, he’s done it mostly on bad teams.
I’m sure Magic fans would argue Wagner over Saddiq Bey, and he may get there soon, but Bey averaged more points, rebounds and assists last season and both were on teams at the bottom of the East.
Hayward and Markkanen are both fringe All-Stars when healthy (Hayward has made it once) but have both slid into more of a role player tier at this stage of their respective careers, and neither of them can defend.
Both Barton and De’Andre Hunter are good role players who do their job, but probably are what they are at this point in their careers.
This tier could definitely be shaken up by the end of this season, as Onunoby, Barrett, Bey and Wagner could all improve and make a case for the All-Star team or even to climb into the next group.
Detroit Pistons: Eastern Conference small forward rankings
The upper tier
This tier features four guys who have all made All-Star teams recently and includes three guys who were fringe MVP candidates last season. Obviously, if you count Kevin Durant as a small forward, he is in this tier as well, but I think of him more as a four at this stage in his career.
Here’s the top tier, starting with the best small forward in the East.
- Jayson Tatum-Celtics
- Jimmy Butler-Heat
- DeMar DeRozan-Bulls
- Khris Middleton-Bucks
If any of the players in the middle tier want to make the leap, they will have to knock off the guys at the top, which include some of the best players in the NBA.
Jayson Tatum is going to be a perennial MVP candidate and has already led his team on deep playoff runs including a trip to the NBA Finals last season after making first-team All NBA.
Butler is the heart and soul of a Heat team that contends every season and will again next year, one of the best two-way players in the NBA.
DeMar DeRozan is polarizing because of he has the audacity not to shoot many 3-point shots, but you can’t argue with the results, as he averaged just under 28 points per game last season and made second-team All NBA.
Middleton, one of the biggest mistakes the Detroit Pistons have made, was once again an All-Star last season who averaged over 20 per game.
Saddiq Bey has some work to do to get into this tier for the Detroit Pistons, but it’s possible that he will notch a few All-Star appearances before his career is over.