NBA small forward tier list: Where is Raptors star OG Anunoby?

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TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 31: OG Anunoby #3 of the Toronto Raptors looks to pass the ball against RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

Tier 5: Solid players, not needle movers

20. Herb Jones, New Orleans Pelicans

19. De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks

18. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

17. Lu Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder

16. Lauri Markkanen, Cleveland Cavaliers

15. Gordon Hayward, Charlotte Hornets

Jones and Hunter might not light up the statsheet on offense, but both of them proved their defensive quality on teams who made it to the postseason. Dort has long been an NBA Twitter fan favorite for his feisty hustle on the perimeter, and he’s started to come into his own as a scorer.

Wagner considerably outplayed Suggs during his first season in Orlando, and he’s just a few defensive changes away from becoming a well above-average SF before his rookie contract is up. While Markkanen and Hayward have both seen better days, they should be right around the 15 points per game threshold once again in 2022-23.

Tier 4: Higher-end Starters on playoff teams

14. Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings

13. Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah Jazz

12. Michael Porter Jr, Denver Nuggets

11. Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies

10. Mikal Bridges, Phoenix Suns

Being stuck in NBA Siberia, Barnes’ resurgence with the Kings has flown under the radar. He’s still a walking bucket. While a Raptors trade target in Bogdanovic is positioned for another season in relative anonymity thanks to his geography, he can still light up the scoreboard.

Assuming that Porter is healthy, he should be able to help Denver contend. Brooks should be in a similar tertiary scoring role with Memphis this season, though he is still a few ticks below OG when you factor in defense. Bridges is an excellent two-way star, making the gap between him and the next two spots as thin as humanly possible.

Toronto Raptors: OG Anunoby is a Top 10 SF

Tier 3: Fringe All-Stars

9. RJ Barrett, New York Knicks

8. OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors

7. Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors

6. Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets

Barrett started to show that his ability to fill it up from the perimeter was here to stay last year. He and Anunoby will be locking horns against one another in that division for years to come.

Wiggins went from an overpaid player who was slightly disappointing this season to a key part of a championship team. Simmons remains as positionless and enigmatic as ever, but the expectation when he returns to the floor is that his usual brand of basketball will be good enough to help the Nets contend.