This article takes the reader through an analysis of the NBA power-forward position.

These big bodies at the 4 spot fortify teams' rebounding and defense, and some of them are big scorers too.

When all is said and done, Kevin Garnett may be the best power forward of all time.

Malone, 41, is the second-leading scorer in NBA history, and he helped turn the power-forward spot into a glamor position.

Without a dominant big man like Shaq, you need a preeminent power forward to contend.  Some of this is a result of a decline in the contributions from the league's small forwards, but it's also in large part attributable to the rise of quality 4's.

"It's my job to make the game easier for my teammates," said Garnett. "For a team to be successful, there has to be a player that makes the other guys better."

"He just keeps getting better," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said, "because he works at it."

Garnett is given to playing the high post and out on the wing as much as on the blocks, while Duncan is usually in the low post or high post.