NBA Positional Rankings: Top 10 small forwards entering 2021-22

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Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

3. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 25.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 7.8 APG

The eventual fall or inevitable regression will come from LeBron James, but at least for the time being he’s still one of the top 5 players in the league. LeBron may not be the monster that he was during the peak years of his career and no longer can carry a team alone, but he’s still the face of the league.

Nevertheless, he’s one year removed from winning a championship and will still have a strong chance of winning another one this season with the Los Angeles Lakers, playing next to Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.

LeBron will be 37 years old by the time the playoffs begin this season and the fact that he’s still a top 3 small forward in the league tells you all you need to know about his legacy and impact on the game at a historical level.