NBA: Power ranking the 30 projected starting small forwards on each team

1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James is going to turn 40 years old in December and no longer in his prime. That said, I'd still pencil him to be the best starting small forward in the league heading into this season. What makes LeBron so special is that it's not just one area of the game in which he impacts. LeBron is still an elite scorer, an elite playmaker, and a good and versatile defender. He's also still one of the most clutch players in the league. He may have lost some athleticism and consistency at his point in his career but he's still an incredibly good player when he's healthy and playing at his peak.

Father Time is eventually going to catch up with LeBron but even as he's aged over the last few years, he's found ways to still impact the game on a grand level. The fall of LeBron could be coming but he does everything to put his body in the best position to succeed.

And if his performance in the Olympics is any indication, LeBron still very much has something left in the tank to give to the game of basketball. Plus, maybe playing alongside his son will rejuvenate him to a certain extent this season.