Small forward - wikipedia Small forward This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. ( Learn how and when to remove these template messages ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2014 ) This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( June 2010 ) LeBron James The small forward ( SF ), also known as the three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall. The small forward position is considered to be perhaps the most versatile of the five main basketball positions. In the NBA, small forwards usually range from 6 ' 6 '' ( 1.98 m ) to 6 ' 9 '' ( 2.06 m ) and 5 ' 11 '' ( 1.80 m ) to 6 ' 2 '' ( 1.88 m ) in the WNBA. The ideal position for a small forward would be between the key and three - point line. Small forwards are primarily responsible for scoring points, defending and also often as secondary or tertiary rebounders behind the power forward and center, although a few, such as LeBron James, have considerable passing responsibilities. Many small forwards in professional basketball, however, are prolific scorers. The styles with which small forwards amass their points vary widely, as some players at the position, such as Golden State Warriors ' Kevin Durant are very accurate straight up shooters, while others such as Metta World Peace ( formerly Ron Artest ), Gerald Wallace, and Jerome Kersey prefer to `` bang inside '', initiate or not shy away from physical contact with opposing players, while others are primarily slashers such as Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James who also possess jumpshots. One common thread among all kinds of small forwards is an ability to `` get to the line '', that is, having opposing players called for committing shooting fouls against them, as fouls are frequently called on the defense when offensive players `` take the ball hard '' to the basket ; that is, the offensive players aggressively attempt post-up plays, lay - ups, or slam dunks. Therefore, accurate foul shooting is an imperative skill for small forwards, many of whom record a large portion of their points at the foul line. Small forwards who are defensive specialists are very versatile as they can often guard multiple positions using their size, speed, and strength such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. References Jump up ^ Recruiting Nation ( November 28, 2006 ). `` Versatility is key for small forwards ''. ESPN. Basketball positions Guards 1 ( Floor general ) Point guard ( PG ) Combo guard ( PG / SG ) 2 ( Wing ) Shooting guard ( SG ) Guard - forward / Swingman / Wing ( SG / SF ) Forwards 3 ( Wing ) Small forward ( SF ) Point forward ( PG / SF or PG / PF ) 4 ( Post ) Power forward ( PF ) Combo forward / Cornerman / Stretch four ( SF / PF ) Center 5 ( Pivot ) Center ( C ) Forward - center / Bigman / Big ( PF / C ) Backcourt Frontcourt Tweener Captain Head coach Referees and officials Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Small_forward&oldid=799629066 '' Categories : Basketball positions Small forwards Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from January 2014 All articles needing additional references Articles that may contain original research from June 2010 All articles that may contain original research Talk About Wikipedia Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Bosanski Català Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Latviešu Lietuvių Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська Zazaki 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 8 September 2017, at 21 : 42. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what should a small forward be good at
Answer: guard multiple positions