The power forward, or the 4, bridges the interior and perimeter. Height between 6'7" and 6'11", physical profile with increasing skill. Historically, it was a post-up player (Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley).
The modern revolution of the 4 is the "stretch four": a power forward who can shoot threes. Dirk Nowitzki paved the way, followed by Kevin Love, Draymond Green, Anthony Davis in different variations. Today, a 4 without outside shooting is rare on contending teams.
Typical duties: offensive and defensive rebounding, paint defense, setting screens, shooting on pick-and-pop, defending switches across positions 1-3. It's a versatile role demanding a broad toolkit.
Draymond Green is the archetype of the "playmaking 4": less of a classic scorer, more of an elite defender and secondary creator. That evolution mirrors modern basketball's preference for intelligence over pure size.
Real example
A power forward sets a high screen, their defender switches onto the point guard, and they pop to the arc for a three-point pick-and-pop.
Related terms
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