Los Angeles Clippers: Top 5 Small Forwards of All-Time

No. 4: Charles Smith

When it comes to 4th place on this list, Charles Smith is an interesting choice because of the fact that he spent his four year career with the Clippers playing at both small and power forward. However, seeing as Smith spent two of those seasons at small forward (per Basketball Reference) and is easily talented enough to earn a spot among the best Clippers of all-time, he’s been included in this list.

In 1988, Smith was initially drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded to the Clippers on the day of the draft; in exchange for Hersey Hawkins and a 1989 first round pick. Upon his arrival in L.A., Smith spent his first two seasons with the Clippers at power forward, before his excellent length, rim protection and finishing was utilized at small forward in his final two seasons.

At 6’10”, Smith was easily one of the biggest small forwards you could hope to see. Just imagine if he joined the Clippers’ starting lineup now next to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. How imposing would those three look next to each other?

When he moved to small forward in the 1990-91 season, Charles Smith averaged 20 points on 46.9 percent shooting, with career highs in rebounds (8.2) and blocks (2) per game. It was his ability to rebound and protect the rim that made him such a mismatch for opposing small forwards, because he still had the quickness to keep up with smaller players. Combine that with his turn-around jumper in the post and soft touch by the basket, and it resulted in Smith averaging 18.4 points per game during his career in Los Angeles.

After his four years as a combo-forward for the Clippers, Smith earned the 8th spot in the team’s all-time leaders in blocks with 451, whilst establishing himself as a versatile forward with a clear ability to make a difference at both ends of the floor.

Next: Marques Johnson