Power Forward (PF) Skills Guide in Swish & Dunk: What Makes a Great Four

The power forward is the most changeable role in Swish & Dunk. He can be a classic big who rebounds and defends the paint, a rim runner who rolls in the pick-and-roll, or a stretch four who opens the floor with the three. The engine treats him as a big in almost everything, with a strong tendency to attack the rim and a heavy weight on rebounds and blocks, but a shooting PF can completely change his profile. This guide explains which skills make a good power forward in the match engine and how each is used, what height and physique change, how fouls work and what counts less than it seems. Every claim is backed by tests on 3,000 games simulated with the real engine.

What the engine asks of a power forward

The engine weights almost every decision by the primary position on the card. For the power forward the weights are those of a big, a little softer than the center's:

In our simulations a 72-rated starting power forward playing 33 minutes averaged 15.3 points on 11.3 shots (54%), 7.6 rebounds (1.8 offensive), 1.5 assists, 1.1 blocks, 0.9 steals and only 0.8 turnovers. 64% of his shots were at the rim (at 63.4%), 20% threes and 16% from mid-range; 41% came from the pick-and-roll as the screener, 16% from isolations, 15% from catch-and-shoot, 14% from post-ups and 14% on the fast break. To see how a whole game works, read our guide to the match engine.

How we tested

We simulated 3,000 games with the real Swish & Dunk match engine between two identical teams (starters rated about 72, bench about 66, neutral tactics), changing one thing at a time on the power forward. Differences smaller than about 0.3 points per game are within random noise.

The stretch four: when the PF shoots

This is the engine mechanic that changes the role the most. The engine averages Three-Point Shot and Catch and Shoot (the "outside shooting skill") and uses it twice:

• Role penalty: a power forward starts with a three-point tendency of ×0.8. From 60 to 85 of outside shooting skill the penalty fades away, and at 85 or more he looks for the three like a small forward (×1.2).
• Pick-and-pop: in the pick-and-roll, a shooting big pops out for the three instead of rolling, up to 75% of the time (also multiplied by your tactic's three-point tendency).

Below 70, however, every player looks for the three less and less: a typical power forward, generated with −8 in Three-Point Shot and −4 in Catch and Shoot compared with his level, rarely shoots from outside. In our test we raised both skills by 25 points (to about 90): his threes went from 2.5 to 7.0 per game, at 40.5%, his points from 15.3 to 18.5 and the whole team's threes from 32 to 35 per game. Net effect: +0.7 points per game and 52.5% wins. A stretch four opens the floor and fits perfectly in the 5-Out and Pace and Space. The price: fewer shots at the rim and fewer offensive rebounds for him.

Rebounding

On every missed shot the engine draws the rebounder among all ten players on the floor. For a power forward the weight is made like this:

• Defensive rebound: Defensive Rebound ×0.75, Box Out ×0.35, Strength ×0.15.
• Offensive rebound: Offensive Rebound ×0.65, Box Out ×0.20, Strength ×0.15.
• Everything multiplied by the role (×1.2) and by height (±1.5% per centimetre compared with 1.95 m: a 2.07 m PF gets ×1.18).

With +20 in Offensive Rebound, Defensive Rebound, Box Out and Strength our power forward went from 7.6 to 9.5 rebounds per game (offensive from 1.8 to 2.4), the team's offensive rebounds rose from 10.8 to 11.2 and the margin by +0.6 points per game. Unlike the small forward, a PF's rebounds don't come only at his teammates' expense, because his weight is high enough to win them from opponents too. Box Out is particularly valuable: it counts on both ends and, on defense, is worth almost half of Defensive Rebound.

Finishing at the rim

Almost two out of three shots are at the rim. The skill used is the average of Close Shot, Layup and Dunk against the defender's Interior Defense, Shot Contest and Block, with a height bonus of +0.35% per centimetre over 1.98 m (power forwards are generated between 2.03 and 2.11 m, so between +1.75% and +4.55%). Strength, Layup and Dunk also protect the shot from blocks.

When he's the screener in the pick-and-roll, the engine chooses him as the roll man by weighting Pick & Roll Roll Man ×1, Screening ×0.6 and Close Shot ×0.5; the roll man finishes at the rim 85% of the time. In our tests +20 in Screening and Pick & Roll Roll Man gave him +1.2 points but didn't move the team's margin: they decide who finishes the pick-and-roll, not how well. The percentage is decided by the finishing skills.

Post Offense: frequency, not quality

Here we need to clear up a common misunderstanding. Post Offense decides how often the power forward posts up (weight ×1.45 for PF and C). Post-ups end at the rim 80% of the time and with a mid-range shot 20% of the time, and the percentage depends on Close Shot, Layup, Dunk and Mid-Range Shot. In our tests +20 in Post Offense alone didn't improve the team; +20 in Post Offense and Close Shot together raised his field-goal percentage from 54% to 55% and his points by 1, without changing the margin. It's a useful skill for the Triangle Offense and the Princeton, not a priority in itself.

Defense

In the engine every player guards the opponent with the same primary position: your power forward guards theirs. So what you need depends on who you face:

• Against a classic power forward (64% of shots at the rim): Interior Defense, Shot Contest and Block. With +20 in these skills and in Help Defense, the opposing PF went from 53.1% to 49.7% from the field, our PF's blocks went from 1.0 to 1.4 per game and the team gained +0.4 points per game.
• Against a stretch four: Perimeter Defense and Shot Contest, which contest jumpers and threes. +20 in both held the opposing power forward to 30% from three and was worth about +0.5 points per game.
• Help Defense and Vertical decide who goes for the block on shots at the rim (Block 60%, Help 20%, Vertical 20%, times the role: ×1.6 for a PF). They add blocks, but remember the block is decided after a miss: help defense gives stats more than it lowers the opponents' percentages.

Fouls: the power forward's weak spot

Bigs commit more fouls away from the ball: the engine picks the player who commits an off-ball foul by weighting Aggressiveness and lack of Defensive Discipline, multiplied by the role (×1.3 for the PF, ×1.5 for the C). On shots, the defender's Defensive Discipline and Emotional Control are pitted against the shooter's Draw Foul and Aggressiveness, and a stronger contest also means more contact. Fouls cost more than the free throws: with 3 fouls in the first half, 4 in the third quarter or 5 in the fourth, the engine benches him as soon as a replacement is available (only in a close finale does it keep him on the floor), and at 6 he's out for good. For a starting PF, Defensive Discipline is worth minutes on the floor.

Height and physique

Power forwards are generated between 2.03 and 2.11 m and 100–115 kg. Height helps him at the rim and on the glass, but less than for a center, because the bonuses are capped (+6% at the rim from 2.15 m, ×1.4 on rebounds from 2.22 m). Strength is his most useful athletic skill: it counts on both rebounds and protects shots at the rim from blocks. Vertical counts in blocks. Stamina protects all ratings from fatigue and keeps him on the floor. Speed and Transition Offense are a bonus for small-ball or running teams; Acceleration doesn't enter any duel.

Mental attributes

• Defensive Discipline and Emotional Control: the most important "mental" skills for a PF, because they keep him out of foul trouble.
• Aggressiveness: it helps draw shooting fouls (power forwards have +4 in Draw Foul in their profile), but it raises the risk of off-ball fouls and injuries.
• Durability: shots and rebounds are the contact plays where injuries happen, and a PF is involved in many of both.
• Clutch: it multiplies his duels in close finishes, from −10% to +10%.
• Basketball IQ: it counts little, because a PF handles the ball rarely (0.8 turnovers per game).

Four types of power forward

Choose the type based on your center: next to a center who doesn't shoot, a stretch four opens the floor; next to a stretch five, a rebounder brings back the toughness. How to pair offense and defense is explained in our guide to basketball tactics.

How to find and develop a power forward

First decide which type you need, then read the card accordingly: for a stretch four the average of Three-Point Shot and Catch and Shoot (85 is the threshold where he looks for the three like a wing), for a classic four the rebounding trio, Strength and Interior Defense. In both cases check Defensive Discipline.

In training, the Player Development Coach (from Level 3) puts young power forwards on specialized Rebounding, which gives quick Overall jumps but saturates within a season or two because it only has three skills. To build a stretch four you'll need to set specialized Shooting by hand; for a defensive anchor, Defense. The details are in our training guide, and every single rating is explained in the guide to all 49 player skills.

Checklist: the ideal power forward

1. Defensive Rebound, Box Out and Strength among the best on the team.
2. Close Shot, Layup and Dunk good: two shots in three are at the rim.
3. Interior Defense, Shot Contest and Block to stop his man inside; Perimeter Defense if the league is full of stretch fours.
4. Defensive Discipline and Emotional Control to stay out of foul trouble.
5. Three-Point Shot and Catch and Shoot at 85+ if you want a stretch four; otherwise not a priority.
6. Pick & Roll Roll Man and Screening if your offense runs the pick-and-roll.
7. Post Offense only together with good finishing.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most important skills for a power forward in Swish & Dunk?

Three groups: the rebounding trio (Defensive Rebound, Offensive Rebound, Box Out) with Strength, the defense on his man (Interior Defense, Shot Contest, Block and, against stretch fours, Perimeter Defense), and finishing at the rim (Close Shot, Layup, Dunk), which covers 64% of his shots. A shooting PF who reaches 85 in Three-Point Shot and Catch and Shoot becomes a stretch four.

How does a power forward become a stretch four?

The engine averages Three-Point Shot and Catch and Shoot: from 60 to 85 the power forward's role penalty on the three disappears, and above 85 he looks for the three like a small forward and pops out of the pick-and-roll up to 75% of the time. In our tests a stretch four went from 2.5 to 7.0 threes per game at 40%.

Is Post Offense important for a power forward?

Post Offense decides how often he posts up, not how well he finishes: the percentage depends on Close Shot, Layup, Dunk and Mid-Range Shot. In our tests +20 in Post Offense alone didn't improve the team; it's only useful if he also finishes well near the basket.

How tall should a power forward be?

Power forwards are generated between 2.03 and 2.11 m. Height adds up to +4.6% on shots at the rim compared with the 1.98 m reference and up to 24% on the weight on rebounds compared with 1.95 m. A taller PF is an advantage, but it's not as decisive as for a center.

Why does my power forward always get into foul trouble?

Power forwards have a heavy weight for off-ball fouls (×1.3) and the engine picks the fouler by Aggressiveness and lack of Defensive Discipline. With 3 fouls in the first half, 4 in the third quarter or 5 in the fourth, he is subbed off when a replacement is available. Defensive Discipline and Emotional Control are the fix.

The power forward works in tandem with the center: read the center (C) guide too, and complete your roster with the guides to the point guard (PG), the shooting guard (SG) and the small forward (SF).

Last updated: October 3, 2026