I already did point guards, so now Im doing the complete list of STARTING shooting guards. 30. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope -Pistons. To be fair, KCP only played 19.8 minutes per game, but nevertheless he was still started more games than Rodney Stuckey or Kyle Singler. Call it not having the ball enough (Which can happen when Jennings and Josh Smith are on the same team as you) or call it a rookie slump, but shooting only 39% from the field and 31% from deep while barely scraping up 5.9 points a game is bad. 29. Iman Shumpert- Knicks. When Shumpert first came into the league, he was this uber-athletic guard who could lock down his opponent on one end and perform highlight dunks on the other end. Then he tore his ACL and since then has struggled to remain on the court. His shot have never been a consistent one and it even looks like his defense is slipping as well. Hopefully he can bounce back 28. Nate Wolters- Bucks. Since Gary Neal was traded, the Bucks had a glaring hole at the SG spot. They wanted Mayo off the bench and decided to start Nate Wolters. Wolters is actually a point guard, and at that hes not even a scoring guard (43% FG, 29% 3pt, 65% FT). Even though Wolters had issues scoring, he still scored more per game than the twop players behind him (7.2 ppg). Still, he should probably be slid back to point guard. 27. Ben McLemore- Kings. McLemore proved to be a solid player, but he also showed that hes not quite ready for a starting job. He has a lot of talent and potential, but somehow cant channel it to produce more than mediocre numbers. If he can polish his jumpshot, he has a bright future ahead of him, because pairing that with his athleticism can make for an explosive player (Even though he did get hung on the rim during the All-Star weekend) 26. James Anderson- 76ers. There was a time when James Anderson was supposed to be the replacement starter for the Spurs when Manu Ginobili went down with a broken hand in the 2011-2012 season. After playing sub-par for 2 games, they benched him (and eventually cut him) for some guy named Danny Green. The 76ers gave Anderson his first real starting gig, and he underwhelmed, shooting 43% from the field and 32% from deep, along with very passive defense. He still has room to grow, but he seems more like a backup than anything. 25. Shaun Livingston- Nets. Livingston is the exact opposite of what most shooting guards are today: 67, doesnt rely on athleticism, and is a horrible 3-point shooter. However, he is pretty solid defensively and that counts for something. Livingston fits well in Brooklyns system, and though he was never what he was supposed to be (he was drafted 4th overall in 2004), hes a serviceable player. 24. Thabo Sefalosha- Thunder. Sefalosha is a good defender that can shoot the open corner 3. Well, it used to be that way. While Sefalosha is still as solid as they come on defense, his 3-point shot dropped to a disappointing 31%. Couple that with his inability to stay healthy and it was only a matter of time before he was replaced by Andre Roberson and ultimately Reggie Jackson, and with Jackson looking like hes gonna hold on to that spot, it seems as if Sefaloshas days as a starter are over. 23. CJ Miles- Cavaliers. CJ Miles does whats asked of him: dont get in the way of Kyrie Irving, and shoot the open shot. And he does them well. Miles, like a lot of guards on this list, can knock down the open 3, but doesnt have a clue on how to play defense. Being good i only one aspect of the game can only get yous o far, and while he might have the same scoring numbers as some other guards on this lost, he doesnt do much more than shoot. 22. Jerryd Bayless- Celtics. The Celtics were basically playing with spare parts after the trade that sent Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn. What makes Bayless valuable as a player is his shooting from long range, and that slipped to a still-respectable-but-not-great 35.8%. His field goal percentage barely cracks 40% (40.2 to be exact) and hes never been better than average at defense. What does all this mean? It means he shouldnt be starting. 21. Randy Foye- Nuggets. Foye is one of those guys thats good at everything, but great at none. He can shoot, hes an average defender, and he can take it to the rim from time to time. However, hes also a guy you dont want to be a full-time starter because he can tend to disappear. The bad thing about not being great at anything is that when one part of your game is off, its hard to make up for it on a different part of the game because everything is average. So when Foye is shooting 1-9, he cant make up for it on defense because his defense isnt that good. Good, not great. 20. Kyle Korver- Hawks. When it comes to 3-point shooting, Kyle Korver is as consistent as they come. He can knock them down from anywhere outside the perimeter,and holds the record for most consecutive games with at least one made three. However, Korver has never been known as a stopper on defense, and he really cant create his own shot. Hes a solid role player, but at 33 hes not getting any better 19. Jodie Meeks- Lakers. How is a guy that averaged almost 16 a game #19 on this list? Its a mixture of things. For one, its hard to argue that he should be above any of the players above him. And secondly, he was on the Lakers, who were a complete mess this year. Give Meeks credit, he had an opportunity and he shined, shooting 46% from the field and 40% from deep, but he also overachieved and his defense is still atrocious. Hes a great shooter, but theres more to being a shooting guard than just that. 18. Gordon Hayward- Jazz. Hayward looks to be promising as the Jazz try to rebuild. Hes an underrated passer (5.2 assists) and very underrated athletically. What isnt promising is how he inconsistent he is from year to year. Last year, he shot 43% from the field, and 41% from deep. This year? 41% from the field, and an abysmal 30% from deep. Yikes. 17. Gerald Henderson- Hornets. In his 5-year career, this is the first time Henderson has shot better than 33% from deep (34.8). He still struggles from deep, but he makes up for it with his athleticism and hustle plays. Hes been steadily improving, and as the Hornets finally look like theyre on the right track towards being a legit playoff team, Hendersons upside seems to be rising as well. 16. JJ Redick- Clippers. There are other players that will be on this list that simply cant create their own shot. However, those players also make up for it in other aspects of the game, and they also have more potential than Redick. At 30 years old Redick has hit his ceiling, but thats not to say hes a bad player. Sure, his defense sucks, but hes still a knock-down shooter if hes left open and he can spread the floor as good as anybody. 15. Arron Afflalo- Magic. Is Arron Afflalo underrated? Most definitely. Is he a guy that would average 18 on an actual NBA team? No. Still, hes a good two-way player that quietly put up a great season numbers wise. One way he could get better is if he could stay healthy, as he has never played more than 73 games in a season. 14. Kevin Martin- Timberwolves. Kevin Martin suffers from being on a bad team and not staying healthy. Were he to stay healthy, hes probably be higher on this list, and also if he was an actual difference maker. Its kind of weird to say that a guy who averages 19 a game ist a difference maker, but maybe thats because hes playing in the shadow of Kevin Love. 13. Courtney Lee- Grizzlies.Courtney Lee, unlike most guards, can play defense. Not only can he play it, he plays it at an elite level. What opened my eyes was that he (and Tony Allen) were giving Kevin Durant fits in the series against the Thunder. Offensively, Lee is a spot up shooter, butwhat puts him this high on the list is how he can lock people down. 12.Eric Gordon- Pelicans. When Gordon was playing with the Clippers, he was a fingertip away from being selected to Team USA. Since then, its been a nonstop swirl of trade rumors around him. When hes on his game he can really be a force, but that doesnt happen as much as wed like it too. It also doesnt help that New Orleans is crowded at guard and he was often playing out of position. 11. Jimmy Butler- Bulls. Jimmy Butlers shooting percentages are so horrid, Ill let you google them for yourself. Despite that, he still makes an impact on the floor. He can finish over the top of anyone with his athleticism (just ask Chris Bosh) and defensively hes one of the few Lebron stoppers. Were Jimmy Butler to clean up his shooting percentages, hed easily crack top 10. 10. Wesley Matthews- Trailblazers. Wesley Matthews is a guy that is always forgotten about when it comes to shooting guard talent. Maybe its because the Blazers have only recently become relevant again, maybe its because hes on the same team as Damian Lillard. Either way, hes a guy who will give you production night in and night out, and shouldnt be underrated any longer. 9. Lance Stephenson- Pacers. If theres one thing Lance Stephenson does consistently, its make headlines. Lance Stephenson dunks over someone. Lance Stephenson says something on Twitter. Lance Stephenson blows in someones ear. He was a constant hot topic during the latter half of the season and while he does tend to have a big mouth his play backs it up, even if its not scoring wise. 7 rebounds a game is unheard of for a shooting guard, and defensively hes second to none. Lance Stephenson occasionally bites off more than he can chew, but you cant question his heart. 8. Danny Green- Spurs. Danny Green does not average double figures, yet hes a top 10 shooting guard? Yes, and let me tell you why. Even though hes known for being one of the best marksman in the league, Danny Green was given a starting job because of his defense. So basically, what hes known for isnt even the best aspect of his game. He went from D-League to starter all because he can defend, and he hasnt stopped harassing the ball handler since. Danny Green may only average 9 points a game, but hes this high because typically whoever hes guarding is scoring less than that. 7. DeMar DeRozan- Raptors. DeRozan is the definition of a volume shooter. Hell start the game 0-6, but by the 3rd quarter, hes 9-15. His shooting numbers leave something to be desired, but other than that hes an explosive guard who can also spot the open man. 6. Monta Ellis- Mavericks. Ellis has bounced from team to team, but it seems like hes finally found a home in Dallas. After not having the greatest chemistry with Stephen Curry and being inconsistent in Milwaukee, Ellis looks to have found a niche playing off of Dirk. It also probably helps that Jose Calderon doesnt look to score, which leads to more touches for him (which was a problem for him in Milwaukee and GSW) 5. Eric Bledsoe- Suns. Boy, did Eric Bledsoe ever show what he was capable of once he went to Phoenix. Despite him being only 61 he can really get after it defensively, and when it comes to offense hes as explosive as they come. Hes a great passer and while hes isnt the greatest threat from deep, he can still knock it down. 4. Klay Thompson- Warriors. If Klay Thompson were to be a better defender, hes probably be in the top 5 on this list. Its hard to argue his production on the court, and at the age of 24 things are only looking up for him. Less turnover prone than his teammate Stephen Curry, its hard to find a fault in his game outside of his defense, and those are odds Ill take. 3. Bradley Beal- Wizards. A young, promising guard that plays for the Wizards is #3 in his position list? Where have I seen that before? This may be a product of the lack of elite level talent at shooting guard, but still, Beal has opened quite a few eyes with his play. He can shoot from outside, put the ball on the floor, and hes not too shabby on the defensive side of the ball. Take into account that hes 22, and in a coupe years we could be talking about Real Deal Beal at #1. 2. Dwayne Wade- Heat. Dwayne Wade has regressed since his prime. hes slowed down, age is catching up, we all know this story. But on the decline of his career, Dwayne Wade is averaging 19 a game on an astounding 54% from the field. On the decline of his career, hes still a better defender than most everyone on this list, and gets tot he rim with ease? Yes, Dwayne Wade is on the decline of his career, but hes still #2 on this list because hes still that much ahead of his peers 1. James Harden- Rockets. Honestly, did you expect anybody else? James Harden is a mirror image of a young Manu Ginobili (minus the defense), except hes the 1st option on his team. Yes, his defense is atrocious, but his offense is astounding. With his defensive rating at 107 and his offensive rating at 120, hes literally scoring faster than he gives up points. Not may players can make up for their bad defense like that. -RT
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 19:13:02 +0000
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