Shooting Guard is easily the shallowest position in the league. The need for athletic wings in the NBA is at an all-time high. After the top tier of these two guards, there is a real drop-off in talent. Here are my top five NBA shooting guards entering the 2016-17 season.
5. C.J. McCollum
C.J. really made a name for himself last season, as he was named NBA’s most improved player. Normally the MIP award is given to a player that the vast majority already knows is good, but just hasn’t had to opportunity to showcase it. That is exactly what happened with McCollum. Coming into the start of last season the Blazers had lost four starters, which forced C.J. into the starting lineup. He made the most of his opportunity scoring 20.8 points per game and 30 points per 100 possessions. He also proved to be very efficient, shooting 42% from three and 45% from the field. He and Damian Lillard make for one of the most lethal backcourts in the league when it comes to scoring the basketball. At only 25 years old, he is only going to get better. This natural born scorer truly is one of the best young talents the NBA has to offer. The future is bright for McCollum.
4. DeMar DeRozan
Alongside Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan lead the Raptors to a number two seed in the east, coming within only one game of the Cavaliers for the top spot. This long time Raptor is a consistent 20 ppg scorer, averaging 23.5 last season. He has a knack for getting into the lane, where he does the majority of his scoring. DeRozan is no stranger to the free throw line, as he has had four top ten seasons in free throws made, finishing second last year. This obviously meaning that he is no stranger to drawing contact in the lane. He is a two-time all-star that shoots 44% from the field on his career. The knock on DeRozan is his three-point shooting. Last season he shot 34% from beyond the arc marking his BEST season, as he shoots about 28% on his career. It can be very difficult for a player to succeed in the NBA today without a semi-reliable three-point shot. He is making progress in this area of his game, but could still use great improvement. DeRozan and the Raps hope to continue the success they had last season and make another deep playoff run in the east, where they will most likely find LeBron waiting for them. We can all assume how that will turn out.
3. Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Buckets will play a lot of small forward this season with the addition of Dwayne Wade to the Bulls, and also did at times last season. For the sake of depth, we are going to throw him into the shallow group of two guards in the league to try and bolster the position. That being said, Jimmy is an outstanding player. He is arguably one of the top five two-way players the league has to offer. The opposing team’s best player will always be guarded by Jimmy. He has received all-defensive honors three times in his career. He was another case of a player that we all know is good, finally getting his shot when he won most improved in 2014-15. He is a two-time all-star and a consistent 20 ppg scorer. He is the unquestioned leader of the Chicago Bulls, who have a few new additions coming into the season. In the offseason, the Bulls added D-Wade and Rajon Rondo. This resulted in a lot of heads being scratched and raises the question; Who in the world is going to shoot the three for this team? Doug McDermott might actually have to be relied on to make 4,000 threes. This could be very difficult to overcome in today’s NBA. Butler has a shaky at best three point shot, that comes in at 31%, Wade simply doesn’t take the shot, and when Rondo shoots it, we all close our eyes. That aside Jimmy is easily a top 3 shooting guard in today’s NBA, and one of the best players overall at both ends of the court
2. Klay Thompson
Klay, like Jimmy Butler, is a fantastic two-way player. He is of course mostly recognized for his unreal ability to shoot the ball. He is easily the second best shooter in the NBA. Klay is another lethal bullet loaded into the large, frightening gun that is the Golden State Warriors. He has received all-NBA honors twice to go along with his two all-star appearances. He pours in 22.1 ppg at an efficient rate, shooting 43% from downtown and 47% from the field. He averages 32 points per 100 possessions, in a loaded Golden State offense. He, like his teammate Steph, has been atop the threes made list, finishing top three all of the last four seasons. Klay also never lacks confidence. Even if he is having a bad day shooting the ball, he doesn’t hesitate to take his next shot. One of the most entertaining things to watch in the NBA is Klay Thompson catching fire. As we have seen so often, whenever this car gets rolling too fast, you’re going to have to let it run out of gas. He has the record for most points in a single quarter at 37. He did not miss a single shot that quarter, going 13-13. The most famous rampage was last season on a huge stage in game six of the western conference finals. Thompson single-handedly saved the Warriors season and kept them in the game. He set a playoff record by making 11 threes, sinking the 11th from about half-court. Klay is one of the most exciting players to watch and comes in at number two.
1. James Harden
Harden is one of the best pure scorers the league has to offer. Any time Harden steps foot on the court he is going to fill the stat sheet. The last four seasons he has averaged at least 25 ppg and 5 assists per game. He is a great finisher in the lane and one of the league’s best isolation players. He also has an uncanny ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line. Harden and the Rockets had high expectations going into last season and completely flopped, which sets up for a nice bounce back a year. New head coach Mike D’Antoni announced that Harden will be there primary ball handler for the upcoming season and run the entire offense, which he was basically doing already. He has the potential to lead the league in scoring every year. He is a four-time all-star and three-time all-NBA player. His defense, however, is laughable. There are hundreds of videos floating around on social media of Harden simply not caring at all on defense. We are talking absolutely no effort. If he can go from completely awful to just mediocre and continues to operate at a high level offensively, the Rockets are in for a successful season. Harden is the best shooting guard going into the 2016-17 season.
While not being a very deep position, there is still great talent at the top of the list. Hopefully young prospects already in the league and future drafts help to strengthen the pool of NBA shooting guards.
Honorable Mentions: Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, J.J. Redick, Dwayne Wade.
