Similar to the Point Guard position, the depth at Shooting Guard is quite deep. In saying that, it’s not the same level of depth, but there is no shortage of talented shooting guards in this league.
Today, I will rank my top 10 players at the position, with a few honourable mentions thrown in there. It wasn’t an easy list to create, and there are certainly still a few things about the rankings that I’m not 100% sure about, but this is the list.
#10: Terry Rozier
2021–2022 Stats: 19.3 PPG 4.5 APG 4.3 APG 1.3 SPG
The Kemba Walker sign-and-trade to Boston for Terry Rozier in the 2019 offseason seemed like a poor decision at the time, but Terry Rozier has evolved into a very good Shooting Guard paired with LaMelo Ball in the Hornets backcourt. He has become a much better finisher at the rim over the past three seasons and has added a much more aggressive playstyle when he has the ball in his hands.
Rozier is consistently an above-average 3-point shooter on 8+ attempts per game over the past couple of seasons, and I feel like his recent success has been shadowed by the young star power of LaMelo and Miles Bridges. With the Hornets attempting to be more than the play-in exits they’ve suffered from for the past two years, Terry Rozier has shown a next level that he may be able to hit given the right opportunity.
#9: Klay Thompson
2021–2022 Stats: 20.4 PPG 3.9 RPG 9.3 3PA 38.5 3P%
After missing the past couple of seasons with an ACL injury AND an Achillies injury, Klay Thompson returned to the Warriors this year and finished it on top of the world with his 4th Championship with Golden State. He was clearly a step slower and not the same player on defence, but he didn’t miss a beat when it comes to his scoring production.
Klay took a career-high in 3PA per game with 9.3 but shot a career-low 38.5% from beyond the arc. He was clearly forcing some shots that he normally wouldn't, but when he was on his game he looked like vintage Klay. His stats didn’t change too much in the playoffs, but clearly, it was good enough as the second option on the team to win a championship.
He’s the best feel-good story in the league right now after the terrible injuries that he went through after having so much success, and I can’t wait to see what he can do in a full healthy season next year.
#8: Anthony Edwards
2021–2022 Stats: 21.3 PPG 4.8 RPG 3.8 APG 1.5 SPG
The first overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft missed out on winning the Rookie of the Year Award but has become the better player over the 2022 NBA season. Edwards is a dynamic three-level scorer after drastically improving his 3-point shooting after his rookie season. He’s an extremely exciting player to watch, and will probably be much closer to the top of this list by the end of next season.
Edwards erupted in the playoffs for 25.2 PPG in 6 games against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, while shooting 40.4% on 9.5 3PA per game. His 6'4" highly athletic build leads to the potential for Edwards to not only become a much more aggressive offensive force, but also a well above average defender.
We saw glimpses of this last season, as he averaged 1.5 SPG. But a few blips of him looking lost out there shows how with just a little bit more conditioning, Edwards could be an elite 2-way force. I love watching Edwards play, and he has proven himself to step up in the playoffs, especially with the poor postseason that his usual #1 option had.
#7: CJ McCollum
2021–2022 Stats: 22.1 PPG 5.1 APG 4.3 RPG 38.8 3P%
After being moved from his longtime home in Portland, CJ McCollum had a fantastic start to his new chapter in New Orleans. Averaging 24–6–4 over 26 games while playing more of a combo guard role, he blossomed into the player we expected him to become when he won the Most Improved Player Award in 2016.
The Pelicans will more than likely continue running CJ at Point Guard next season, but he still played the majority of his time as a SG last year. According to Basketball Reference, McCollum’s True Shooting% jumped from 53.2% in his 36 games in Portland to 58.0% in 26 games in New Orleans. League average TS% is 56.6% by the way.
This brings up the question of CJ’s finishing ability, and if he’ll be able to keep scoring career-high numbers while having a well above average TS%. With Zion coming back from injury next season, I’m guessing his workload will go down as the 3rd option on a talented Pelicans roster. Will he be able to play as well in that role? We’ll have to wait and see.
#6: Bradley Beal
2021–2022 Stats: 23.2 PPG 6.6 APG 4.7 RPG 30.0 3P%
Beal had an extremely underwhelming 2022 campaign. Dropping 8.1 PPG and 0.54 TS%, Beal scored a lot less on a lot worse efficiency than his All-NBA season in 2021. He never looked 100% healthy, but that could always be the start of Beal leaving his prime behind. This offseason he became one of the highest-paid players in NBA history by signing a 5 year $251 million supermax contract.
Is he worth the deal? Probably not. But Washington had no other choice and adding Porzingis at the deadline as well as the progression of Deni Avdija and Rui Hachimura, the Wizards should be a better team next year. Hopefully, Beal can start and finish the season healthy, but as of now, there’s no one above him that I can justify putting him ahead of.
#5: Jaylen Brown
2021–2022 Stats: 23.6 PPG 6.1 RPG 3.5 APG 1.1 SPG
During yet another deep playoff run from the Celtics, one that went further than they had ever gone before, everyone finally saw the elite scoring touch that Jaylen Brown possesses. I thought that he deserved to be an All-Star this season and was let down when he wasn’t selected. His 3P% dropped from an elite 39.7% last season to an underwhelmingly average 35.8% this season, which is what lead to his numbers looking slightly worse than the season prior.
In the playoffs, Brown’s statistics were extremely close to what they were in the regular season, but one stat stands out, and it’s even worse by the eye test. The only part of Jaylen Brown’s game that is keeping him below the player that is above him is how unimpressive he is with his ball handling. Yes, he has moments where he can iso-ball drive past the defender and slip around the rim protector to finish a basket, but he is just as likely to lose the ball at the start of the sequence.
By looking at these boxscore totals from the 2022 NBA Finals, Jaylen Brown definitely had a few bad games but you can’t say that he didn’t shine in big game moments. I can’t wait to see his future, and he’s certainly earned all the praise that he has been getting.
#4: Zach Lavine
2021–2022 Stats: 24.4 PPG 4.6 RPG 4.5 APG 38.9 3P%
Zach Lavine may have become a second option this season behind DeMar DeRozan, but he was still the highest-scoring second option in the league. He adapted extremely well to his new role, and following his 5-year $215 million extension with the Chicago Bulls, he may be in that role for a while. However, I don’t anticipate that, as I don’t see DeRozan putting up 27.9 points a night again next year. Lavine can absolutely go back to his 2021 season dominance next year, and I’d honestly be shocked if he didn’t.
Being one of the best true three-level scorers in the NBA, Lavine is showtime as his emphatic dunks and knock-down shooting allow for him to be one of the more entertaining players to watch in the entire league. He’s going to be an All-Star for some time to come, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the sky’s the limit when it comes to his potential in Chicago.
#3: Donovan Mitchell
2021–2022 Stats: 25.9 PPG 5.3 APG 4.2 RPG 1.5 SPG
Donovan Mitchell is quite tough to rank. He’s one of the best offensive players in the league and, much like the other SGs around this rank, is extremely explosive and fun to watch. Jaylen Brown made it to the finals this past season while Lavine just helped lead the Bulls to their first playoff appearance in 5 seasons, and, well, Mitchell won the most playoff games out of them all?
It’s a little bit disappointing how his progression seemed to stall after his 2019–2020 season. Sure he’s averaged more PPG on more shots, but he hasn’t been able to take that next step. I would’ve had him as a member of the All-NBA 3rd team this year, but that’s not significant when you’re slowly starting to win less and less.
With the Gobert trade, the Jazz will have a completely different vibe surrounding them next season. Hopefully, that leaves Spida room to become the best version of himself that he has shown glimpses of.
#2: Paul George
2021–2022 Stats: 24.3 PPG 6.9 RPG 5.7 APG 2.2 SPG
After the infamous 2020 “Playoff P” playoffs where the Clippers blew a 3–1 lead in the second round against the Denver Nuggets, PGs reputation was never the same. I’m not going to sit here and defend that playoff series, but Paul George is still a fantastic player. He’s a 2-way explosive 3-level scorer that is one of the best players in the league at creating his own shot at the perimeter.
The main thing with Paul George in recent years is staying healthy, as he has only played 133 of 226 possible games in the regular season as a member of the Clippers, which is just 58.8% of them. If he was fully healthy this season he would probably be #1 on this list, people forget that at the beginning of the year he was part of a wide-open MVP conversation before he got hurt and missed the majority of the season.
His efficiency was down this season, partially due to the new basketball and most of his games were being played at the start of the season, as well as facing one of the highest amounts of double teams in the league due to the Kawhi Leonard injury and not having a real 2nd option on the team. I would expect his numbers to be similar next season, while also shooting at a much higher efficiency.
Honourable Mentions
While not as deep as the Point Guard position, there are plenty of Shooting Guards that I considered to be on this list that still deserves to be mentioned.
Desmond Bane: 18.2 PPG 6.9 3PA 43.6 3P%
Bane emerged this season as one of the best, if not the best catch and shoot 3 point shooter in the league, if I had a say he would be second in MIP voting and I expect him to be able to able to consistently be one of the best off-ball options in the league for the Grizzlies moving forward.
Tyler Herro: 20.7 PPG 6.7 3PA 39.9 3P%
Being put into a 6th man role on the Heat made Tyler Herro flourish this season, as he put up the best numbers in his career by far helped him earn the Sixth Man of the Year award. I’m not the most confident person that Herro can replicate his success, but he has proven to be a fantastic shot creator that works best with the ball in his hands.
Jordan Poole: 18.5 PPG 4.0 APG 3.4 RPG
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not as high on Jordan Poole as the majority seems to be, but I still think that he is a great basketball player. He reminds me a lot of Tyler Herro in the sense that he works his best with the ball in his hands, can be extremely good at running a second unit, and is a great scorer but doesn’t necessarily exceed expectations with any other part of their game.
Other honourable, honourable mentions include Jalen Brunson and the up-and-coming Jalen Green, who I expect will be on this list next season.
#1: Devin Booker
2021–2022 Stats: 26.8 PPG 5.0 RPG 4.8 APG 1.1 SPG
Devin Booker has been an extremely consistent player over the past 4 years. His numbers haven’t changed much at all, which is surprising since CP3 showed up a couple of years ago. He has proven to be a big game player with his run to the finals in 2021, as well as a few big games in a disappointing 2nd round exit in 2022, of which he played horribly in the final two games.
With the probable exit of Deandre Ayton next season, I expect Booker's numbers to jump to highs we haven’t seen from him before. If making the All-NBA First team this season wasn’t enough for him, I expect that he will be a year-to-year All-NBA player that will push for MVP in the next couple of seasons, and we’ll have to wait and see what peak Booker will look like.