NBA's Greatest Shooting Guards of the 21st Century

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The last few decades have been good for shooting guards. Once again, the decade featured two MVP winners (Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson), and many players who had solid numbers in points, three-pointers and player efficiency rating. 

Here are the NBA's 15 best shooting guards of the last 12 years.

Second in a series following "NBA's Greatest Point Guards of the 21st Century."

Honorable Mentions

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Reggie Miller

As with John Stockton in the point guards slideshow, Miller was in the twilight of his career by the time the millennium rolled around. He made his last All-Star Game and only one NBA Finals appearance in the year 2000.   

Latrell Sprewell

The swingman, more known for his ill temperament than his on-the-court play, made his last All-Star Game in 2001.  

Allan Houston

Before injuries forced his unceremonious amnesty in 2005, Houston was a two-time All-Star.

Kevin Martin

Martin is certainly one of the best 2-guards still playing. However, he's only finished in the top 10 in points per game twice and has absolutely nothing in the hardware department. 

15. Jason Richardson, Warriors/Bobcats/Suns/Magic

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Richardson has made a career of pouring in a lot of points for teams that haven't gone anywhere.

He is 28th among active players in points, but doesn't crack the top 50 in win shares or PER, has never made an All-NBA or All-Star team and has never played in the NBA Finals

14. Jerry Stackhouse, Pistons/Wizards/Mavericks/Bucks/Heat/Hawks

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Hard to believe it, but the journeyman Stackhouse scored more points than anyone else in the 2000-2001 season. He is 45th among active players in Hall of Fame probability and 15th in points.

Stackhouse never made an All-NBA team and never won a ring, but was a two-time All Star selection.

13. Richard Hamilton, Wizards/Pistons/Bulls

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Who was that masked man?

Clocking in just above Stackhouse is the man who was traded for him in 2002. Hamilton never finished in the top 10 in scoring, but he does have a ring and three All-Star appearances. 

Hamilton is also 21st among active players in points.

12. Michael Finley, Mavericks/Spurs/Celtics

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Playing almost his entire career within the state of Texas, Michael Finley was a two-time All-Star and scored more points in 1999-2000 than NBA champion Kobe Bryant. 

Finley also won a ring with the Spurs in 2007, and he is 19th all time in three-pointers made and 72nd all time in points.

11. Michael Redd, Bucks/Suns

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Can you believe somebody put Michael Redd on the Redeem Team?

Redd never won a playoff series (and played in only three), and he had only a single All-Star appearance and a single All-NBA third team appearance. 

He did finish in the top 10 in points per game in four different seasons, though.

10. Andre Iguodala, 76ers

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Swingman Andre Iguodala made his first All-Star appearance this season and his first All-Defensive appearance last season.

Iggy just cracks the top 50 in active win shares leaders with 61.2 and is in the top 40 in defensive win shares. He has finished in the top 10 in steals in six of his last eight seasons, and he is in the top 40 among active players for Hall of Fame probability.

9. Brandon Roy, Blazers

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Brandon Roy "retired" after just five NBA seasons (I say that in quotes because the rumblings indicate he'll suit up for the next one).

In three of those five seasons, Roy was an All-Star. In the 2008-09 season, he was 10th in points per game, sixth in win shares, ninth in MVP voting and on the All-NBA second team. 

Roy was also Rookie of the Year in 2007.

8. Jason Terry, Hawks/Mavericks

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Combo guard Jason Terry is fourth all time in threes made, 10th among active players in assists and 14th in points.

He won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2009, and he won an NBA championship last year.

7. Joe Johnson, Celtics/Suns/Hawks

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J.J. has been getting it done down in Atlanta for a number of seasons. He's been selected as an All-Star each of the last six seasons and made the All-NBA third team in 2010. 

Johnson finished in the top 10 in points in 2007-08 and is 25th among active players in points. He's also in the top 30 all time in threes made.

6. Manu Ginobili, Spurs

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Ginobili has the second-most rings (three) of any active shooting guard.  He is 24th among active players in win shares, and he has been named to two NBA All-Star teams and two All-NBA third teams.

5. Tracy McGrady, Raptors/Magic/Rockets/Knicks/Pistons/Hawks

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Tracy McGrady has been notable for never advancing past the first round of the playoffs. 

He is also notable for winning two scoring titles (enough to be 10th in points among active players), being a seven-time All-Star and making two All-NBA first teams and three All-NBA second teams. 

McGrady is also in the top 10 among active players in player efficiency rating, and he had eight straight seasons of averaging more than 20 points a game.

4. Ray Allen, Bucks/Sonics/Celtics

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Allen is the all-time leader in three-pointers made, is fifth among active players in win shares and is fourth in points. 

He is a 10-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection and won a championship with the Celtics in 2008. He's also fifth all time in free-throw percentage.

3. Dwyane Wade, Heat

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Wade is one of four shooting guards who has won a scoring title this millennium, and he is also the active leader among shooting guards in player efficiency rating. He is in the top 25 among active players in points scored, just a handful of points away from 15,000.

Wade has also won an NBA Finals MVP (on the title-winning 2006 Heat) and a gold medal. He's been selected to two All-NBA first teams, and he's played in the last eight All-Star games.

2. Allen Iverson, 76ers/Nuggets/Pistons/Grizzlies

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Combo guard Allen Iverson is noted for being locker room poison and also for never winning the big one.  

However, he's only one of two guards to win both a scoring title and an NBA MVP.

Iverson won four scoring titles (three since 2000) and also led the league in steals in four consecutive seasons. He made 11 straight All-Star games and three All-NBA first teams, and he's also in the top 20 of all time in points.

1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers

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As if there was any doubt...

Kobe Bryant has been selected to every All-Star game this millennium.

He is the active leader in points scored and fifth in that stat all time.

He has more win shares than any other active guard.  

He's won two scoring titles and is the only player this millennium to score more than 70 points in a single game.

He's won an MVP, two NBA Finals MVPs and four All-Star Game MVPs. He's been selected to the All-NBA first team 10 times and the All-Defensive first team nine times.

He's 11th all time in MVP award shares.

Oh, yeah—and he's won five rings.