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A shooting guard’s primary assignment is to score the bulk of a team‘s perimeter points.
Since most two guards are naturally accomplished scorers, the ability to score in traffic, make plays for others, defend, and transcend an opponent’s solid defensive efforts are what separate the good from the great.
This list does not take into account a player’s future prospects or past salad days. The criterion is simple: Which NBA shooting guard would be best suited to winning a championship with a random collection of starting-level talent?
For example, if Andrew Bynum, Luis Scola, Al Thornton, and Beno Udrih are your teammates, who would you want as your shooting guard?
Due to the way some NBA lineups are presently constructed, a handful of potential shooting guards will be asked to play different positions this year. For that reason, Gilbert Arenas and Monta Ellis are listed as point guards.
No rookies made the list, as neither you nor I have seen them play in meaningful games against meaningful competition to know where they should be ranked.
With that out of the way, on to the list itself.
1) Kobe Bryant—Los Angeles Lakers
Until LeBron James develops a midrange game, Kobe will be the best player in the league.
What can Kobe do? For starters, Kobe has the most diverse offensive skillset of any player in the NBA. He can post, he can shoot, he can drive. He can use either hand. He can attack from either side of the court. He can finish in the paint. Every spot on the court is a hotspot for Kobe.
Kobe also plays with good, though not great, court vision and is a terrific passer. His defense runs hot and cold as he takes far too many plays off, but late in games there’s no better stopper around.
While Kobe still takes a small handful of bad shot attempts a game, he’s developed the wisdom to know when to be an all-world scorer and when to be an all-world distributor, trusting his teammates more, and in turn, having his teammates all improve considerably over the last two seasons.
Kobe’s form on his jump shot is flawless, and he’s one of the most fundamentally sound players around.
Most importantly, while there are players who can certainly match Kobe’s competitive fire, nobody exceeds it, and nobody does more to will his team to victory than Kobe.
He’s one of the best ever, and number one on the list.
2) Dwyane Wade—Miami Heat
A not-too-distant runner-up to Kobe, Wade is the rare superstar who excels in nearly every aspect of the game. Incredibly athletic and resoundingly fearless, Wade dominates both with his speed and with his power.
Wade attacks the paint the way a running back attacks the hole, and since he’s so strong and creative, he’s one of the best finishers in the game. He can also post, pass, and has very good court vision, though he doesn’t exceed Bryant’s talents in any of those areas.
Where Wade does exceed Bryant is his quarter-to-quarter defense, which is one of the best in the business. And though Wade will take chances defensively, his incredible instincts and quickness into passing lanes make passing the ball into his vicinity a nightmare.
If there’s any place where Wade significantly trails Kobe, it’s in the shooting department, where Wade has always been just an average perimeter shooter.
Still, if Wade isn’t quite the talent Kobe is, he’s every bit the winner and every bit the champion with a special collection of spectacular talent and an indomitable will.
3) Brandon Roy—Portland Trail Blazers
Roy’s the third shooting guard on the list who can completely take over a contest. He’s not as fantastically athletic as Kobe and Wade, but he’s well-rounded in every facet in the game. He’s a clever finisher, he can shoot, he can pull-and-pop, he can use either hand, and he’s a good defender.
What separates Roy from his peers is his tremendous court awareness and basketball IQ. He rarely forces his offense and gets a high rate of efficient shots for himself and his teammates simply by seeing the floor and understanding situations.
Plus, Roy is fundamentally sound across the board. And when Roy has to take over a game, his silken jump shot, flowing crossover, and ability to live in the paint dominates fourth quarters.
The best testament to Roy’s talent is the fact that in only three years, he’s led the Blazers to home court advantage in the murderous Western Conference. Simply making the playoffs isn’t the extent of Roy’s pedigree. He can be a Finals MVP-caliber player.
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