Other than a dominant center, having a superstar shooting guard has always been a recipe for a championship run. No better example of this is the 1990's Chicago Bulls, who rode the greatest shooting guard and player ever, Michael Jordan, to six NBA championships.

While its possible that nobody will ever be able to match Jordan's productivity and success, there are still a number of great shooting guards lighting up the box score. Here, in my opinion, are the top 10 in the league today.

10. Tracy McGrady (HOU)

McGrady has been struggling to such an extent this year that I considered dropping him from this lost all together, especially with the play of OJ Mayo early this season. McGrady still has the ability to dominate any game with his explosiveness and jump shot, and its hard to ignore his two scoring titles. He has become the second or even sometimes third option in Houston behind Yao Ming and Ron Artest, and his scoring is down to 15.6 PPG. He still has a great combination of size and athleticism, however, and even though he is on the decline, is still one of the better all around players in the league. 

9. Kevin Durant (OKC)

At 6-9, Durant has the height of a forward, but he plays as a guard in the Thunder's system. With Durant's incredible gifts on the basketball court his play so far could be considered disappointing, but he still has become one of the better scorers in the league. With a great size advantage over must of the defenders assigned to him, Durant has shown an ability to hit contested jumpers from almost anywhere. His shot selection and accuracy have been questioned, but this year he is shooting 46 percent from the field and 44 percent from three, both large improvements over last year. Throw in his ability to utilize his wingspan for rebounding and defense, and Durant is on his way to being an All Star in the Western Conference.

8. Vince Carter (NJN)

Carter was the most difficult player to rank on this list. On some nights he can be the one of the best players in the league, and on others he can look absolutely terrible. He comes in at number eight because of his team's lack of success and his sometimes lackluster effort, but no matter what you think of him, you have to acknowledge the skills that Carter possesses. Vince, who has a career average of 23.8 PPG, is one of the most athletic and creative finishers in the league. Whether he throws down one of his jaw-dropping dunks or spins in a wild lay-up, there's almost no stopping Carter driving the lane. He tends to settle for too many jumpers, but when he's hitting them he is capable of dominating any game.

7. Joe Johnson (ATL)

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