25 Greatest Shooting Guards Before the Michael Jordan Era
When Michael Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984, the NBA gained the services of by far the greatest shooting guard in the league's lengthy history.
Moreover, a shooting guard explosion followed.
Since MJ (including his contemporaries), we have seen Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Clyde Drexler, Joe Dumars, Manu Ginobili, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Reggie Miller, Sidney Moncrief, Chris Mullin, Drazen Petrovic and Dwyane Wade. Yes, that group is absolutely stacked.
So, how do the pre-Jordan shooting guards stack up?
Read on to find out.
(Note: When a longtime Boston Celtic or Atlanta Hawk showed up on this list, I used the full profile I'd written for them in my ongoing all-time 12-man lineup series so you'd get to enjoy more detail).
25. Austin Carr
1 of 25Years Pro: 1971-1981
Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Bullets
Career Per Game Stats: 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Accolades: One-time All-Star
Mr. Cavalier spent the first nine seasons of his professional life with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After he was drafted with the No. 1 pick of the 1971 NBA draft, Austin Carr got off to a rocky start as injuries doomed the early portion of is career. But Carr recovered and helped the Cavs drastically improve.
24. Fred Brown
2 of 25Years Pro: 1971-1984
Teams: Seattle SuperSonics
Career Per Game Stats: 14.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists
Accolades: One-time All-Star, One-time NBA Champion
Downtown Freddie Brown may have had one of the best long-distance shots in NBA history. He would have had an even more impressive career if he'd played the entirety of his professional basketball during the era in which a three-point shot actually existed.
23. Otis Birdsong
3 of 25Years Pro: 1977-1989
Teams: Kansas City Kings, New Jersey Nets, Boston Celtics
Career Per Game Stats: 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists
Accolades: Four-time All-Star, One-time All-NBA
The No. 2 overall pick of the 1977 NBA draft, Otis Birdsong began his career with the Kansas City Kings and then played out a lot of his career at the same time as Michael Jordan. That said, all four of Birdsong's All-Star selections came before Jordan entered the league.
22. Geoff Petrie
4 of 25Years Pro: 1970-1976
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers
Career Per Game Stats: 21.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists
Accolades: Two-time All-Star
Geoff Petrie may have only lasted for six seasons in the NBA before a knee injury ended his career, but he made those years count. The first man to ever switch from Converse sneakers to Nikes, Petrie was an incredible distance shooter who unfortunately played before the inclusion of a three-point line in the game.
21. Jerry Sloan
5 of 25Years Pro: 1965-1976
Teams: Baltimore Bullets, Chicago Bulls
Career Per Game Stats: 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists
Accolades: Two-time All-Star
While you may know him now as the longtime coach of the Utah Jazz, Jerry Sloan was at one point dressed in a basketball uniform instead of a coat and tie. Sloan, "The Original Bull" was especially impressive on the defensive end of the court and was particularly proficient at rebounding from the guard spot.
20. Randy Smith
6 of 25Years Pro: 1971-1983
Teams: Buffalo Braves/San Diego Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks
Career Per Game Stats: 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists
Accolades: Two-time All-Star, One-time All-NBA
Randy Smith, a seventh-round pick in the 1971 NBA draft, wasn't even expected to make the roster of the Buffalo Braves, but he instead went on to be a very valuable NBA player. With tremendous athleticism, Smith was one of the players that loved to play above the rim. The fact that he went from his collegiate career at Buffalo State to the captaincy of a New York Knicks squad during the latter stages of his career is quite impressive.
19. Gail Goodrich
7 of 25Years Pro: 1965-1979
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Jazz
Career Per Game Stats: 18.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists
Accolades: Five-time All-Star, One-Time All-NBA, One-time NBA Champion
Even though he was deemed too short and too skinny to make it in the NBA, Gail Goodrich succeeded with flying colors, most of which were purple and gold. Goodrich will be remembered as one of the better shooting guards in Los Angeles history, which is quite impressive when you remember just how many great players they've had.
18. Jeff Mullins
8 of 25Years Pro: 1964-1976
Teams: St. Louis Hawks, San Francisco/Golden State Warriors
Career Per Game Stats: 16.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists
Accolades: Three-time All-NBA, One-time NBA Champion
Even though he has "Mullin" in his last name and played for the Golden State Warriors, Jeff Mullins is by no means related to Chris Mullin. Mullins in fact made a pretty decent name for himself before Mullin ever sniffed the NBA. Even though he never got it going with the St. Louis Hawks, his career picked up significantly when he left the team after two seasons.
17. Dick Van Arsdale
9 of 25Years Pro: 1965-1977
Teams: New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns
Career Per Game Stats: 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists
Accolades: Three-time All-Star
"The Original Sun," Dick Van Arsdale first joined the Phoenix Suns in 1968 when he was the team's selection in the expansion draft. One of the all-time great free throw shooters, Van Arsdale was a tremendous all-around player who was just as capable of affecting the game on either side of the court.
16. World B. Free
10 of 25Years Pro: 1975-1988
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets
Career Per Game Stats: 20.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists
Accolades: One-time All-Star, One-time All-NBA
The owner of one of the greatest names in NBA history, World B. Free (whose birth name was Lloyd) was one of the more colorful players in the league. With enough hops to earn nicknames like "All World" and the "Prince of Midair," Free put together an impressive NBA career filled with exciting, albeit unnecessary, plays.
15. Lou Hudson
11 of 25Years Pro: 1966-1979
Teams: St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers
Career Per Game Stats: 20.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Accolades: Six-time All-Star, One-time All-NBA
The St. Louis Hawks (they wouldn't become the Atlanta Hawks until 1968) first acquired Lou Hudson when they drafted the Minnesota shooting guard and small forward with the fourth overall pick of the 1966 draft. With the silky-smooth jumper that earned him the nickname Sweet Lou, Hudson was a smashing success during his first year, averaging 18.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game en route to a selection to the NBA All-Rookie Team.
His No. 23 jersey has now been retired by the Hawks, who have nothing but appreciation for the guard that spent 11 of his 13 seasons with the team. During that time, he managed to make six All-Star teams and score as many as 26.8 points per game during the 1970-1971 season.
In terms of individual accolades though, Hudson's best season was one year prior. He averaged 25.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while making the All-NBA Second Team and the All-Star Team.
On September 30, 1977, Hudson was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Ollie Johnson. He would spend the final two seasons of his professional career in purple and gold.
As a Hawk for 11 seasons though, Sweet Lou averaged 22.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Only Dominique Wilkins and Bob Pettit have scored more points in Hawks' history.
14. Charlie Scott
12 of 25Years Pro: 1970-1980
Teams: Virginia Squires, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets
Career Per Game Stats: 20.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists
Accolades: Five-time All-Star, Two-time All-ABA, One-time NBA Champion
Charlie Scott will always be remembered as a member of the ABA All-time Team, but his contributions in the NBA weren't too shabby either. Scott's 34.6 points per game in the 1971-1972 season for the Virginia Squires remains the highest scoring output in that league's history. It may be equally impressive that he made the All-Star squad in each of his first three NBA seasons.
13. Paul Westphal
13 of 25Years Pro: 1972-1984
Teams: Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks
Career Per Game Stats: 15.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists
Accolades: Five-time All-Star, Four-time All-NBA, One-time NBA Champion
Paul Westphal made his name as an NBA player with the Boston Celtics, where he won his lone championship, and with the Phoenix Suns, where he enjoyed the best years of his career. During his prime, which ranged from 1977-1981, Westphal made five-straight All-Star squads and was undoubtedly one of the best guards in the game.
12. Jo Jo White
14 of 25Years Pro: 1969-1981
Teams: Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Kansas City Kings
Career Per Game Stats: 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists
Accolades: Seven-time All-Star, Two-time All-NBA, Two-time NBA Champion
Jo Jo White entered the league in 1969 when the Boston Celtics used their No. 20 pick to bring his talents from Kansas to New England. The guard didn't disappoint, earning a spot on the All-Rookie First Team at the conclusion of the 1969-1970 season.
He was a crucial cog in both the 1974 and 1976 NBA Championships, more so in the latter than the former since he was named the NBA Finals MVP in 1976. No game in his career was more impressive than his Game 5 performance of the 1976 Finals, when he played an unheard of 60 minutes during the triple-overtime contest against the Phoenix Suns, scoring a game-high 33 points and dishing out nine assists.
After winning those two titles, making seven All-Star teams and playing in 82 games for five straight seasons from 1972-1977, White was traded to the Golden State Warriors for a first round pick in the 1979 NBA draft. The pick would be spent on Larry Demic, a power forward from Arizona who would score less points in his three-year career than White did during any single season from 1970-1977.
The guard remains 10th on the Celtics all-time scoring list. He is also fifth in assists and 11th in steals.
11. Dave Bing
15 of 25Years Pro: 1966-1978
Teams: Detroit Pistons, Washington Bullets, Boston Celtics
Career Per Game Stats: 20.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists
Accolades: Hall of Famer, Seven-time All-Star, Three-time All-NBA
An incredibly athletic guard who made a name for himself primarily with the Detroit Pistons, Dave Bing alternated between the point and the No. 2 spot on the court but served more as a playmaker than anything else because of his explosiveness. He was named rookie of the year in 1967 and never looked back.
10. David Thompson
16 of 25Years Pro: 1975-1984
Teams: Denver Nuggets, Seattle SuperSonics
Career Per Game Stats: 22.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists
Accolades: Hall of Famer, Five-time All-Star, Three-time All-ABA/NBA
David Thompson, otherwise known as Skywalker, had some of the most explosive leaping abilities of any player to ever pick up a basketball and lace up his sneakers in the NBA. He was good enough that in 1978, he signed a then-record contract of $4-million over a five-year period.
9. Earl Monroe
17 of 25Years Pro: 1967-1980
Teams: Baltimore Bullets, New York Knicks
Career Per Game Stats: 18.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists
Accolades: Four-time All-Star, One-time All-NBA, One-time NBA Champion
Earl the Pearl enjoyed a remarkable career with the Baltimore Bullets and New York Knicks, one that began when he averaged 24.3 points per game as a rookie. With flashy and flamboyant ball-handling skills, Monroe once said, "You know, I watch the games and even now I never see anyone who reminds me of me, the way I played."
8. Pete Maravich
18 of 25Years Pro: 1970-1980
Teams: Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics
Career Per Game Stats: 24.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists
Accolades: Five-time All-Star, Four-time All-NBA
The all-time leading scorer in men's Division I college basketball history first became a member of the Atlanta Hawks when he was selected third overall by the team in the 1970 NBA draft. It was a somewhat controversial pick because the Hawks already had a scoring guard named Lou Hudson on the team and Pete Maravich's style didn't seem to fit well with center Walt Bellamy's.
However, Pistol Pete overcame those obstacles, as well as some resentment from his teammates due to his large $1.9 million contract, to make the NBA All-Rookie Team while averaging 23.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He even managed to help increase Hudson's scoring average.
Maravich struggled a bit during his second season, which ended with a second-straight first-round loss in the playoffs, but he regained his mojo in his third year, averaging 26.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game.
The point guard combined with Hudson that year to become the second duo (Jerry West and Elgin Baylor were the first for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1964-1965) to each hit the 2000-point mark in a singe season, a fact that helped him make both his first All-Star Team and the All-NBA Second Team. But once again, Pistol Pete's Hawks fell in the first round of the playoffs.
Maravich's final season in Atlanta saw him put up his most impressive numbers yet: 27.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. In fact, his scoring was second in the league, falling short of only the Buffalo Braves' Bob McAdoo.
Once more, Maravich made the All-Star team, but this year his Hawks didn't even make it to the playoffs. Ready to make a change, the Hawks management made a trade with the New Orleans Jazz. In return for Maravich's services, the team received Bob Kaufmann, Dean Meminger, a 1974 first-round draft pick, a 1975 first-round draft pick, a 1975 second-round draft pick, a 1976 second-round draft pick and a 1980 third-round draft pick.
When it was all said and done, Maravich averaged 24.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game during his four seasons in Atlanta. The Hall of Famers' scoring average remains third in Hawks history.
7. Paul Arizin
19 of 25Years Pro: 1950-1962
Teams: Philadelphia Warriors
Career Per Game Stats: 22.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Accolades: Hall of Famer, 10-time All-Star, Four-time All-NBA, One-time NBA Champion
One of the original NBA greats, Paul Arizin used his line-drive jump shot to form a powerful tandem with Neil Johnston and win a title in 1956. Arizin wasn't quite as successful in the NBA as he was while at Villanova, where he supposedly had a 100-point game, but he still had a fantastic career.
6. Bill Sharman
20 of 25Years Pro: 1950-1961
Teams: Washington Capitols, Boston Celtics
Career Per Game Stats: 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Accolades: Hall of Famer, Eight-time All-Star, Four-time NBA Champion
The only player in MLB history to be ejected from a major league game without ever appearing in one, Bill Sharman was definitely a better basketball player than baseball player despite the fact that he spent five years in the Brooklyn Dodgers farm system.
After graduating from Southern California, Sharman was drafted by the Washington Capitols with the 18th pick of the 1950 NBA draft. He became a member of the Boston Celtics after he was drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons from the Capitols in the 1951 dispersal draft and then subsequently traded to the Celtics for Chuck Share.
Things really picked up for Sharman when he made the first of his eight-straight All-Star teams in 1953 after averaging 16.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game from the guard position. More of a shooter than a distributor, Sharman teamed up during that decade with Bob Cousy to form one of the greatest NBA backcourts of all time.
A member of four championship-winning squads with the Celtics and seven All-NBA teams, Sharman was a deadly shooter from anywhere on the court. He was one of the first guards to break the 40 percent barrier from the field and led the league in free throw shooting seven times.
Now a Hall of Famer, Sharman averaged 18.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during his 11 seasons with the Celtics.
5. Hal Greer
21 of 25Years Pro: 1958-1973
Teams: Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers
Career Per Game Stats: 19.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Accolades: Hall of Famer, 10-time All-Star, Seven-time All-NBA, One-time NBA Champion
Universally hailed as one of the better guards to ever play the game of basketball, Hal Greer spent his entire career dominating the regular season alongside Wilt Chamberlain on the Syracuse Nationals, who would become the Philadelphia 76ers during his tenure there. Shooting jump shots from the free-throw line and dominating from the entire field, Greer averaged 19.2 points per game throughout his career.
4. George Gervin
22 of 25Years Pro: 1972-1986
Teams: Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls
Career Per Game Stats: 25.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists
Accolades: Hall of Famer, 12-time All-Star, Nine-time All-NBA/ABA
The Iceman was one of the greatest scorers of all time thanks to his incredible mastery of the finger-roll. George Gervin actually managed to average 25.1 points per game during his storied career.
3. Sam Jones
23 of 25Years Pro: 1957-1969
Teams: Boston Celtics
Career Per Game Stats: 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists
Accolades: Hall of Famer, Five-time All-Star, Three-time All-NBA, 10-time NBA Champion
It took Sam Jones only 12 seasons in the NBA to win 10 titles, filling up both of his talented hands with rings and placing him second in that category, trailing only his former teammate Bill Russell.
Jones was drafted out of North Carolina Central by the Boston Celtics with the No. 8 pick of the 1957 NBA draft. He would prove to be a steal, though, as none of the players ahead of him (Rod "Hot Rod" Hundley, Charlie Tyra, Jim Krebs, Win Wilfong, Brendan McCann, Lennie Rosenbluth and George Bon Salle), would combine to achieve virtually nothing in their NBA careers when compared to Jones.
Now a Hall of Famer, Jones utilized a perfect combination of clutch shooting and bank shots to become one of the most feared shooting guards of all time. He was so renowned in his day that other teams would simply refer to him as "The Shooter."
Jones' career got off to a rough start, as he averaged only 4.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game during his rookie season. He also failed to win a title that year, one of just two such occurrences in his career.
He redeemed himself over the next eight seasons, which included eight-straight championships, five All-Star selections and three seasons of leading the Celtics in per-game scoring.
Jones averaged 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in his career and remains ranked 13th in total rebounds and seventh in points scored in Celtics history.
2. John Havlicek
24 of 25Years Pro: 1962-1978
Teams: Boston Celtics
Career Per Game Stats: 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists
Accolades: Hall of Famer, 13-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, Eight-time NBA Champion
Hondo, as he would come to be known, was drafted out of Ohio State seventh overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1962 NBA draft. He had just finished a very successful career with the Buckeyes on a team that also included Jerry Lucas and Bob Knight. Interestingly enough, Havlicek was also selected by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL draft and dabbled with the sport in training camp at the wide receiver position before electing to focus solely on the pursuit of a successful basketball career.
Even though he got off to a great start as a rookie, averaging 14.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, Havlicek gets to call that season the worst of his 16-year career in the NBA, all of which was spent wearing Celtic green. At the end of that year, Havlicek got to celebrate the first of his eight NBA championships.
Fast-forwarding to the final game of the 1965 Eastern Conference Championship, Havlicek was steadily improving as his team continued to win titles. It was there that his most famous moment occurred. With a 110-109 lead and five seconds left on the clock, Havlicek was forced to guard Chet Walker as Hal Greer attempted to inbounds the ball for a dangerous, Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers team.
But in a play that referee Earl Strom called one of the greatest he'd seen in his 32 years as an official, Havlicek spun around, jumped as high as he could and tipped the inbounds pass to Sam Jones, thus clinching a berth in the Finals, which the Celtics would go on to win.
A hard-working player who could capably play either shooting guard or small forward, Havlicek was a great all-around player who always seemed to come up big in the clutch. His best season was the 1970-1971 campaign, where he averaged 28.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game in one of the few seasons that Boston didn't win it all.
A 13-time All-Star, Hondo and his No. 17 jersey finished their tenures in Boston in 1978 with career averages of 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
Havlicek, who was the first player to break the 1,000-point threshold for 16 consecutive seasons, remains both the highest-scoring white player in NBA history and the all-time Celtics scoring leader.
1. Jerry West
25 of 25Years Pro: 1960-1974
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers
Career Per Game Stats: 27.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists
Accolades: Hall of Famer, 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, One-time NBA Champion
"The Logo," as Jerry West would come to be known after the NBA decided to use his silhouette in the official league logo, was a damn good player. One of the all-time great players in league history, West was well known for his scoring ability and clutch play.
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Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
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