National Basketball Association

NBA: Ranking The League's Top 10 Shooting Guards In 2016-17

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:04 p.m. ET

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As the 2016-17 NBA season gets underway, here’s a look at player rankings for the top 10 shooting guards in the league.

April 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the first quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the 2016-17 NBA season is officially underway, all the summer talk about the draft, free agency, trades and preseason expectations has finally given way to actual basketball. Almost every team has played its first game, and now the players get to do all the talking.

The new results and stats won’t start sinking in for another week or so, however, so there’s still plenty to evaluate following another summer full of player movement. From offseason grades to season previews, there’s been plenty to analyze, but what about some good, old-fashioned player rankings?

Player rankings are always subjective, and that makes them open to an awful lot of scrutiny, debate and differing opinions.

There are a ton of factors to take into account, including stats, advanced stats, individual skills, defense, team success, value to a team, upside, injury history, projections for the upcoming season, how they’ll fit in a new role or on a new team…the list goes on and on.

In an attempt to make sense of that myriad of judging standards, it’s time to take a look at the 10 best players in the NBA at each position. Today, we move on to the 10 best shooting guards in the association.

For our purposes, we tried to stick with players’ true positions, rather than where they might play in rarely used small-ball lineups. There are some exceptions though, with guys like Andrew Wiggins and Jimmy Butler being included on our small forward list instead of with the shooting guards, since they’ll be starting 3s this year.

Without further ado, here are the honorable mentions and top 10 shooting guards in the NBA.

Honorable Mentions:  J.J. Redick, Avery Bradley, Evan Fournier, Khris Middleton, Gary Harris, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, Brandon Knight, Courtney Lee, Danny Green, Jordan Clarkson, Zach LaVine, Monta Ellis, Wesley Matthews

Oct 26, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker #1 makes a pass against the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

10. Devin Booker

2015-16 Stats:  13.8 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.5 RPG, .423/.343/.840 shooting, 12.0 PER

Homer Alert! 

In all seriousness, I understand how putting Devin Booker on this list might seem a bit mature. He’s only just about to turn 20 years old, he’s only got one season under his belt, and there are plenty of shooting guards in the honorable mentions who had far better 2015-16 campaigns.

But as much as it’s blatantly disrespectful to leave J.J. Redick and Avery Bradley off this list, as much as Evan Fournier should thrive in Orlando this year, and as much as Khris Middleton would demand a spot in the top-10 if he weren’t injured, Booker is 100 percent the real deal.

In a 23-win season for the Phoenix Suns last year, Booker was the lone bright spot. His final rookie numbers were underwhelming, but his stats in 51 games as a starter — 17.4 PPG, 3.5 APG, 3.0 RPG — were impressive for any 19-year-old. His efficiency dipped, but that was due to all the defensive attention he was getting with Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, T.J. Warren and Markieff Morris — the team’s four leading scorers — all sidelined.

Booker dominated NBA Summer League, dropped 34 points in three quarters of a preseason game against the Blazers, has already replaced Knight in the starting rotation, and in another season with low expectations, should put up big numbers.

He still needs to work on his defense, but his 18-point, 8-for-12 performance in limited minutes during the Suns’ season opening blowout loss illustrates how naturally scoring comes to him. Phoenix might be terrible again, but Booker is a future All-Star who will get plenty of opportunity to make the leap in 2016-17.

Oct 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers guard Allen Crabbe (23) in the second half at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

9. Rodney Hood

2015-16 Stats:  14.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, .420/.359/.860 shooting, 14.1 PER

Like Devin Booker in Phoenix, Rodney Hood is far better than people outside of his own fan base realize. That’s still probably the case after dropping 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting in his season opener Tuesday night, since most people were busy watching Warriors vs. Spurs.

In a game without Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks, the Utah Jazz managed to keep things close by relying on Hood’s midrange touch and a 3-of-7 shooting from deep. Hood won’t put up numbers like that all season, but once he gets some of his best teammates back, he and the Jazz are poised to make the leap. Literally.

He’ll need to work on his shooting efficiency, but Tuesday’s .529/.429/1.000 slash line was the first of 82 steps in the right direction. Though he only finished with one assist, Hood’s ability to operate as a secondary playmaker in the pick-and-roll shouldn’t be overlooked.

Hood is still learning, and he’s already 24 years old, but his scoring, ball handling and defensive abilities scream long-term potential. Don’t sleep on Hood or the Utah Jazz in 2016-17, especially if they can get/stay healthy.

Oct 21, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) dribbles the ball as Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) defends during the second half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

8. Bradley Beal

2015-16 Stats:  17.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, .449/.387/.767 shooting, 15.6 PER

There’s no question Bradley Beal is going to be a very good NBA 2-guard. What there is question about, however, is whether he can stay healthy long enough for his bright future to materialize.

At only 23 years old, Beal has plenty of basketball ahead of him. He’s shown scoring ability, plenty of athleticism and a fairly diverse skill set once Playoff Bradley Beal takes center stage. Unfortunately, he’s missed 81 games through his first four seasons — basically one-fourth of his entire career.

Beal has only passed the 65-game threshold in one season, and the various maladies keeping him sidelined have overshadowed the marginal progress in his game, such as least season, when he averaged a career-high 17.4 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting from the floor and 38.7 percent from three-point range.

He’s risen to the occasion in his first two postseason appearances, he’s locked in for the next half-decade and the Washington Wizards need his shooting as a backcourt complement to John Wall. Here’s hoping he can finally stay healthy in 2016-17 and have the breakout year we’ve all been waiting for.

Oct 11, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) leaps to keep the ball in bounds during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Thunder 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

7. Victor Oladipo

2015-16 Stats:  16.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, .438/.348/.830 shooting, 16.7 PER

Victor Oladipo‘s name doesn’t carry the same weight that it did when he put up an 18-4-4 stat line in just his second season, but perhaps playing alongside an enraged Russell Westbrook will help him tap into the two-way potential we’ve been expecting.

Last season, head coach Scott Skiles dragged him back and forth between the starting lineup and sixth man duty. On a far better team with a far better point guard setting him up than he enjoyed with the Orlando Magic, Victor Oladipo will be more empowered with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oladipo is already a stifling defensive presence, but now he’ll need to refine his scoring, rebounding, passing and three-point shooting abilities on a Thunder squad that needs everyone to step up and help fill the void left by Kevin Durant. His 10-point, 4-for-16 season opener against the lowly Sixers was alarming, but an adjustment period is to be expected.

It might be a bumpy process at first, especially since OKC severely lacks three-point shooters, but Westbrook and Oladipo might be the most athletic backcourt in NBA history. If they can turn defense into offense, and if Oladipo can do better than his 0-for-5 shooting from deep in his OKC debut, this 24-year-old 2-guard could be prepared to finally make the leap.

Oct 8, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) reacts during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

6. Dwyane Wade

2015-16 Stats:  19.0 PPG, 4.6 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.1 SPG, .456/.159/.793 shooting, 20.4 PER

Say what you want about the Chicago Bulls‘ ill-fated backcourt trio that possesses zero perimeter touch, but Dwyane Wade is still one of the game’s premier shooting guards. With Jimmy Butler technically manning the small forward spot, Flash should still be effective picking his spots from the midrange and slashing to the rim as he always has.

Wade was an abominable three-point shooter last year, posting a 15.9 percentage from deep before randomly rediscovering his touch in the playoffs. The Bulls will settle for his ability to score in isos and hope he’ll benefit playing alongside a distributor like Rajon Rondo, since they can hardly rely on his 52.2 shooting from long range in the postseason…or shots like this regularly falling:

For a 34-year-old with a history of knee problems, Wade’s health will always be a concern. But Flash did just play 74 games last season, the most he’s played since 2010-11, while posting a 19-5-4 stat line.

Wade isn’t a perfect fit on a Bulls team that already had a star shooting guard, but after leading the Miami Heat to within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals, it’s too soon to start abandoning one of the five greatest 2-guards of all time.

Oct 10, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Nicolas Batum (5) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Hornets won 98-86. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

 5. Nicolas Batum

2015-16 Stats:  14.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.8 APG, .426/.348/.849 shooting, 15.6 PER

Nicolas Batum is typically a small forward, but with Courtney Lee gone and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returning to the starting lineup, the Charlotte Hornets will use him as a lanky 2-guard. For our purposes, that’s enough to land him a high spot on this list, especially after a bounce-back season in 2015-16.

His near 15-6-6 stat line doesn’t quite leap off the page, but joined LeBron James, James Harden and Russell Westbrook as the only players in the league to put up such numbers. He’ll be slightly playing out of position, but his two-way versatility is intrinsic to Charlotte’s success.

Though he’s not the greatest three-point shooter — which will take a toll on a Hornets team whose offense relied on long range efficiency — Batum brings scoring, defense, playmaking and rebounding to the table. His nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals, mixed with his 2-for-9 shooting from the floor and 1-for-7 shooting from deep, perfectly encapsulates his strengths and weaknesses as he moves to the 2.

This season, Charlotte will depend more heavily on its defense, particularly in Batum’s ability to lock up smaller players on the perimeter. If he can spread the floor at a reasonable rate, the Hornets should still be in contention for a playoff spot despite losing Lee, Jeremy Lin and Al Jefferson in free agency.

Oct 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) celebrates after a basket by Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) late in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Portland won 113-104. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

4. C.J. McCollum

2015-16 Stats:  20.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG, .448/.417/.827 shooting, 17.7 PER

The Portland Trail Blazers‘ backcourt leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive end, but boy can they put the ball in the hole. Damian Lillard is the franchise star, but the league’s reigning Most Improved Player of the Year could be on pace for yet another breakout season of his own.

Putting up a 21-4-3 stat line last year, C.J. McCollum served as the team’s primary facilitator whenever Dame needed a breather, and his heat checks rivaled anyone in the Northwest Division not named Lillard.

In Rip City’s season opener Tuesday night, McCollum started his fourth NBA season off on the right note, putting up 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor. He made both his three-point attempts and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the line.

If this more efficient version of McCollum is what the Blazers can expect in 2016-17, not only will they avoid regression, but they’ll manage to build on their surprisingly successful 44-win season last year. The defense is still a work-in-progress, but McCollum’s offensive firepower can’t be overlooked.

Oct 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) goes up for a basket past Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) in the second half at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

3. DeMar DeRozan

2015-16 Stats:  23.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, .446/.338/.850 shooting, 21.5 PER

At this stage, DeMar DeRozan is basically just James Harden-lite; He’s a quality scorer who puts up decent numbers in every category, but his defense is virtually non-existent and it can be hard to enjoy his playing style because it’s so heavily reliant on getting to the foul line.

However, as much as people rip on Harden, there are worse things to be called than Harden-lite. At age 27, DeRozan is coming off a career season in which he averaged a 24-5-4 stat line and helped lead the Toronto Raptors to their first conference finals appearance in franchise history.

After earning that massive contract extension over the summer, DeRozan will probably have a tough time putting together yet another career year. Then again, he dropped 40 points in the team’s season opener, so perhaps that’s a hasty assumption. Even if he does plateau, his current production still makes him one of the best 2-guards in the association.

Last year, the only players who got to the foul line more times than DeRozan were Harden and DeMarcus Cousins — a guy who regularly gets hacked because he’s so burly that defenders are forced to foul rather than concede an easy bucket. DeRozan’s playoff woes, defensive deficiencies and lack of a three-point shot hold him back, but what can we say? The 2-guard spot isn’t what it once was in this league.

October 25, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2. Klay Thompson

2015-16 Stats:  22.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, .470/.425/.873 shooting, 18.6 PER

Contrary to Charles Barkley‘s belief, no, Klay Thompson is not one of the three best players in the NBA, and no, it wasn’t just his 11-point, 5-for-13 dud on opening night that told us as much. He is, however, perhaps the league’s most well-rounded shooting guard.

So why isn’t he in the No. 1 spot after being the consensus choice for league’s best shooting guard last year? After all, he played a prominent role on a vastly more successful Golden State Warriors team, he’s an infinitely better defender than Harden and his shooting threat provides a gravitational pull that helps the Dubs’ high-powered offense hum. It certainly worked in the preseason.

Unfortunately for Thompson, his demotion to the No. 2 spot on this list is a necessary one with Kevin Durant joining the mix. Golden State has plenty of time to figure things out after a disastrous season opener, but there will be a little sacrifice for everyone involved.

That sacrifice — combined with Harden’s empowerment under Mike D’Antoni — drops Thompson one spot for the 2016-17 season. It’s tantalizing to think about what he could do as the No. 1 or No. 2 option on another team, but on this super-team, his production and all-around value aren’t what they once were.

October 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) controls the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

1. James Harden

2015-16 Stats:  29.0 PPG, 7.5 APG, 6.1 RPG, 1.7 SPG, .439/.359/.860 shooting, 25.3 PER

Last year, James Harden put up a 29-8-6 stat line for a Houston Rockets team that made the playoffs…and didn’t earn an All-NBA spot. How did this happen? Because his defense was atrocious, his team won 41 games, and they snuck into the postseason as the 8-seed before a gentleman’s sweep in the first round.

Entering the 2016-17 season, however, Harden has the chance to prove he can be a legitimate leader again. The Rockets spent the summer putting shooters like Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson around him and they hired Mike D’Antoni as head coach to put the ball in his hands.

Now it’s on the Beard to truly lead as he enters the season in better shape, with a renewed focus on defense and setting up his teammates. So far so good, as Harden led all players in assists (10.7 per game) during the preseason and dropped a staggering 34 points, 17 assists and eight rebounds in his season debut.

Those numbers came in a loss, but if Harden can do all of those things and get some help, the numbers he puts up as Houston’s de facto point guard will be jaw-dropping.

The Beard doesn’t get enough credit for how much he produces in each category, the cleverly nimble way he draws fouls and his visionary passing ability. In a faster, more fun Rockets offense, that should change soon, even if the defense still might be laughably bad at times.

Harden could be a touch more efficient with his shot. He’ll actually have to try on the defensive end and there are still questions about his leadership qualities and charisma.

But if he can just be passable on defense and lead a high-powered offense, he may come closer to averaging a triple-double in 2016-17 than even Russell Westbrook.

For our purposes, that’s more than enough reason to give him the edge over Klay Thompson’s slightly diminished role in the Bay, and it’s the reason he reclaims the throne as the NBA’s top shooting guard.

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