Houston Rockets

Top 5 Shooting Guards in Houston Rockets History

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:27 p.m. ET

Fansided, Fawwaz Malki/FanSided via Space City Scoop

To continue our Top 5 series, we’ll discuss the greatest shooting guards to ever play for the Houston Rockets.Throughout their 50 years of existence, the Houston Rockets have had some phenomenal players on their roster. Although they haven’t been able to rack up as many championships as Red Nation would have liked, they’ve still provided fans with many unforgettable moments.As a celebration of the team’s birthday, Space City Scoop will honor the greatest Rockets of all time.When ranking the players, we look at two qualities: what they’ve accomplished during their time in Houston and the mark they’ve made on the team’s history.To make the list accurate, we will be placing players under the position that they played the greater amount of time in. For example, Elvin Hayes would be categorized as a power forward because that is the position where he spent the majority of his career.Similar to last time where we honored the greatest point guards, today we will be discussing the shooting guards. Let’s begin!Next: #5 Cuttino MobleyCuttino “Cat” MobleyYears with Rockets: 1998-2004Stats with Rockets: 17.1 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per gameCuttino Mobley‘s reign with the Rockets proved to be one of the best the organization has ever seen. He was part of an iconic duo with Steve Francis, and together they were some of the greatest scorers in the league.In Mobley’s greatest season with the Rockets, he averaged 21.7 points per game. One of his most memorable games was with Steve Francis, as they both went off for a combined 55 points against the Seattle SuperSonics.Unfortunately, Mobley and Francis weren’t around long enough to work their way towards a championship. They got traded to the Orlando Magic in 2004 as a part of a deal that sent Tracy McGrady to the Rockets.Next: #4 Vernon MaxwellVernon “Mad Max” MaxwellYears with Rockets: 1990-1995Stats with Rockets: 14.9 points and 4.3 assists per gameWhen Vernon Maxwell and his championship-winning team were around, the Rockets were at their peak. In fact, Maxwell was a part of the roster during both of Houston’s title seasons.The first year the Rockets won the championship in 1994, the team was led by Hakeem Olajuwon, Kenny Smith, and Maxwell himself. They defeated the New York Knicks in a tight 4-3 Finals series. Maxwell contributed to the win by putting up 13.6 points and 5.1 assists per game.Maxwell also was a part of the title-winning team in 1995, where he was a leader in Houston’s sweep of the Orlando Magic.After the amazing season he had in 1995, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, ending his tenure with the Rockets.Next: #3 Tracy McGradyTracy “T-Mac” McGradyYears with Rockets: 2004-2010Stats with Rockets: 22.4 points and 5.6 assists per gameTracy McGrady will always be one of the most iconic players to ever play for the Rockets. During his 5 best years in Houston, he built a reputation for himself of being a clutch player and superior shooter.McGrady is best remembered for his performance against the San Antonio Spurs on December 9, 2004. In that game, he scored 13 points in the final 33 seconds win the game in comeback fashion.He is also recognized for making it to the All-Star game multiple times as a Rocket.Although he and his team never won a championship, it is the other things he did for the Rockets that makes him unforgettable. It’s also notable that, had he and Yao Ming not suffered significant injuries during their time in Houston, a title wouldn’t have been outside the realm of possibility.Next: #2 James HardenJames “The Beard” HardenYears with Rockets: 2012-presentStats with Rockets: 27 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per gameToday, everybody looks to James Harden to lead the Rockets to the ever-elusive NBA title. While he has yet to accomplish that, he is racking up achievement after achievement.In 2012, the Beard was traded to Houston from the Oklahoma City Thunder in one of the most infamous trades in league history. He could have seen the trade as a knock on his ability, but he clearly proved the doubters wrong the following season, putting up 25.9 points and 5.8 assists.Since then, Harden has become one of the greatest Rockets of all time, or “GROAT” if you will. He has taken the Rockets to the playoffs every year since his arrival and is continuing to improve.This season, he is the leading candidate for MVP, posting an unbelievable stat line of 28.6 points, 11.6 assists, and 8.2 boards per game. Obviously, if the Rockets end up snagging a title in the next few years, Red Nation will have James Harden to thank.Next: #1 Clyde DrexlerClyde “The Glide” DrexlerYears with Rockets: 1994-1998Stats: 19.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per gameIn his short 4 years with the Rockets, Clyde Drexler accomplished many things for Space City.In his first year with the team, he and Hakeem Olajuwon defeated the Orlando Magic to get the Rockets their second championship. This was an amazing feat considering the fact that this was Drexler’s first year with the team.More from Space City ScoopHouston Rockets Allow 127 Points in Loss to Bucks1 d agoHouston Rockets vs Milwaukee Bucks: Game Day Preview1 d agoHouston Rockets Vs Memphis Grizzlies: Game Day Preview3d agoHouston Rockets Recap: Warriors Win Shootout in Houston3d agoJames Harden: The Beard Continues to Impress4d agoClyde Drexler is a member of the Hall of Fame and of the 1992 Dream Team, both of which are pretty spectacular achievements.Drexler left his mark on Rocket history by winning the team their second title. To this day, the Rockets still haven’t been back to the Finals.Harden has a chance to end his career at number one on this list, but that hasn’t been set in stone yet. For now, Clyde Drexler is the best shooting guard to ever suit up in Houston.Editor’s note: I’d say Harden has already done enough to slide into the number one spot. That wouldn’t be the case if Drexler had played his best years in Houston, but he’s clearly known as a Trail Blazer. I understand the argument that Malki makes, though. Rings hold a lot of weight in Who’s Better debates for good reason.Next: Top 5 Point Guards in Rockets HistoryAgree or disagree? Let us know in the comments! Be on the lookout for the next list in the series, the Top 5 Small Forwards in Rockets History.This article originally appeared on