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Like the small forward, the shooting guard is asked to be a versatile player. While his main job is to score points, he often assists in running the offense or moving over to forward when a coach with a wild hair wants to “go small.” He can provide an extra body when a team wants to crash the boards particularly hard or be looking to leak out when a team wants to run. With no further adieu, here are…
The Greatest Shooting Guards of All Time
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10. Joe Dumars, 6’3” - 190
On the Mantle: 2 NBA Championship Rings, 1 NBA Finals MVP, 1 All Rookie 1st Team, 4 All-Defensive 1st Team, Inducted into the HOF in 2006.
On the Floor: 16.1 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.2 rpg, 0.9 spg, 0.1 bpg, 46.0 fg%, 84.3 ft% (56th AT), 38.2 3pt fg%, 16401 pts, 4612 ast, 2203 reb, 902 st, 990 3pt fg (53rd AT).
Coach Speak: Joe D is the quintessential team player. During his playing days, he rarely said anything to anyone not wearing a Pistons’ jersey. He never seemed to really be one of the infamous “Bad Boys”, as his championship teams were dubbed and he was constantly overshadowed by his more famous teammates. However if they needed a basket, he got it. If they needed a stop, he got it. If they needed him to run the point, he did it. He rarely put up eye-popping numbers, like most of the other guys on this list, but he had a habit of making timely plays.
[youtube]463f9vIeO6E[/youtube]
9. Reggie Miller, 6’7” – 185
On the Mantle: 5 Free Throw Percentage Titles
On the Floor: 18.2 ppg, 3.0 apg, 3.0 rpg, 1.1 spg, 0.2 bpg, 47.1 fg%, 88.8 ft% (9th AT), 39.5 3pt fg% (41st AT), 25279 pts (16th AT), 4141 ast, 4182 reb, 1505 st (34th AT), 2560 3pt fg (1st AT).
Coach Speak: It’s all about the shooting. He’s probably the greatest spot-up shooter in the history of the game. This is evidenced by the fact that he made more three pointers than anyone else ever has. Skill-wise, he never really had a great game. However, when his team needed him most, he was at his best with 7 post-seasons averaging 23 ppg or better. Of course, included in these post-seasons were some legendary clutch moments.
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8. Pete Maravich, 6’5” – 197
On the Mantle: 1 All-Rookie 1st Team, 2 All-NBA 1st Team, 1 NBA Scoring Title, Inducted into the HOF in 1987.
On the Floor: 24.2 ppg (18th AT), 5.4 apg, 4.2 rpg, 1.4 spg, 0.3 bpg, 44.1 fg%, 82.0 ft%, 15948 pts, 3563 ast, 2747 reb.
Coach Speak: Pistol Pete was simply a wizard with the basketball. He could hand the rock like it was on a string and could get anywhere on the floor he wanted to. He also had excellent court vision and could fill it up. All of this combined to make him a great ball player and a great showman. Unfortunately, he played on some terrible teams. That and deteriorating health kept his career to only 10 seasons. Maravich passed in 1988 at only 41 years of age.
[youtube]u3FrewumyKc[/youtube]
7. Sam Jones, 6’4” – 198
On the Mantle: 10 NBA Championship Rings, Inducted into the HOF in 1984.
On the Floor: 17.7 ppg, 2.5 apg, 4.9 rpg, 45.6 fg%, 80.3 ft%, 15411 pts, 2209 ast, 4305 reb.
Coach Speak: Jones is the often forgotten player when the Celtics dynasty of the 1960s is spoken about. However, he was arguably the most important piece of the puzzle, after Bill Russell. He was often the leading scorer on the team and his teammates called him Mr. Clutch. Twice, he stuck a dagger in the heart of the Lakers in two separate Game 7s of the NBA Finals. Oh, and he’s a grad of North Carolina Central University, my wife’s alma mater.
[youtube]dWqyvOGQ7MI[/youtube]
6. George Gervin, 6’7” – 185
On the Mantle: 1 ABA All-Rookie 1st Team, 5 All-NBA 1st Team, 4 NBA Scoring Titles, Inducted into the HOF in 1996.
On the Floor: 25.1 ppg (10th AT), 2.6 apg, 5.3 rpg, 1.2 spg, 1.0 bpg, 50.4 fg%, 84.1 ft%, 26595 pts (13th AT), 2798 ast, 5602 reb, 1283 st, 1047 blk.
Coach Speak: The Iceman might be the smoothest player in the history of basketball. Everything he did just looked cool, hence the nickname. Of course, his specialty was the finger-roll. You wouldn’t be surprised to see him let one go from about 18 feet and probably still wouldn’t be surprised if it went in. He was also an underrated defender, racking up over 1000 steals and blocks in his career. My favorite Iceman story of all time is about his scoring title from the 1977-78 season. By the time Ice suited up for his last game that year, David Thompson had scored 73 points earlier in the day. This meant Gervin needed at least 58 points to win the scoring title. His teammates knew this and began feeding him the ball. After missing his first 6 shots of the game and telling his teammates to forget about the whole thing he wound up with 63 points.
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5. Allen Iverson, 6’0” – 165
On the Mantle: 1 NBA MVP, 1 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1 All-Rookie 1st Team, 3 All-NBA 1st Team, 4 Scoring Titles, 3 Steals Titles.
On the Floor: 27.1 ppg (5th AT), 6.2 apg (45th AT), 3.7 rpg, 2.2 spg (5th AT), 0.2 bpg, 42.5 fg%, 78.0 ft%, 41.4 minutes per game (4th AT), 23983 pts (21st AT), 5511 ast (36th AT), 3315 reb, 1964 st (13th AT), 1050 3pt fg (49th AT).
Coach Speak: The Answer will go down as pound-for-pound one of the toughest players in NBA history. He’s also one of the toughest to judge. Did all of his personal success help or hinder his teams? The answer is probably yes and yes. He’s even one of the toughest to classify. Is he a point guard or a shooting guard? Again, yes and yes. The essence of AI is summed up by the famous soundbite where he disparages the merits of practice but mentions the actual games which he would “die for.” In any event, the indelible image of Iverson is him breaking his man’s ankles with a crossover then flying into the lane and making the layup off the glass as an opposing big man races over and knocks him to the floor while trying and failing to block the shot.
[youtube]WFNDS5B5Ch4[/youtube]
4. Clyde Drexler, 6’7” - 210
On the Mantle: 1 NBA Championship Ring, 1 All-NBA 1st Team, Inducted into the HOF in 2004.
On the Floor: 20.4 ppg (47th AT), 5.6 apg, 6.1 rpg, 2.0 spg (10th AT), 0.7 bpg, 47.2 fg%, 78.8 ft%, 22195 pts (27th AT), 6125 ast (26th AT), 6677 reb, 2207 st, 719 blk, 827 3pt fg.
Coach Speak: Clyde the Glide did everything well. He scored points, helped run the offense, grabbed rebounds, defended and oh yeah, he really could glide. In fact, knowing how good Drexler was, he’s the reason the Portland Trail Blazers felt justified in drafting Sam Bowie. Nevertheless, he was one of the best players in the league almost throughout his career. The thing I always found amazing about him was how good a passer he was because he always seemed to be dribbling with his head down. Somehow, he’d still make great passes every night. I was extremely happy for him when he teamed up with his old college chum, Hakeem Olajuwon, in his old college town, Houston, and relived those old college days (remember Phi Slamma Jamma?). Except, this time he had a better ending and actually won the championship.
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3. Kobe Bryant, 6’6” – 200
On the Mantle: 3 NBA Championship Rings, 1 NBA MVP, 6 All-NBA 1st Team, 6 All-Defensive 1st Team, 2 Scoring Titles.
On the Floor: 25.1 ppg (9th AT), 4.6 apg, 5.3 rpg, 1.5 spg (39th AT), 0.6 bpg, 45.5 fg%, 84.0 ft%, 23820 pts (22nd AT), 4401 ast, 5019 reb, 1441 st (39th AT), 1204 3pt fg (32nd AT).
Coach Speak: Kobe is one of the most brilliant offensive players to ever play the game. He’s also outstanding on the defensive end of the floor. Not only does he do it all, he does it all spectacularly. Years ago, I read an article in Basketball Digest in which they ranked their 100 greatest players of all time. Back then, they had Kobe somewhere in the 70s. They also said that within a decade he would be closer to #6 all time than #66. I was skeptical, but I’ve come around. It seems he’s been around forever, but he’s only 30 and believe it or not, might still improve his ranking on this list. Think about it, if he has 3 more seasons the quality of his last 3 he’ll have over 30000 points, 6000 reb, 5000 ast and will be approaching 2000 st. And it’s quite possible he sneaks in another ring or two. Or three?
[youtube]6FCoifWtapc[/youtube]
2. Jerry West, 6’2” – 175
On the Mantle: 1 NBA Championship Ring, 1 NBA Finals MVP, 10 All-NBA 1st Team, 4 All-Defensive 1st Team, 1 Scoring Title, 1 Assist Title, Inducted into the HOF in 1980.
On the Floor: 27.0 ppg (6th AT), 6.7 apg (32nd AT), 5.8 rpg, 47.4 fg%, 81.4 ft%, 25192 pts (18th AT), 6238 ast (24th AT), 5366 reb.
Coach Speak: As “Mr. Outside,” he combined with “Mr. Inside,” Elgin Baylor, to form one of the most potent 1-2 punches in history of the game. Together, they would lead the Lakers to NBA Finals 8 times. West would finally win it all in his 9th trip to the Finals, shortly after Baylor retired. He was not only good, but great at just about every phase of the game. He’s the rare scoring champion that has also led the league in assists. In fact, he finished in top ten of that category 7 times. And yes, the silhouette in the NBA logo really is his.
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1. Michael Jordan, 6’6” – 200
On the Mantle: 6 NBA Championship Rings, 5 NBA MVP, 6 NBA Finals MVP, 1 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 1 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1 All-Rookie 1st Team, 10 All-NBA 1st Team, 9 All-Defensive 1st Team, 10 Scoring Titles, 3 Steals Titles, Inducted into the HOF in 2009.
On the Floor: 30.1 ppg (1st AT), 5.3 apg, 6.2 rpg, 2.3 spg (3rd AT), 0.8 bpg, 49.7 fg%, 83.5 ft%, 32292 pts (3rd AT), 5633 ast (35th AT), 6672 reb, 2514 st (2nd AT), 893 blk.
Coach Speak: There’s really nothing I can say about Michael Jordan that you haven’t heard before. To look at it from an ever so slightly different angle, I’ll journey back to his rookie season. He actually led the league in points scored with 2313. However, he didn’t win the scoring title since that’s based on average. He was far and away the Rookie of the Year. He averaged 28.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 2.4 spg and 0.8 bpg. That’s an amazing stat line to begin with but he got better. Or to look at it yet another way: His career scoring average of 30.1 ppg is the best of all time. Even the best players struggle to elevate their scoring average during the playoffs. Jordan did so by a good deal with 33.4 ppg which is the top postseason average of all time. In fact, that rookie year was the only postseason in which he averaged less than 30 ppg with 29.3 ppg. He also averaged 5.8 rpg and 8.5 apg during the playoffs that year. He got better.
Also Spotting Up…
Earl Monroe
Dwayne Wade
Hal Greer
Bill Sharman
Dave Bing
Mitch Richmond
Tracy McGrady
Gail Goodrich
Vince Carter
Ray Allen
As if we didn’t know this would happen…
[youtube]Hyo7aOFMirI[/youtube]
Mike the trash talker…
[youtube]MjH4MCFjysw[/youtube]
Cue the controversy.
The Greatest Shooting Guards of All Time
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[size=1]Key: On the Mantle: championships, awards and honors On the Floor: career averages and notable totals pts: points ppg: points per game reb: rebounds rpg: rebounds per game ast: assists apg: assists per game st: steals spg: steals per game blk: blocked shots bpg: blocks per game fg%: field-goal percentage ft%: free-throw percentage HOF: Hall of Fame AT: all time Coach Speak: about the player Sidenotes: Steals, blocked shots and offensive rebounds did not become official NBA stats until the 1973-74 NBA season.[/size]
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10. Joe Dumars, 6’3” - 190
On the Mantle: 2 NBA Championship Rings, 1 NBA Finals MVP, 1 All Rookie 1st Team, 4 All-Defensive 1st Team, Inducted into the HOF in 2006.
On the Floor: 16.1 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.2 rpg, 0.9 spg, 0.1 bpg, 46.0 fg%, 84.3 ft% (56th AT), 38.2 3pt fg%, 16401 pts, 4612 ast, 2203 reb, 902 st, 990 3pt fg (53rd AT).
Coach Speak: Joe D is the quintessential team player. During his playing days, he rarely said anything to anyone not wearing a Pistons’ jersey. He never seemed to really be one of the infamous “Bad Boys”, as his championship teams were dubbed and he was constantly overshadowed by his more famous teammates. However if they needed a basket, he got it. If they needed a stop, he got it. If they needed him to run the point, he did it. He rarely put up eye-popping numbers, like most of the other guys on this list, but he had a habit of making timely plays.
[youtube]463f9vIeO6E[/youtube]
9. Reggie Miller, 6’7” – 185
On the Mantle: 5 Free Throw Percentage Titles
On the Floor: 18.2 ppg, 3.0 apg, 3.0 rpg, 1.1 spg, 0.2 bpg, 47.1 fg%, 88.8 ft% (9th AT), 39.5 3pt fg% (41st AT), 25279 pts (16th AT), 4141 ast, 4182 reb, 1505 st (34th AT), 2560 3pt fg (1st AT).
Coach Speak: It’s all about the shooting. He’s probably the greatest spot-up shooter in the history of the game. This is evidenced by the fact that he made more three pointers than anyone else ever has. Skill-wise, he never really had a great game. However, when his team needed him most, he was at his best with 7 post-seasons averaging 23 ppg or better. Of course, included in these post-seasons were some legendary clutch moments.
[youtube]fKTLQOF-p18[/youtube]
8. Pete Maravich, 6’5” – 197
On the Mantle: 1 All-Rookie 1st Team, 2 All-NBA 1st Team, 1 NBA Scoring Title, Inducted into the HOF in 1987.
On the Floor: 24.2 ppg (18th AT), 5.4 apg, 4.2 rpg, 1.4 spg, 0.3 bpg, 44.1 fg%, 82.0 ft%, 15948 pts, 3563 ast, 2747 reb.
Coach Speak: Pistol Pete was simply a wizard with the basketball. He could hand the rock like it was on a string and could get anywhere on the floor he wanted to. He also had excellent court vision and could fill it up. All of this combined to make him a great ball player and a great showman. Unfortunately, he played on some terrible teams. That and deteriorating health kept his career to only 10 seasons. Maravich passed in 1988 at only 41 years of age.
[youtube]u3FrewumyKc[/youtube]
7. Sam Jones, 6’4” – 198
On the Mantle: 10 NBA Championship Rings, Inducted into the HOF in 1984.
On the Floor: 17.7 ppg, 2.5 apg, 4.9 rpg, 45.6 fg%, 80.3 ft%, 15411 pts, 2209 ast, 4305 reb.
Coach Speak: Jones is the often forgotten player when the Celtics dynasty of the 1960s is spoken about. However, he was arguably the most important piece of the puzzle, after Bill Russell. He was often the leading scorer on the team and his teammates called him Mr. Clutch. Twice, he stuck a dagger in the heart of the Lakers in two separate Game 7s of the NBA Finals. Oh, and he’s a grad of North Carolina Central University, my wife’s alma mater.
[youtube]dWqyvOGQ7MI[/youtube]
6. George Gervin, 6’7” – 185
On the Mantle: 1 ABA All-Rookie 1st Team, 5 All-NBA 1st Team, 4 NBA Scoring Titles, Inducted into the HOF in 1996.
On the Floor: 25.1 ppg (10th AT), 2.6 apg, 5.3 rpg, 1.2 spg, 1.0 bpg, 50.4 fg%, 84.1 ft%, 26595 pts (13th AT), 2798 ast, 5602 reb, 1283 st, 1047 blk.
Coach Speak: The Iceman might be the smoothest player in the history of basketball. Everything he did just looked cool, hence the nickname. Of course, his specialty was the finger-roll. You wouldn’t be surprised to see him let one go from about 18 feet and probably still wouldn’t be surprised if it went in. He was also an underrated defender, racking up over 1000 steals and blocks in his career. My favorite Iceman story of all time is about his scoring title from the 1977-78 season. By the time Ice suited up for his last game that year, David Thompson had scored 73 points earlier in the day. This meant Gervin needed at least 58 points to win the scoring title. His teammates knew this and began feeding him the ball. After missing his first 6 shots of the game and telling his teammates to forget about the whole thing he wound up with 63 points.
[youtube]OH5JTh3Xp3Y[/youtube]
5. Allen Iverson, 6’0” – 165
On the Mantle: 1 NBA MVP, 1 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1 All-Rookie 1st Team, 3 All-NBA 1st Team, 4 Scoring Titles, 3 Steals Titles.
On the Floor: 27.1 ppg (5th AT), 6.2 apg (45th AT), 3.7 rpg, 2.2 spg (5th AT), 0.2 bpg, 42.5 fg%, 78.0 ft%, 41.4 minutes per game (4th AT), 23983 pts (21st AT), 5511 ast (36th AT), 3315 reb, 1964 st (13th AT), 1050 3pt fg (49th AT).
Coach Speak: The Answer will go down as pound-for-pound one of the toughest players in NBA history. He’s also one of the toughest to judge. Did all of his personal success help or hinder his teams? The answer is probably yes and yes. He’s even one of the toughest to classify. Is he a point guard or a shooting guard? Again, yes and yes. The essence of AI is summed up by the famous soundbite where he disparages the merits of practice but mentions the actual games which he would “die for.” In any event, the indelible image of Iverson is him breaking his man’s ankles with a crossover then flying into the lane and making the layup off the glass as an opposing big man races over and knocks him to the floor while trying and failing to block the shot.
[youtube]WFNDS5B5Ch4[/youtube]
4. Clyde Drexler, 6’7” - 210
On the Mantle: 1 NBA Championship Ring, 1 All-NBA 1st Team, Inducted into the HOF in 2004.
On the Floor: 20.4 ppg (47th AT), 5.6 apg, 6.1 rpg, 2.0 spg (10th AT), 0.7 bpg, 47.2 fg%, 78.8 ft%, 22195 pts (27th AT), 6125 ast (26th AT), 6677 reb, 2207 st, 719 blk, 827 3pt fg.
Coach Speak: Clyde the Glide did everything well. He scored points, helped run the offense, grabbed rebounds, defended and oh yeah, he really could glide. In fact, knowing how good Drexler was, he’s the reason the Portland Trail Blazers felt justified in drafting Sam Bowie. Nevertheless, he was one of the best players in the league almost throughout his career. The thing I always found amazing about him was how good a passer he was because he always seemed to be dribbling with his head down. Somehow, he’d still make great passes every night. I was extremely happy for him when he teamed up with his old college chum, Hakeem Olajuwon, in his old college town, Houston, and relived those old college days (remember Phi Slamma Jamma?). Except, this time he had a better ending and actually won the championship.
[youtube]41lon9hxZbo[/youtube]
3. Kobe Bryant, 6’6” – 200
On the Mantle: 3 NBA Championship Rings, 1 NBA MVP, 6 All-NBA 1st Team, 6 All-Defensive 1st Team, 2 Scoring Titles.
On the Floor: 25.1 ppg (9th AT), 4.6 apg, 5.3 rpg, 1.5 spg (39th AT), 0.6 bpg, 45.5 fg%, 84.0 ft%, 23820 pts (22nd AT), 4401 ast, 5019 reb, 1441 st (39th AT), 1204 3pt fg (32nd AT).
Coach Speak: Kobe is one of the most brilliant offensive players to ever play the game. He’s also outstanding on the defensive end of the floor. Not only does he do it all, he does it all spectacularly. Years ago, I read an article in Basketball Digest in which they ranked their 100 greatest players of all time. Back then, they had Kobe somewhere in the 70s. They also said that within a decade he would be closer to #6 all time than #66. I was skeptical, but I’ve come around. It seems he’s been around forever, but he’s only 30 and believe it or not, might still improve his ranking on this list. Think about it, if he has 3 more seasons the quality of his last 3 he’ll have over 30000 points, 6000 reb, 5000 ast and will be approaching 2000 st. And it’s quite possible he sneaks in another ring or two. Or three?
[youtube]6FCoifWtapc[/youtube]
2. Jerry West, 6’2” – 175
On the Mantle: 1 NBA Championship Ring, 1 NBA Finals MVP, 10 All-NBA 1st Team, 4 All-Defensive 1st Team, 1 Scoring Title, 1 Assist Title, Inducted into the HOF in 1980.
On the Floor: 27.0 ppg (6th AT), 6.7 apg (32nd AT), 5.8 rpg, 47.4 fg%, 81.4 ft%, 25192 pts (18th AT), 6238 ast (24th AT), 5366 reb.
Coach Speak: As “Mr. Outside,” he combined with “Mr. Inside,” Elgin Baylor, to form one of the most potent 1-2 punches in history of the game. Together, they would lead the Lakers to NBA Finals 8 times. West would finally win it all in his 9th trip to the Finals, shortly after Baylor retired. He was not only good, but great at just about every phase of the game. He’s the rare scoring champion that has also led the league in assists. In fact, he finished in top ten of that category 7 times. And yes, the silhouette in the NBA logo really is his.
[youtube]ep0sMdlXiQQ[/youtube]
1. Michael Jordan, 6’6” – 200
On the Mantle: 6 NBA Championship Rings, 5 NBA MVP, 6 NBA Finals MVP, 1 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 1 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1 All-Rookie 1st Team, 10 All-NBA 1st Team, 9 All-Defensive 1st Team, 10 Scoring Titles, 3 Steals Titles, Inducted into the HOF in 2009.
On the Floor: 30.1 ppg (1st AT), 5.3 apg, 6.2 rpg, 2.3 spg (3rd AT), 0.8 bpg, 49.7 fg%, 83.5 ft%, 32292 pts (3rd AT), 5633 ast (35th AT), 6672 reb, 2514 st (2nd AT), 893 blk.
Coach Speak: There’s really nothing I can say about Michael Jordan that you haven’t heard before. To look at it from an ever so slightly different angle, I’ll journey back to his rookie season. He actually led the league in points scored with 2313. However, he didn’t win the scoring title since that’s based on average. He was far and away the Rookie of the Year. He averaged 28.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 2.4 spg and 0.8 bpg. That’s an amazing stat line to begin with but he got better. Or to look at it yet another way: His career scoring average of 30.1 ppg is the best of all time. Even the best players struggle to elevate their scoring average during the playoffs. Jordan did so by a good deal with 33.4 ppg which is the top postseason average of all time. In fact, that rookie year was the only postseason in which he averaged less than 30 ppg with 29.3 ppg. He also averaged 5.8 rpg and 8.5 apg during the playoffs that year. He got better.
Also Spotting Up…
Earl Monroe
Dwayne Wade
Hal Greer
Bill Sharman
Dave Bing
Mitch Richmond
Tracy McGrady
Gail Goodrich
Vince Carter
Ray Allen
As if we didn’t know this would happen…
[youtube]Hyo7aOFMirI[/youtube]
Mike the trash talker…
[youtube]MjH4MCFjysw[/youtube]
Cue the controversy.
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