



As the NBA continues to evolve, there’s been an ongoing trend toward positionless basketball. We’ve seen that reflected in the way All-Star selections are made today, as the ballot now simply consists of “frontcourt” and “backcourt” players.

It’s become harder and harder to pin down certain players to one particular position. This is especially true for tall, lengthy wings who regularly log time at point, shooting guard, and small forward.

That gave us a unique challenge as we were putting together our list of the NBA’s top shooting guards. Regardless, we did our best to confine the ranking to those players most closely associated with that position, along with a couple who are in that tweener area that is a bit more difficult to define.



10. Zach LaVine

Even before the Timberwolves traded him to the Bulls for Jimmy Butler, LaVine proved there’s more to his game than just his jaw-dropping aerial feats. LaVine has the full offensive repertoire, able to take opponents off the dribble with his handle and finish at the rim and pose a threat beyond the three-point line. His run of consecutive 30+ point games to start the season was a testament to that, even if it was ultimately overshadowed by the Bulls’ failure to win basketball games. If the day ever comes when Chicago puts it all together, LaVine will cement his status as one of the league’s most potent two-guards.

9. Devin Booker

It’s hard to know exactly how to gauge Booker’s talent and potential, given that his numbers are likely inflated in the context of ultimately meaningless basketball games. The Suns’ record complicates things tremendously. Still, there are only a few players on the planet capable of scoring 70 points in an NBA game regardless of the circumstances. Booker is undoubtedly a skilled and versatile scorer, but he’s never had the opportunity to prove himself in a game that matters. Until then, it’ll be hard to put him on the same level as the truly elite guards on this list, even if we’re confident he can get there some day.

8. Donovan Mitchell

After an absolutely stellar rookie campaign that included a dunk contest trophy and a second-round playoff appearance, Mitchell suffered through the dreaded sophomore slump in the early part of this season. But he’s come alive lately as the Jazz have strung together a nice little run, winning enough to put themselves back in playoff contention. Mitchell’s resurgence has been the engine driving this. He’s scored more than 20 points in each of those eight wins and has been vastly more efficient from the field overall, demonstrating once again an overall talent that is well beyond his years.



7. Bradley Beal

These are dark days in Washington, especially after John Wall underwent season-ending surgery. The Wizards were a train wreck even before that, and there’s a pervading feeling that the front office might make a move before the trade deadline and usher in their inevitable rebuild. Whether or not Beal’s name pops up in these circumstances remains to be seen, but Beal is healthy and in his prime as an elite offensive talent. He’s an excellent basketball player whose name deserves to be included in any discussion of the best 2-guards on the planet.

6. CJ McCollum

Damian Lillard and McCollum are one of the most potent scoring backcourt duos in the NBA, and like last season, they’re high in the West’s pecking order, consistently performing at a high level in the regular season. McCollum has been a reliable second option for Portland over the past four years, capable of carrying the load offensively when Dame has off nights and consistently proving his mettle in crunch-time situations. CJ has the full package as a scorer, regularly embarrassing defenders in one-on-one situations with a range of dribble-drives, step-backs, stop-and-pops, you name it, all while co-existing and thriving alongside another high-volume scorer.

5. Victor Oladipo

Oladipo was a revelation in Indiana last season, the feel-good story of a castaway who made his doubters look downright foolish as he returned to the state in which he played his college ball. He made his first All-Star appearance, was the runaway winner for the Most Improved Player award, and led Indiana to a thrilling seven-game series against the Cavs in the opening round of the playoffs last spring.