NBA's top 10 shooting guards
10. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
2008-09 stats: 15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.6 apg
He'd be much higher on this list if there wasn't so much
uncertainty about his surgically repaired ankles. Ginobili missed half
of last season, including the playoffs, and has a lot of wear and tear
on his 32-year-old body after years of intense NBA and international
play. But intensity, creativity and competitiveness are what make Manu
special. We love his unorthodox game, flops and all, and we're hoping
he and Tim Duncan have another season or two of high-level ball left in
their balky joints.
9. Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings
2008-09 stats: 24.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.7 apg
Of all the good-offense, bad-defense shooting guards in the NBA —
and there are many — Martin gets the nod over the likes of Ben Gordon,
Michael Redd, Jason Terry, Jason Richardson and Allen Iverson. He
averaged 24.6 points last season, seventh in the league and third among
shooting guards. An outstanding 3-point shooter who also excels at
drawing fouls (he averaged 10.3 free-throw attempts last season, more
than LeBron James), his scoring average and offensive repertoire have
increased each season, and at 26 he's just entering his prime. Still,
besides improving his weak D, he needs to become more durable after
missing 52 games over the past two seasons.
8. Vince Carter, Orlando Magic
2008-09 stats: 20.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.7 apg
After 11 NBA seasons, Carter isn't as explosive as he used to be,
but he's still a superior athlete with plenty of game at the age of 32.
Now back home in Orlando, he'll give the Magic another 3-point shooter
and a better scorer (though an inferior playmaker) than the departed
Hedo Turkoglu. The big question about Carter isn't his legs. It's his
heart. Does he have the competitive fire to help a team win a
championship? He won't have to lead Orlando, which has a bigger star
(Dwight Howard) and a better leader (Jameer Nelson), but Carter will
get much of the blame if the Magic don't return to the Finals.
7. Richard Hamilton, Detroit Pistons
2008-09 stats: 18.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.4 apg
No one was sorrier to see Chauncey Billups go — and now, happier to
see Allen Iverson go — than Hamilton, who needs a pass-first point
guard who will get him the ball as he tirelessly runs off screens. No
player uses picks and nails intermediate jumpers like Rip, but his
field-goal percentage dropped last season when he had to create his own
shots in Iverson's me-first offense. Rodney Stuckey isn't a great
passer either, but Hamilton should get better looks this season,
especially since defenses also will need to chase after Ben Gordon.
(Hamilton gets the nod over Gordon here for his better all-around
game.)
6. Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers
2008-09 stats: 18.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.3 apg
An enthusiastic defender, an adept playmaker and a thunderous
finisher in transition, Iggy does everything well except one thing —
shoot the ball. That's a problem for a shooting guard, the position
he'll mostly play this season. (He'll also play some small forward and
may even see time at the point.) He shot just 30.7% from 3-point range
last season, a career low, and 72.4% from the line. Those numbers must
improve if he's going to become an All-Star. And he and Elton Brand
must figure out a way to make their partnership work if Philly has a
prayer of finishing over .500.
5. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
2008-09 stats: 18.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.8 apg
No doubt about it, Boston's Big 3 are getting older. But unlike
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who are fiercely fighting Father Time,
Allen, 34, is aging gracefully. His classic shooting stroke is like a
vintage wine, getting better as he gets older. Indeed, Allen set career
highs in field-goal (48.0) and free-throw (95.2) percentage last
season, his 13th in the NBA. With the addition of Marquis Daniels,
Allen's minutes may go down but his efficiency should remain high as
the Celtics chase a championship.
4. Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
2008-09 stats: 21.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.8 apg
Johnson does everything well and nothing great, which makes him an
ideal No. 2 option on a contending team but not quite the superstar the
Hawks need and pay him to be. The Cavs gave him the superstar treatment
in the playoffs, double-teaming him on most possessions, and Johnson
couldn't quite handle it. Still, the guy is good, really good —
probably Atlanta's best player since Dominique Wilkins retired 15 years
ago. He's also the main reason the Hawks are relevant again after
nearly a decade as an NBA joke.
3. Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
2008-09 stats: 22.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.1 apg
He's already exactly what the Blazers needed after years of
underachieving teams and misbehaving players — a humble and likeable
star. Last season he led Portland to the playoffs for the first time in
six years and took his place in the second tier of the NBA elite, just
behind the likes of Kobe and LeBron and D-Wade. It's questionable
whether Roy has the athletic ability to reach the next level, but his
work ethic and attitude give him a chance. He's already made big
strides since earning Rookie of the Year honors three years ago, so
it's reasonable to think he'll keep improving. If the rest of the
Blazers' youth brigade also progresses, Kobe and the Lakers may get
some competition in the West.
2. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
2008-09 stats: 30.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.5 apg
The way Wade played last season, he can't be pigeonholed into one
position. He created plays like a point guard, scored like a shooting
guard, swooped into passing lanes like a small forward and blocked
shots like a power forward. Fitter than ever after two injury-plagued
seasons, he led the NBA in scoring, was second in steals and topped all
guards in blocks. He carried a young and marginally talented team to
the playoffs, something he'll have to do again this season since the
Heat didn't do anything to upgrade their roster.
1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2008-09 stats: 26.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.9 apg
Kobe's been the standard bearer for shooting guards since Michael
Jordan won his final championship in 1998, and that's not likely to
change despite Wade's spectacular play. If anything, Bryant has
strengthened his hold by winning his first MVP award in 2008 and his
first Finals MVP honor last season. At 31, given his commitment to
fitness and his still-burning desire, don't expect a dropoff this
season as he chases his fifth title with the Lakers.
Honorable mentions: Ben Gordon, Detroit Pistons;
Eric
Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers;
Stephen Jackson, Golden State Warriors;
O.J. Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies;
Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks.