Top 10 shooting guards of all time
Top 10 shooting guards of all time: We ranked the greatest point guards in NBA history earlier this week. Next up, we’ll look at some of the greatest shooting guards of all time. Some of the greatest players in NBA history are included in our list of the ten finest players of all time.
10. Klay Thompson
It’s easy to forget how brilliant Klay Thompson actually is after being on the bench for so long. When healthy, “Killa Klay” was a consistent top-three shooter in 3-point field goal percentage and a reliable defender of the opposition’s most dangerous perimeter threat. From 2015 to 2019, he helped the Warriors reach the NBA Finals five times in a row, and he was rewarded with three championship rings for his ability to excel on both sides of the court.
On Dec. 5, 2016, against the Indiana Pacers, Thompson put on a show with a 60-point performance in just 29 minutes. The most impressive aspect of Klay Thompson’s performance was the fact that he only dribbled 11 times while going 21 for 33 from the field and 8 for 14 from beyond the arc. It was a textbook Thompson performance, and it ranks among the best in league history.
9. Ray Allen
You generally associate Ray Allen with his silky smooth release and high arcing shots when thinking of the man who retired with the most 3-point field goals made in NBA history. That’s not surprising, of course. The 10-time All-Star, on the other hand, played with a lot of bounce. During the first half of his career in Milwaukee and Seattle, Allen was virtually impossible to guard because of his unmatched ability to launch from deep and get out in transition. He was just as likely to posterize you as he was to sink a 35-footer.
8. Reggie Miller
When you look at it another way, Reggie Miller was born at just the right moment. Eight years after the NBA adopted the 3-point shot, the lanky marksman entered the league, and that little piece of luck helped him become one of the top 20 scorers in NBA history.
However, he was born at the most inopportune moment. In his prime, he was unable to make several All-Star teams and win multiple titles because his 18-year career coincided with that of fellow shooting guard Michael Jordan. When he finally got his chance in the 2000 Finals, Miller was eliminated by Jordan’s heir apparent, Kobe Bryant, in a terrible twist of fate.
7. Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler was such a high priority for the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1984 NBA Draft that they passed on selecting Michael Jordan. Ultimately, it was a terrible error, but at the moment, it was understandable. After all, Drexler had recently been voted the Southwest Conference co-Player of the Year at the University of Houston, and had a similar above-the-rim game to “His Airness”.
6. George Gervin
Despite his many flaws, George Gervin was an excellent basketball player. He never averaged more than 3.7 assists in a season, and he didn’t seem to be interested in doing anything that required him to actually work out or exert himself physically. He may not have been able to win a title because of his laid-back demeanor, but that didn’t stop him from lighting up the scoreboard.
The Ice Man was the NBA’s leading scorer four times and had a career average of 26.2 points in 13 seasons. Even while he didn’t always help the Spurs win, his prolific scoring made his games a must-see on television.
Should Clyde Drexler, who led the Portland Trail Blazers to back-to-back Western Conference championships, have gotten this nod? But Gervin wins the prize because of his scoring prowess and the beautiful finger roll that is still one of basketball’s most memorable plays.
5. Jerry West
Our list wouldn’t be complete without “The Logo,” would it? In his career, he averaged more than 30 points per game four times.
For nine seasons from 1962 to 1973, West’s slender touch made the Lakers a terror to face. He was only able to win one of those fights, but it wasn’t because he didn’t give it his all. In 1969, when he totaled 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.4 assists against the Boston Celtics, Jerry West became the only player from a losing team to receive NBA Finals MVP honors.
4. James Harden
A lot of the NBA’s current problems may be blamed on James Harden. He dribbles the ball so hard that it loses all of its air, he makes his teammates spectators and looks to the referees for help. At times, he plays an ugly game, but there’s no arguing that it works.
A 60-point triple-double, 2,000 points, and at least 900 assists are all firsts in NBA history for “The Beard,” who has led the league in scoring in each of the last three seasons.
Even while Harden’s step-back threes and Euro steps are a significant part of why he has so many buckets, his ability to get to the charity stripe is what really distinguishes him. Eight-time All-Star has led NBA in free throw attempts in seven of the last eight seasons and is second among active players in free throws attempted. Harden’s greatness is largely due to the freebies he gets, even if they aren’t exciting to watch.
3. Dwyane Wade
Before LeBron James arrived in Miami, Dwyane Wade was one of the most dominant players in the NBA, and it’s important to remember that.
A fierce driver and vicious finisher, the 6-foot-4 Chicago native led the Miami Heat to their first NBA title in franchise history in 2006 with an average of 28.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.2 steal in the postseason. In 2009, D-Wade led the NBA in scoring and was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career.
Miami’s back-to-back championship teams in 2012 and 2013 relied heavily on Wade’s clutch shooting and dogged defense, but he sacrificed his playing time when LeBron James and Chris Bosh came.
2. Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant was the only player who came close to replicating Michael Jordan’s jab step, fadeaway jumper, and spin move. When it came to beating opponents, Kobe had Jordan’s obsessive drive to fully humiliate them.
The end result was 18 All-Star selections, 15 All-NBA picks, 12 All-Defensive Team selections, five NBA championships, four All-Star Game MVP trophies, and a legacy that extends far beyond basketball.
1. Michael Jordan
That Michael Jordan would take the No. 1 place was not a surprise at all. Let Dwyane Wade do the talking for us. We could go on and on about why Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.
Everyone who wanted to play basketball, whether they could or couldn’t, wanted to look like Michael Jordan, Wade said. “There will never be another like him. He is a pioneer in his field. In every aspect of his work, it was revolutionary. Even now, people are still attempting to emulate Mike’s flair and pizazz because of it.”
Even if LeBron James eventually surpasses Michael Jordan as the greatest player of all time, his status as the greatest shooting guard in NBA history can never be erased.