Top Ten NBA Shooting Guards of All-Time
Do you have the NBA Lockout blues? We feel your pain and have a cure for you. The Hoops Manifesto has gathered together Bloguin's best basketball writers to rummage through the annals of NBA (and ABA) history (sounds dirty, but it's not - honest) to bring you rankings of the best players to have ever laced them up. Next up: Top Ten NBA (or ABA) Shooting Guards of All-Time.
Voting panel: Jeff Fox from The Hoops Manifesto, College Wolf & Dan Bonk from the TWolves Blog, Philip from Orlando Magic Daily, Diego from Hot Hot Hoops, Don from With Malice and Ezra from the Purple and Gold Blog.
10) Reggie Miller - Indiana Pacers - 1987 - 2005
Career accomplishments:
- sixth all-time in games played in NBA history
- sixth all-time in minutes played in NBA history
- second all-time in three-pointers made in NBA history
- ninth all-time in free throw % in NBA history
- five-time NBA All-Star
- three-time All-NBA selection
"One of the game's purest shooters and most competitive player we've ever seen (not to mention one of the most prolific trash talkers as well)." - Ezra
"When you think about great shooters in the NBA, Miller's name has to come up. Miller has become much more of a cultural icon than anything else because of his epic battles with the Knicks. But he made the three-point shot the weapon it is today. A lot of players owe their success to what Miller did for them from beyond the arc, in showing that a knock down shooter can be a deadly weapon in the NBA." - Philip
"IT'S MILLER TIME!!! Almost as much a marksman with his mouth as with the ball, Reggie Miller had some incredible match-ups. None more so than with Knick superfan, Spike Lee... But for Jordan's Bulls, Miller's Pacers might have been known as one of the better teams of their era." - Don
9) Ray Allen - Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle Supersonics, Boston Celtics - 1996 - present
Career accomplishments:
- member of one NBA championship team
- all-time leader in three-pointers made in NBA history
- sixth all-time in free throw % in NBA history
- 10-time NBA All-Star
- two-time All-NBA selection
- NBA All-Rookie Team
"'Jesus Shuttlesworth' not only could shoot the three as good as anyone in league history but is also one of the better slashers. Not as dangerous as Miller with a hand on his face, but he certainly has one of the quickest releases ever." - Ezra
8) Pete Maravich - Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics - 1970 - 1980
Career accomplishments:
- basketball Hall of Fame
- five-time NBA All-Star
- All-Rookie Team
- four-time All-NBA selection
"Amazing and revolutionary. Was an awesome three-point shooter before there WAS A THREE-POINT LINE. They introduced it his last year and he shot 67% from three." - Dan Bonk
"'Pistol Pete' had one of the rarest combination of skill sets. He could score, pass and handle the ball like no one other than Magic Johnson. One of the truly unstoppable guys to play the game." - Ezra
7) Dwyane Wade - Miami Heat - 2003 - present
Career accomplishments:
- member of one NBA championship team
- NBA Finals MVP
- tenth all-time in points per game in NBA history
- seven-time NBA All-Star selection
- NBA All-Rookie Team
- three-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection
- six-time All-NBA selection
"Wade is an incredible player and likely does not get the same love and adoration he deserves as other players of his generation (on his team no less). Everyone forgets the incredible performance Wade put on in the 2006 Finals, almost single-handedly willing the Heat out of that 2-0 hole and on to the franchise's lone NBA championship. His health hampered him as his "get to the basket at all costs" method of scoring began to slow him down. But when he is healthy, he is about as unstoppable a scorer as anyone in the league." - Philip
"Remember when D-Wade was treated like the second-cutest girl at the bar during the summer of 2010? Upon watching the 2011 Finals, I know a good number of people who think the Heat would be better off without LeBron James and having Wade as the sole alpha dog. People always overlook him, but Wade is one of the best basketball players to ever walk his planet. He recklessly attacks the basket, is one of the top defenders in the league right now and has answered the bell on the biggest stage: The Finals." - Diego
6) Clyde Drexler- Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets - 1983 - 1998
Career accomplishments:
- basketball Hall of Fame
- member of one NBA championship team
- seventh all-time in steals in NBA history
- ninth all-time in steals per game in NBA history
- 10-time NBA All-Star
- five-time All-NBA selection
"For some reason, I feel like reflection upon his career has always been criminally underrated." - College Wolf
"Clyde the Glide, electrifying on the fast break. A pure scorer, Drexler was an amazing athlete - his ability to finish had no parallels. He got his title when transferred to Houston to play with long time friend Hakeem Olujawon, winning in 1995. No Jordan that year." - Don
5) Allen Iverson - Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons - 1996 - 2010
Career accomplishments:
- tenth all-time in free throws made in NBA history
- fourth all-time in minutes per game in NBA history
- sixth all-time in points per game in NBA history
- seventh all-time in steals per game in NBA history
- 11-time NBA All-Star
- NBA Rookie of the Year
- one-time NBA MVP
- NBA All-Rookie Team
- seven-time All-NBA selection
"Iverson was not anywhere near perfect as a player. He came to represent an NBA counterculture that turned fans away and his career ended darkly with no team willing to touch him. But it is still undeniably the kind of player he was. He went all out at all times and simply knew how to put the ball in the basket. His ball-dominating ways may have kept him from winning a championship, but he knew how to play only one way and was unapologetic about it. History should look on Iverson a little more fondly than it will." - Philip
"At 6-feet and about 165 pounds, Iverson has so many built-in disadvantages. But The Answer proved he had game when he crossed over one of the greatest defenders of all-time in Michael Jordan. His signature moment remains him single-handedly taking the Sixers to the Finals after winning the MVP award. Although he came up short, his performance proved him to be a warrior." - Diego
"I tried hard not to put Iverson in this list at all. Very hard. But there's no denying that Iverson deserves a position on this list, as I discovered. Perhaps the toughest to ever play the game, Iverson's will was indomitable... the only problem was he took that warrior's mentality, that "me-against-the-world" attitude, off the court. On it (the court), it worked wonders. Off it? He eventually fought himself out of the NBA." - Don
4) George Gervin - Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls - 1972 - 1986
Career accomplishments:
- basketball Hall of Fame
- ninth all-time in blocks in ABA history
- seventh all-time in points per game in ABA history
- eighth all-time in points per game in NBA history
- 11-time ABA/NBA All-Star
- nine-time All-ABA/NBA selection
"The inventor of the finger roll, "The Iceman" could light up the scoreboard like The Strip in Vegas. Simply one of the best scorers ever." - Ezra
"From anywhere. That's where the Iceman could score from. And oh-so-often, did just that. Gervin metamorphosed the position, forever changing the way the shooting guard position was viewed. Averaging a mean 25+ points per, his finger roll is one of basketball's signature moves. George Gervin wasn't cool... George Gervin was cold." - Don
3) Jerry West - Los Angeles Lakers - 1960 - 1974
Career accomplishments:
- basketball Hall of Fame
- member of one NBA championship team
- fifth all-time in free throws made in NBA history
- seventh all-time in free throws attempted in NBA history
- seventh all-time in minutes per game in NBA history
- fifth all-time in points per game in NBA history
- 14-time NBA All-Star
- NBA Finals MVP
- 12-time All-NBA selection
- five-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection
"If the Lakers could have just gotten past the dreaded Celtics a few more times in the Finals, then we might be arguing who is the best basketball player of all-time, Jerry West or Michael Jordan?" - Jeff Fox
"If you ever wonder why the NBA picked West as their logo, all you have to do is look at his career and influence in the game. He's well known for his scoring ability and solid leadership, but he's probably the most underrated athletic player and defender ever." - Ezra
"If West had a three-point line, he might very well be the league's all-time leading scorer. His 60-foot heave with the Lakers down by two in the Finals with the Knicks counted for only two points. There is a reason this guy is "The Logo." He was a 30-point per game scorer for a good portion of his career and was the gold standard for scoring in the NBA for a very long time." - Philip
"An amazing scorer, most don't realise that West was also a phenomenal defender. Mr Clutch made nine Finals appearances, but only won one... continually running headfirst into the buzzsaw that was Bill Russell's Celtics. The only man to ever win a Finals MVP from the losing side." - Don
2) Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers - 1996 - present
Career accomplishments:
- member of five NBA championship teams
- sixth all-time in free throws made in NBA history
- eight all-time in points in NBA history
- tenth all-time in points per game in NBA history
- 13-time NBA All-Star
- two-time NBA Finals MVP
- one-time NBA MVP
- NBA All-Rookie Team
- 13-time All-NBA selection
- 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection
"He is damn good, and I truly respect him as a player. His focus and will to win is off the charts. But I think he has a stigma as being such a winner, and so clutch…when he has had way more chances than anyone else, being on championship-contending teams talent-wise nearly every single year of his career." - Dan Bonk
"'The Black Mamba' has more passion for and hunger to master the game of basketball than anyone who's ever laced up shoes. Only MJ could match his salivation to be the one to strike the dagger into the hearts of the competition when the game is on the line. His swagger and unrelenting hatred for losing are both his greatest strengths and weaknesses, which is probably the reason why he's one the NBA's most polarizing athlete." - Ezra
"If Jordan was the league's first real killer, Bryant certainly was a decent copycat. Kobe had the same work ethic and drive to be the best like Jordan did. Jordan alienated teammates with his obsession over basketball and had epic scoring years like Bryant did. And like Jordan, Bryant had to realize he needed to trust his teammates even as "The Guy" to win a championship. His five titles speak for themselves and he has done just about everything you can in a career." - Philip
"Although Shaquille O'Neal won three Finals MVPs, the Lakers would not have won any of those championships without Bryant. Shaq's poor free throw shooting and foul trouble forced him to sit on the bench during a few huge playoff games, and Bryant had to deliver the dagger against the Indiana Pacers. After Shaq, Kobe's 81-point performance was selfish and spectacular, but he didn't truly cement his legacy until he won his fourth and fifth rings. Even with Pau Gasol, Bryant still had a bad shooting night in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals, hoisting up bricks for three quarters before validating himself. Kobe always wanted to be the man, and he never truly "got it." But he learned to trust his teammates enough, and that's why he's this high on this list." - Diego
"Blessed with a veritable arsenal of scoring moves, Kobe forever strives to better his game - as age removes something, he seems to have the ability to add something else. No player, now or before, has remained as relevant 15 years into their career as Kobe Bryant is now. Both to his team, and to the game." - Don
1) Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards - 1984 - 1993, 1995 - 1998, 2001 - 2003
Career accomplishments:
- basketball Hall of Fame
- member of six NBA championship teams
- fourth all-time in field goals made in NBA history
- fourth all-time in free throws made in NBA history
- eighth all-time in free throws attempted in NBA history
- second all-time in steals in NBA history
- third all-time in points in NBA history
- first all-time in points per game in NBA history
- third all-time in steals per game in NBA history
- 14-time NBA All-Star
- Rookie of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- five-time NBA MVP
- six-time NBA Finals MVP
- All-Rookie Team
- 11-time All-NBA selection
- nine-time All-Defensive Team selection
"Say all you want about his athleticism, but the true quality that set Michael Jordan apart from all the rest was his mind - smart, crafty, driven to the max, ruthless, relentless, a perfectionist. Jordan's success can be attributed to his "intangibles" just as much as it can to his physical tools." - Jeff Fox
"Highly regarded as the game's greatest player of all time for his accomplishments and ability to score, shoot, dunk, defend and will his team to victory with or without a flu. Most of all, it was his absolute killer instinct combined with his talents that made him the most dangerous player of his era." - Ezra
"Does this need an explanation? Jordan has come to define greatness as he constantly evolved his game to become an unstoppable scoring machine. He willed his team to victory on so many nights and was just simply better than his peers. No getting around it, Jordan is the best guard in league history." - Philip
Previous Top Tens of All-Time: Point Guards
iverson is not a shooting guard he should be off the list! he should be with his fellow point guards! instead joe dumars or earl monroe should be on this list!
wade and drexler should be better than iverson. but i hated when i see west and gervin better than today's athletes. if west was to play in today's game, he would be averaging 8 points per game.
@bunbury but west is the logo of the NBA so just on that alone I think he should be number 3
Jordan is clearly the best of all time, and Kobe and West number 2 and 3. (I could put West at no. 2 due to his superior team play, but West had only 1 title.).
But Dwyane Wade is #4 for me. His epic performance in the 2006 Finals was as close to Jordan that you would ever get. It was even BETTER than some of Jordan's NBA Finals performances. If Wade had always been that kind of player his entire career, he'd be number 2 on this list. I still think he's more talented than Kobe, but he doesn't rank as high.
As things stand, Wade should rank higher than Gervin (just a pure scorer, not an all-around player like Wade) or Drexler (couldn't lead Portland to a title the way Wade did with Miami and needed to go to Houston with Olajuwon to get a ring). I also thing Wade's superior size and better field goal shooting should win out over Allen iverson.
Kobe at 2 I'd take Wade over Kobe throw away their rings and wades a better player, his handles are nasty, he's quicker, he plays defense not just passing lanes, his euro step is just as unguardable as Kobe's fadeaway, wade's blood is just as cold as kobes when the game is on the line and wade can fly just as high even though he's shorter but Kobe can shoot it better than wade.
listen. wade is definitely one of the most underrated players. I think it's very close between him and kobe. but you have to put kobe in #2. it's the right thing to do. becoming # 2 on his team (nowadays, he seems to be more # 3) will affect his legacy no matter how many championships he gets.
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You can be a fan of the game, but you don't know the game if you take D Wade at # 2. Be real, not even close. MJ said, Kobe is the only player in the NBA who comes close to him.
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@Mkeets are you kidding me... kobe at age 33 was better than wade (kobe nba 1st team while wade nba 2nd team). wade never won mvp, never a stand out defensive player, kobe at his prime vs wade at his prime = kobe is better in every aspect expect maybe wades explosiveness
@bbbeee Okay now you just seem to be a guy that is just a Miami Heat hater just get over it
#1) Jerry West
#2) Michael Jordan
#3) George Gervin
#4) Allen Iverson
#5) Kobe Bryant
#6) Dwyane Wade
#7) Clyde Drexler
#8) Ray Allen
#9) Reggie Miller
10) "Pistol" Pete Maravich
I do to but not now I want the 2001 Allen Iverson when he had
the cross over and the pull-up
Furthermore, Reggie played in the same division as mj. That's stiff comp to say the least, pause. Give REGGIE RESPECT geez
@Sherrod I don't remember exactly how I voted (clearly I did vote for Reggie), but I definitely feel like his position on the list is really shaky. He was the best player on his team, but had just one Finals appearance (when he wasn't the best player on his team). Yeah, Jordan was there the same time, but you can't tell me Reggie was at the same level as Jerry West or George Gervin.
Miller had one elite skill. Probably the best shooter of all time. But I don't have a problem leaving him off a top 10 list. He was a fairly one dimensional player when you look at his career.
If you think miller is one dimensional. You're off bro. He was a Pure shooter that was a scorer. Got to the free throw line when he wanted to. If you would like me to explain in more depth lemme know.
@Jeff Fox ... is there any way we can auto-block "clueless"? Seems to be a lot of that...
@logankulas Well, that's kinda like you being "stupid". It's our bag baby, that's what we do.
@logankulas They're not talking about *you* being funny. They're insinuating that (up until a few days ago) you're pathetic.
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Woooooow. This list is waaaaay off. Take the old timers off because we all know that the game evolves. I am born in 1983, and I'm a basketball junkie. My friends and I always discuss this topic. The list should read. 1 mike, 2. Mamba, 3. Reggie, 4. Ray. I can see jerry, pistol, and George on that list, however they are from an era that I have no concept of. This list is way the fuk off people, Sincerely, Sherrod Sherrod
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@Sherrod The inanity inherent in your comment is that you assume that should the players of yester-year wouldn't be capable of benefiting from the same advances that today's player does... and that's completely ignoring the reality that "mike" hit his peak only a few years after "larry" and "earvin".
You were right in one aspect tho': you have no concept.
@WithMalice you're still a Espn fan that don't know hoop! Hahaaa. Just thought is remind you. Burger
Mike mamba REGGIE the killer and then ray. Get it right. You momo's wouldn't know a real 2 guard if he j'd you in the face@WithMalice
@WithMalice you're still a Espn fan that don't know hoop! Hahaaa. Just thought is remind you. burger
@Sherrod Where did you come from and why are you here? You aren't cool or funny. Get a clue.
@Sherrod @WithMalice Oh awesome work there fella. "Alice" Teeheehee.
Yup, you're right. Everyone else - including site writers from ESPN et al are wrong.Whatever kid.
@WithMalice Ok Alice. You little blogging tough guy. My beef is with the list big dummy. Not your lack of basketball knowledge having a$$. .....Alice hahaaaaaa
@Sherrod About time. Phew. One clueless wretch down.
And that last line? I think you'd be best served by saving that one for the mirror.
@WithMalice Lmao You're the best chief. I'm not gonna waste my insight anymore. Btw. What the hell are you talking about hahaa?!?!!?
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@Sherrod Really? Sorry champ, but I'd think the guy flying in the face of every person here... and of every "top ten SGs" list I've ever seen, is the one who "wouldn't know a real 2 guard".Thing is, *visitors* who come in here, and pedestal themselves, spouting "LOOK AT ME! I KNOW ALL!" come across as more than a little... 'challenged'. You do realise that to anyone who ends up on this page thinks that of you, don't you? Or are you so obtuse you haven't figured that out yet...
