Shooting Guard Rankings: 2024
Tiering out the landscape of 60 NBA Shooting guards
What is a Shooting Guard?
As its name suggests, Shooting Guard is the highest volume three-point shooting position in the NBA; apart from effective halfcourt creation, it’s the single most important skill at this position. Shooting Guard is also heavy on point-of-attack defense, often guarding the opponent’s best ball handler. As you’ll see, there are very few stars at this position, so complimentary skills sets serve players well here.
Once again, I do my best to label players by their natural position. For example, someone like Dejounte Murray has played a ton of SG the past two seasons, but he’s still a natural PG to me, and will not feature on this list.
One more reminder:
I generally see no value in splitting hairs between the 50th-53rd best players in the NBA, or 88th-94th—you get the idea. This is why I tier players out by positions—and do not rank players within tiers. Some tiers may have a top and bottom range, but the goal is to create a list where players are reasonably interchangeable with those in the same tier.
All stats listed below are measured Per 75 Possessions.
If you’re reading on mobile, turn your phone sideways to shorten our wall of stats:)
Tier 8: End of Rotation
Ranks 52-60
Moses Moody (16.8 Pts - 1.8 Ast - 1.4 Tov - 1.4 Stl - 36.0% 3p - 6.2 3PA - 57.8 TS%)
Dante Exum (14.3 Pts - 5.2 Ast - 1.6 Tov - 1.0 Stl - 49.1% 3p - 3.6 3PA - 64.5 TS%)
Tim Hardaway (19.3 Pts - 2.4 Ast - 1.2 Tov - 0.6 Stl - 35.3% 3p - 10.1 3PA - 54.2 TS%
Alec Burks (21.0 Pts - 2.7 Ast - 1.5 Tov - 0.8 Stl - 37.6% 3p - 9.9 3PA - 53.6 TS%)
Sam Merrill (17.1 Pts - 3.8 Ast - 0.7 Tov - 0.8 Stl - 40.4% 3p - 12.3 3PA - 59.8 TS%)
Josh Okogie (10.6 Pts - 2.5 Ast - 1.4 Tov - 1.9 Stl - 30.9% 3p - 3.6 3PA - 55.2 TS%)
Jor- Hawkins (16.4 Pts - 2.2 Ast - 1.3 Tov - 0.6 Stl - 36.6% 3p - 9.5 3PA - 53.3 TS%)
Lonnie Walker (20.6 Pts - 2.7 Ast - 1.9 Tov - 1.4 Stl - 38.4% 3p - 10.0 3PA - 54.5 TS%)
Shaedon Sharpe (17.8 Pts - 3.3 Ast - 2.5 Tov - 1.0 Stl - 33.3% 3p - 6.3 3PA - 52.4 TS%)
This group consists of low-minute regular season backups. Ideally in a playoff environment, teams aren’t counting on this group for consistent minutes in an 8-man rotation.
I have Dante Exum at the top of this tier, but couldn’t justify moving him up into the already obnoxiously crowded tier above him.
I’m also a huge believer in Jordan Hawkins, who consumed one of the more difficult three-point shot diets in the NBA last season. His deep range shooting is by far the single most intriguing skill within this tier.
Tier 7: Regular Season Reserves
Ranks 37-51
Terance Mann (13.3 Pts - 2.4 Ast - 1.0 Tov - 0.8 Stl - 34.8% 3p - 4.0 3PA - 61.5 TS%)
Cason Wallace (12.1 Pts - 2.6 Ast - 1.0 Tov - 1.4 Stl - 41.9% 3p - 5.0 3PA - 61.2 TS%)
Jaden Ivey (19.2 Pts - 4.8 Ast - 3.0 Tov - 0.9 Stl - 33.6% 3p - 6.0 3PA - 53.6 TS%)
Jordan Poole (20.2 Pts - 5.1 Ast - 2.8 Tov - 1.3 Stl - 32.6% 3p - 8.4 3PA - 52.9 TS%)
Caris LeVert (17.9 Pts - 6.5 Ast - 2.2 Tov - 1.2 Stl - 32.5% 3p - 6.3 3PA - 52.4 TS%)
Cam Thomas (26.3 Pts - 3.4 Ast - 2.2 Tov - 0.9 Stl - 36.4% 3p - 7.1 3PA - 55.4 TS%)
Luke Kennard (15.9 Pts - 5.0 Ast - 2.0 Tov - 0.7 Stl - 45.0% 3p - 8.7 3PA - 64.1 TS%)
Buddy Hield (17.0 Pts - 3.9 Ast - 1.7 Tov - 1.2 Stl - 38.6% 3p - 9.5 3PA - 57.8 TS%)
Kevin Huerter (15.2 Pts - 3.8 Ast - 1.2 Tov - 0.9 Stl - 36.1% 3p - 8.0 3PA - 56.4 TS%)
Eric Gordon (14.6 Pts - 2.7 Ast - 1.4 Tov - 1.2 Stl - 37.8% 3p - 7.5 3PA - 58.0 TS%)
Malik Beasley (13.6 Pts - 1.7 Ast - 0.8 Tov - 1.0 Stl - 41.3% 3p - 8.3 3PA - 60.3 TS%)
Dyson Daniels (9.6 Pts - 4.5 Ast - 1.6 Tov - 2.3 Stl - 31.1% 3p - 3.7 3PA - 52.9 TS%)
Josh Green (11.4 Pts - 3.2 Ast - 1.5 Tov - 1.1 Stl - 38.5% 3p - 4.5 3PA - 58.8 TS%)
Gary Harris (10.7 Pts - 2.5 Ast - 0.9 Tov - 1.4 Stl - 37.1% 3p - 5.9 3PA - 58.7 TS%)
Jordan Clarkson (20.3 Pts - 6.0 Ast - 3.1 Tov - 0.7 Stl - 29.4% 3p - 6.7 3PA - 52.1 TS%)
Forgive the wall of text.
This tier consists of mostly one-way players—a few defensive stoppers, several on-ball chuckers, and a few deadeye shooters. The common denominator here is a glaring weakness on one side of the ball.
Cason Wallace is the closest you’ll get to 3-and-D in this tier — but his shooting is low volume on almost exclusively wide open corner threes, so take that with a grain of salt.
It’s also worth noting the value inefficient bench scorers who do nothing else have cratered around the league over the past decade. The total collapse of Jordan Clarkson’s trade market in 2023-24 reflects the general consensus that this player type simply isn’t valuable enough on a serious team.
Tier 6: Key Reserves
Ranks 26-36
Ben- Mathurin (19.7 Pts - 2.7 Ast - 2.2 Tov - 0.8 Stl - 37.4% 3p - 5.0 3PA - 54.5 TS%)
Keon Ellis (11.9 Pts - 3.3 Ast - 1.4 Tov - 1.6 Stl - 41.7% 3p - 6.1 3PA - 62.7 TS%)
Vince Williams (13.4 Pts - 4.5 Ast - 2.4 Tov - 1.2 Stl - 37.8% 3p - 5.3 3PA - 59.7 TS%)
Jalen Green (22.6 Pts - 4.1 Ast - 2.7 Tov - 0.9 Stl - 33.2% 3p - 8.5 3PA - 54.1 TS%)
Isaiah Joe (15.5 Pts - 2.4 Ast - 1.2 Tov - 1.2 Stl - 41.6% 3p - 8.8 3PA - 62.6 TS%)
Ayo Dosunmu (15.7 Pts - 4.1 Ast - 1.7 Tov - 1.2 Stl - 40.3% 3p - 5.0 3PA - 60.4 TS%)
Bruce Brown (13.9 Pts - 3.7 Ast - 1.7 Tov - 1.2 Stl - 32.3% 3p - 3.1 3PA - 56.3 TS%)
Brandin Podz- (12.8 Pts - 5.1 Ast - 1.7 Tov - 1.1 Stl - 38.5% 3p - 4.5 3PA - 54.0 TS%)
Nickeil A-Walker (12.6 Pts - 3.9 Ast - 1.5 Tov - 1.3 Stl - 39.1% 3p - 6.4 3PA - 57.8 TS%)
Duncan Robinson (17.2 Pts - 3.8 Ast - 1.9 Tov - 0.9 Stl - 39.5% 3p - 9.3 3PA - 61.2 TS%)
Quentin Grimes (13.3 Pts - 2.5 Ast - 1.0 Tov - 1.3 Stl - 33.8% 3p - 8.8 3PA - 51.6 TS%)
This tier introduces more reliable two-way play and higher-upside one-way players. In general, all players in this tier should be sufficient as back end pieces of a playoff rotation—apart from maybe Quentin Grimes, who I’m probably too high on after a lost season in 2023-24.
Bennedict Mathurin is close to soaring out of this tier based on his scoring prowess alone. He’s slowly making better reads and is rapidly improving as a shooter—both from distance and pull-up twos.
Jalen Green has been a dominant scorer over enough stretches where I didn’t want to languish him alongside the likes of Jordan Poole — but he’ll have to prove he’s more than just a below average volume scorer this season.
Purely for 3-and-D consistency, I’d probably have Isaiah Joe at the top of this tier.
Tier 5: Bit Starter / Sixth Man
Ranks 19-25
De’Anthony Melton (14.9 Pts - 4.0 Ast - 1.4 Tov - 2.0 Stl - 36.0% 3p - 7.7 3PA - 53.3 TS%)
Marcus Smart (17.1 Pts - 5.0 Ast - 3.7 Tov - 2.4 Stl - 31.3% 3p - 8.1 3PA - 55.2 TS%)
Gary Trent Jr (17.9 Pts - 2.2 Ast - 0.9 Tov - 1.3 Stl - 39.3% 3p - 8.2 3PA - 54.8 TS%)
Austin Reaves (17.8 Pts - 6.1 Ast - 2.4 Tov - 1.0 Stl - 36.7% 3p - 5.7 3PA - 61.4 TS%)
Norman Powell (19.4 Pts - 1.5 Ast - 1.2 Tov - 0.8 Stl - 43.5% 3p - 7.1 3PA - 62.6 TS%)
Grayson Allen (14.8 Pts - 3.3 Ast - 1.4 Tov - 1.0 Stl - 46.1% 3p - 6.5 3PA - 67.9 TS%)
Max Strus (14.0 Pts - 4.6 Ast - 1.8 Tov - 1.0 Stl - 35.1% 3p - 8.0 3PA - 55.3 TS%)
This group consists of reasonable starters who are ideally the third guard / sixth man in a high end playoff rotation.
There’s a hodgepodge of all-defensive level pressure, elite three-point shooting, and modest shot creation within this tier. Not many unifying traits other than clearly surpassing the group below without being auto-includes in a team’s Closing Five.
I’d likely take Marcus Smart or De’Anthony Melton towards the top of this tier, but I’m also spooked by their collective injury history, and acknowledge the possibility of steep regression as soon as 2024-25.
Tier 4: Potential Closers
Ranks 13-18
Malik Monk (21.4 Pts - 7.1 Ast - 2.9 Tov - 0.9 Stl - 35.0% 3p - 8.2 3PA - 56.5 TS%)
Collin Sexton (25.4 Pts - 6.7 Ast - 2.9 Tov - 1.1 Stl - 39.4% 3p - 5.7 3PA - 60.7 TS%)
Jalen Suggs (17.1 Pts - 3.7 Ast - 2.4 Tov - 1.9 Stl - 39.7% 3p - 7.0 3PA - 60.2 TS%)
Alex Caruso (13.1 Pts - 4.5 Ast - 1.9 Tov - 2.1 Stl - 40.8% 3p - 6.1 3PA - 61.3 TS%)
Tyler Herro (23.2 Pts - 5.0 Ast - 2.5 Tov - 0.9 Stl - 39.6% 3p - 8.8 3PA - 55.8 TS%)
Bogdan Bogdanovic (20.1 Pts - 3.7 Ast - 1.7 Tov - 1.5 Stl - 37.4% 3p - 9.6 3PA - 56.9 TS%)
We’re talking about Top 15 players at their position, yet I’m still not fully convinced every player here is an auto-starter on most teams. No big deal though—the Closing Five is almost always more important than the Starting Five.
Malik Monk is at the top of this group for me. He’s a legitimate secondary halfcourt creator and pick-and-roll operator. He was top 5 in drives last season and is one of the better difficult pull-up shooters at this position. He was my top choice for 6MOTY throughout 2023-24.
Tier 3: Starter-Closers
Ranks 8-12
CJ McCollum (22.7 Pts - 5.2 Ast - 1.9 Tov - 1.2 Stl - 42.9% 3p - 9.4 3PA - 59.2 TS%)
Bradley Beal (20.2 Pts - 5.5 Ast - 2.7 Tov - 1.0 Stl - 43.0% 3p - 4.8 3PA - 60.7 TS%)
Devin Vassell (21.0 Pts - 4.4 Ast - 1.7 Tov - 1.1 Stl - 37.2% 3p - 7.0 3PA - 57.8 TS%)
Donte DiVincenzo (20.2 Pts - 3.5 Ast - 1.8 Tov - 1.8 Stl - 40.1% 3p - 11.3 3PA - 59.7 TS%)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (11.9 Pts - 2.8 Ast - 1.1 Tov - 1.6 Stl - 40.6% 3p - 4.8 3PA - 55.8 TS%)
This group begins the list of championship-level starting Shooting Guards for me. McCollum, Beal and Vassell are high level secondary creator, while DiVincenzo and KCP are the most proven 3-and-D guards.
I will note, however, that KCP’s three-point volume teeters on being too low for the traditional 3-and-D archetype.
Donte DiVincenzo is at the top of this tier for me. he’s become a legitimate defensive stopper-playmaker, and was perhaps the single best shooter in the NBA last season if Stephen Curry didn’t exist.
Tier 2: Sub-All-Stars
Ranks 4-7
Desmond Bane (25.1 Pts - 5.8 Ast - 2.8 Tov - 1.1 Stl - 38.1% 3p - 9.1 3PA - 58.9 TS%)
Derrick White (17.1 Pts - 5.8 Ast - 1.7 Tov - 1.2 Stl - 39.6% 3p - 7.7 3PA - 61.1 TS%)
James Harden (18.2 Pts - 9.4 Ast - 2.8 Tov - 1.1 Stl - 38.1% 3p - 7.4 3PA - 61.2 TS%)
Zach LaVine (20.9 Pts - 4.2 Ast - 2.2 Tov - 0.9 Stl - 34.9% 3p - 7.3 3PA - 57.8 TS%)
Desmond Bane probably deserves his own tier above this group and below the All-NBA guys. His scoring proficiency within the context of the abysmal Grizzlies lineups last season is remarkable. When expansion finally boots Memphis to the Eastern Conference, we’ll start hearing serious Desmond Bane All-Star buzz.
Zach LaVine has found himself in unfortunate situations throughout his career. He’s put up 25 PPG on 60+ TS% in the three seasons prior to 2023-24, in which he only played 25 games due to injury and trade shopping. LaVine’s abomination of a contract has made him slightly underrated as a player.
Tier 1: All-NBA
Ranks 1-3
Devin Booker (27.5 Pts - 7.0 Ast - 2.7 Tov - 1.0 Stl - 36.4% 3p - 6.2 3PA - 61.1 TS%)
Anthony Edwards (27.5 Pts - 5.4 Ast - 3.2 Tov - 1.3 Stl - 35.7% 3p - 7.1 3PA - 57.5 TS%)
Donovan Mitchell (27.5 Pts - 6.3 Ast - 2.9 Tov - 1.9 Stl - 36.8% 3p - 6.9 3PA - 59.5 TS%)
Fun fact: Booker, Edwards and Mitchell all put up exactly 27.5 PTS per 75 possessions last season!
As of August 2024, Devin Booker is probably the most polished basketball player here — but Edwards’ size and athleticism at 23 years old gives him a much higher ceiling as a number 1 option in the future.
If you made it this far, thank you! And if you’re able, I’d like to know if you prefer players stats listed out as they were here, or as graphics in my Point Guard Rankings.
Small Forward rankings are in the works.