My Top 5 Rankings: Shooting Guards Part 3

* Disclaimer * I think you understand the point of this, right? My opnion

Number 3:

DeMar DeRozan

2013-14 stats: 22.7 PPG
                            4 APG
                            4.3 RPG

DeMar DeRozan really blossomed this past season by taking command of the Raptors after Rudy Gay's departure near the middle of the season. DeRozan imoroved in almost every stat this past season, espcially after the Gay trade. DeRozan is one of the most athletic, and lengthy SGs in the league, and he can light up the scoreboard as well as most other SGs too. DeRozan can easily rise above most defenders fo a rim rattling dunk or a gauty finish, but it's not all flash with DeRozan. DeRozan has a decent shooting touch from the 3pt line and in, but still lacks a killer 3 pointer with only shooting 30% from downtown. Other aspects of DeRozan's game make up for below average outside shooting. DeRozan has a above average passing ability and a good amount of rebounding for the SG. DeRozan has all the tools of a good perimeter defender, the length, the drive, and the focus. DeRozan may not be PG24 level, but DeRozan doesn't have the defense help like PG24 has. All these things may seem like DeRozan isn't a top SG, but the large part of his spot is his carrying the offense of Raptors for almost his whole career, and his other stats are improving as his career moves along. I really love this potential of this kid to take the number 1 spot one day, but until then DeRozan has to improve his outside shooting, assists, and rebounding.

                           

My Top 5 Rankings: Shooting Guards Part 2

* Disclaimer * It's not my opinon. Just kidding of course it's my opinon. Duh.

Number 4:

Monta Ellis

2013-14 stats: 19 PPG
                        5.7 APG
                        3.6 RPG

It's finally happened folks, Monta Ellis has finally found his footing on an NBA team. Both of Ellis' previous stints with the Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks proved he was, for the most part, an overrated scorer. Ellis was a guy who just took a lot of perimeter shots, which is ironic because his perimeter shot is not very reliable. I'm not saying Ellis was bad during those years, but he certainly was not playing to his potential either, however his move to the Dallas Mavericks has seemed to change all of that. As a Maverick, Ellis focused on driving to the hoop instead of perimeter shooting, and drastically improved his scoring efficiency. If you have ever seen Ellis play before, he's not the biggest, strongest, or most athletic guy on the court, instead he's one of the most elusive and crafty guys driving to the hoop. A defender at the hoop might think he can deny Ellis' layup, but Ellis pulls offs some acrobatics and finds the bottom of the net anyway. Ellis' other stats are solid, although some are little ironic. Ellis dished out the rock at a good rate at 5.7 APG for a SG, yet he turned the ball over a little too much with 3.2 TOPG. Ellis averaged 1.7 steals per game, yet his perimeter defense is severely lacking. Nothing ironic with Ellis' rebounding with 3.6 RPG, especially at his size 6'3", that's undersized for the SG. So long as Ellis can keep up this new found rhythm in Dallas this upcoming season, then I have no doubt about his spot on this list.

My Top 5 Rankings: Shooting Guards Part 1

* Disclaimer * You know the drill. My opinon.

Number 5:

Lance Stephenson

2013-14 stats (W/Pacers): 13.8 PPG
                                          4.6 APG
                                          7.6 RPG

This past year was a coming out party for the intense, yet also immature shooting guard out of Cincy, Lance Stephenson. Oh the seemingly countless  memes created from Stephenson's antics in the Eastern Conference Finals are quite the laugh, from the blowing in LBJ's ear, or the playing dead after a foul. All jokes aside, Stephenson's season was one to be proud of. Stephenson didn't really put the "shooting" in shooting guard with only averaging 13.8 PPG this past year, but that's only because of Paul George's reliant offense game in and game out. When Stephenson does score it's usually with his somewhat foolhardy fearlessness driving in the lane using his strength, or with his ever improving 3-pointer rmostly on the end of drive and kick plays. Though Stephenson's scoring numbers by itself don't make him elite, the rest of his game tells a completely differnet story. Assists aren't a necesity for SGs, but it is nice to have a SG that can contribute with his passing anyaway, and Stephenson did contribute with a solid 4.6 APG this past year, especially with drive and kicks, a Frank Vogel favorite. Rebounding is even more of a nonessential stat than assists, yet it never hurts when you have a guy  like Stephenson, who can muscle down rebounds like a forward with an astounding 7.6 RPG this past year. Crazy right? Well you should think so. Defense is the crowning jewel of Stephenson's game. Stephenson didn't excell at steals, but his perimeter defense was among the best at 2. Stephenson harasses and hounds other SGs with full effort and aggressiveness on ball defense. Stephenson isn't shutdown, but he could be soon. We'll see how Stephenson does on the new Charlotte Hornets, especially since he will be relied on for his perimeter scoring. What keeps Stephenson at the 5 spot? His lack of scoring, and sporadic shot selection.

My Top 5 Rankings: Shooting Guards Part 4

* Disclaimer * You know the deal by now, I hope. My opinion.

Number 2:

Dwyane Wade

2013-14 stats: 19 PPG
                            4.7 APG
                            4.5 RPG

Whenever I think of a well rounded player in the NBA,  one name that pops up a lot is Dwyane Wade. Wade throughout his career has always been someone who does everything well and with consistency. Wade might be getting old and his knees are giving out, but he can still fill up the stat sheet better than most. Wade is definitely the most physical SG in the league, seen while he is backing down in the post, the relentless perimeter defense, his effort on the boards. Wade uses his athleticism and tight handles to cross up defenders, and then finish over rim protectors or go for a gritty layup. Wade has a sweet midrange jumper, and an even sweeter turnaround jumper in his arsenal. Wade isn't selfish either. When Wade sees an open man on the perimeter or on the cut to the hoop, he isn't hesitant to pass the rock. On the other end of the court, Wade plays a tough brand of defense in the post and on the perimeter. Wade is hounds and harasses his match up, and he used his quick hands to steal the ball at a good rate last season with 1.5 per game. Quite honestly the only things holding Wade from the number 1 spot are his knee problems, and poor perimeter shooting. I am quite hopeful Wade will step up his play with LBJ's departure to Cleveland,  maybe we'll see MVP Wade again?          
                           

My Top 5 Rankings: Point Guards Honorable Mention

* Disclaimer * Really? Do I even need to say this anymore? My opnion.

Honorable Mention:

Derrick Rose

2013-14 stats: N/A

Derrick Rose won the MVP 2010-11 season. Let that sink in. Doesn't that feel so long ago, a season where Rose was healthy and dominant. Rose is 1 of 2  players to win the MVP in recent years who's  name doesn't start with LeBron and end with James. If that isn't enough to prove that this kid has game, then maybe you could look his quick handles, blinding speed,  crazy ups,  good shooting touch, tenacious defense, selfless passing, or commanding leadership is enough to make you think otherwise. As the story goes in the 2011-12 playoffs against the 76ers, 1 bad landing can absolutely wreck your career. Since the ACL tear, Rose hasn't really been the same. Rose missed the 2012-13 season completely, and when it was time to come back this past year, a meniscus tear in Portland ended his season. By then countless memes  had been created poking fun at Rose saying "_______ came back before Derrick Rose" or a picture of Rose in a suit was his uniform, as Bulls fans only wanted to see their native son in uniform and not in a suit. Finally everyone had the pleasure to see Rose play in a game, not an NBA game, but an USA Olympic men's basketball scrimmage. Rose shined throughout the game with a powerful dunk and a couple of foot races, showing us why he was an MVP, but of course Paul George's gruesome injury was the top headline from the game. Now we wait until the Fiba championship, and eventually the NBA season to see if Rose is really back to his MVP self.

My Top 5 Rankings: Point Guards Final

* Disclaimer * If you don't know this by now then I'm disappointed with you. My opinion.

Number 1:

Chris Paul

2013-14 stats: 19.1 PPG
                        10.7 APG
                        4.3 RPG

Well here we are, the number 1 point guard in the NBA, Chris Paul.  Most people with any NBA knowledge, probably should have had an idea of who was gonna be ranked 1st. Paul is the perfect point guard on both offense and defense, and shows great leadership on and off the court. Paul runs a team like no other, with his league best 10.7 assists per game this past season. Paul can make any average team play great, because he is completely selfless on offense, but when called upon, Paul can unleash the scoring beast. Paul is among the quickest and best ballhandlers in the league, that can blow by almost anyone for the even the most acrobatic finishes, but surprisingly Paul is pretty strong for a 6'0 guard, and can't be overpowered by most guards in the lane, the perimeter, or when grabbing boards. Paul isn't all just layups though, he can let it fly from downtown as well as most guards can at 36% from deep. Either with scoring or passing, Paul will always find a way to contribute on offense. Paul's lockdown defense is another big reason why he's the best PG. In a league filled with great scoring PGs, it's very important to have a PG that can at least slow down other guards, but Paul can flat out shut down other guards with his high basketball IQ, physicality, and his lightning quick hands. Paul can lead the defense just as well as he commands the offense by highlighting things such as screens or pick and rolls, to his teammates making them better on defense. Paul uses his strength and quickness to seal off guards from the lane, and can foil passes and fancy dribbling moves with his league high 2.5 steals per games this past season. Besides Paul's performance on the court, his off court game is strong as he his the current head of the player's association, proving the kind of trust and leadership is labeled on him. Honestly who could see anything wrong with Chris Paul? I certaintly can't, and that's why Chris Paul is the current king of the point guards.

                    

My Top 5 Rankings: Point Guards Part 4

* Disclaimer * My opinion, duh.

Number 2:

Stephen Curry

2013-14 stats: 24.0 PPG
                            8.5 APG
                            4.3 RPG

When I think about it, I can't really find any glaring problems with Stephen Curry. Curry is a dead eye shooter with a 42% 3-pointer, and averaged a career high 24 points per game this past season, but there other aspects besides shooting that make him number 2 on the list.Curry is famously known for his role in the dynamic duo with Klay Thompson, known as "The Splash Brothers". What does that mean exactly? Well basically that means the duo LOVE to shoot 3's at a high rate, with great accuarcy. Curry is also among the best clutch shooters in the league, he's defintely one of the players I want shooting at the end of games. Aside from that for a scorer like Curry to average 8.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game this past season, is quite the acheivement in its own right, but with 24 points as well, thats superstar level. Curry proved he can be a true point guard, and run his team's offense with great passing this past season. Rebounding for a point guard isn't really a necessity, and finding a point guard that can rebound is uncommon, but Curry contributed with solid rebounding numbers during the season. Though Curry isn't perfect, 2 major aspects keep him form reaching that number one spot, 1. reocurring ankle issues, though his ankles haven't been too troublesome lately, and 2. defense, yeah Curry's defense isn't really that bad, but for sure it is not at an elite level.

                          

My Top 5 Rankings: Point Guards Part 3

* Disclaimer * my opinion, duh.

Number 3:

Russell Westbrook

2013-14 stats: 21.8 PPG
                            6.9 APG
                            5.7 RPG

I don't think you'll ever see a more animated and energetic than player than Westbrook. Westbrook is a highlight reel, showing off his vicious dunks or acrobatic layups, and has a good shooting touch from about anywhere. Westbrook is a player that leaves all on the court, makes great hustle plays, and on ocasion gets a little lucky with some of his shots. It seemed that Russell would miss a good chunk of the first half of the season with the meniscus tear in his knee in last year's playoffs, but it was miraculous Westbrook came back only 2 games in the season. Westbrook took a little while to get back to his former self, and eventually he got his rhythm back. Once Westbrook regained his rhythm, he proceeded to put his usually numbers, good scoring, great rebounding for PGs, and decent assist numbers. Still though, there's a lot of room for improvement in a couple areas for Westbrook. First off, the shot selection of Westbrook can be very, very poor, especially when it comes to crunch time. Given, no player makes every shot he takes, but in Westbrook's case it seems like he's just forcing too many of his shots. Secondly, Westbrook is most times selfish with the ball, granted that he is apart of the two headed scoring machine in OKC along with KD. I feel that Westbrook's assist numbers could be among the best in the league, because of KD's verstile shooting, and Serge Ibaka's ever improving offense. Those major points keep Westbrook out of the top 2 PGs in the league.

My Top 5 Rankings: Point Guards pt. 2

* Disclaimer * My opinion, duh.

Number 4:

John Wall 

2013-14 stats: 19.3 PPG

                         4.1 RPG

                         8.8 APG

This former #1 pick back in 2010 from Kentucky is practically everything you could ever want out of #1 pick, and then some. Wall was among the best in assists, proving he's a top tier floor general, sharing the ball, and elevating his teammates play. Wall has great physical gifts that gives him an edge over most PG's. Wall utilizes his athleticism, speed, and strength to over power smaller defenders, and drive past bigger ones. Wall's achilles heel had always been perimeter shooting, but this past year he's developed a decent 3 pointer that can make a team pay for lackadaisical defense. Wall has also become one of the NBA's elite on ball defenders, using his physical tools to suffocate smaller guards, plus Wall's quick hands garnered him 1.8 steals this past season. What keeps John Wall from being higher on my list? His turnover issue with 3 plus a game, and his still lacking 3 pointer, however in a couple of years, he might take over that number one spot.