Heres a quick look at eight guards from the Western Conference that should figure prominently in the mix for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, listed alphabetically. "Miami valued my time and level of play," Bouyea said. The reigning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player edged out Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic for the top spot for Western Conference guards. The season culminated with a Second Team All-NBA nod and the Trail Blazers won a surprising 51 games. The NBA had ranked him as the number one player for shooting efficiency amongst people with over 75 field-goal attempts in the last five minutes of a game. He has scored less than 20 points in just six of 32 games he's played this season, and so far has recorded three triple-doubles and eight double-doubles, including setting a career-high 17 assists in a game against Toronto on Dec. 29. Smart missed out on an All-Defensive Team selection in 2020-21 for the first time in three years, likely due to only 48 games played because of injuries or coronavirushealth and safety protocols. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers. Push comes to shove, Harden is on the short list of surest buckets to ever lace 'em up in the backcourt. Russell, Walker and Dinwiddie all come into the 2021-22 season as "something to prove" guys. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The next NBA fan vote will release on Jan. 12. The Utah Jazz guard averaged a career-best 26.4 ppg in 2020-21, while also posting his best single-season numbers in three-point shooting efficiency (38.6%) and assists (5.2 apg). Top NBA shooting guards for 2021-22: Ranking all 30 starters, Irving will not play or practice until he can participate full-time, Ranking the best NBA players entering the 2021-22 season, McCollum looms large in potential Ben Simmons trades. Height - 6'8. > 8 candidates to be All-Star guards in the East. He was a whisper of his pre-injury self and he never developed a shot or a style that could survive what a ruptured Achilles took from him athletically. The Thunder will be playing the second half of a back-to-back, while the Suns, who went 7-3 in the 10 games before the All-Star break, will be fully rested. Despite being just 22 years old, Doncic is widely consideredthe favorite to win the 2021-22 NBA MVP award. The 23-year-old spent the first part of the season starring opposite Bane but without Jaren Jackson Jr., who sat out Memphis first 14 games recovering from offseason foot surgery. In a new report that dropped on Wednesday, Morant is being charged with two additional disturbing encounters, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. Spoiler alert: expect Booker to rise in the next Kia Race to the MVP Ladder. He averaged 25.6 ppg in the 2021 regular season, a figure that improved to 28.2 ppg in the NBA Finals. The only two seasons where Thompson didnt figure at the top of the list is in the last two NBA seasons when he was out injured. Gilgeous-Alexander is just the second player in league history to rack up 30 points or more on at least 50% from the field in 10 of his first 14 games of a season. 2. They were the league's best unit in November (106.4 points allowed per 100 possessions), but went 8-6 during that stretch while navigating significant foot injuries to standout guards James Harden and Tyrese Maxey (whose offensive abilities far outweigh their defense). He finished atop the league with a career-high 32 points, whilst providing 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. Its hard to reconcile Winslows switchability on defense with his offensive ineffectiveness. BPG. Kyle Irving is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. Paolo Banchero leads the way as the Kia Rookie of the Year chase begins to head for the finish line. The Thunder are 15-19 in Western Conference games. Booker climbs to the top of this list following a breakout season that helped lead the Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993. He has consistently been one of the NBA's most dangerous scorers, one capable of hitting shots from anywhere on the floor. MORE: McCollum looms large in potential Ben Simmons trades. Here are some of the details from the report: So apparently Ja Morant's mother called him after having an argument with a Finish Line employee and he came to the mall 9 deep and told the mall security guard "Let me find out what time he gets off", Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) March 1, 2023. Eyebrows were raised when the Hornets gave Rozier a $57 million deal over three years in the summer of 2019. The 20-year-old took things up a notch once he got settled into the NBA, taking over as the Timberwolves' full-time starting shooting guard 18 games into the season. Yes, but skills come first, as does your mentality. 6. The NBA has been the host to many world-class point guards. Morant was also in headlines recently when associates of his reportedly made Indiana Pacers staffers feel like they were in grave danger after a game in a truly bizarre incident. Triple-doubles are routine for him at this point. Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. Mitchell has great athleticism, but he isnt that great a shooter from the floor. You never have to doubt his effort or commitment level. Mann and Alexander-Walker are two players to watch for breakout seasons in new roles for their respective teams this year. How good does that Mills signing look now? Jordan Poole landed at the No. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder. Western Conference Point Guard Power Rankings: 15. Spread. If Portland resolves some of their issues, they will match or exceed last years success on the strength of their franchise player. It looked like he had the 2020-21 scoring title all locked upuntil Stephen Curry went full Human Torch over the last two months of the season to finish with an average of 32.0 points per game, just edging out Beal's 31.3. Jackson started more regular season games than any other Clipper except Ivan Zubac since the Tyronn Lue era began, but would go on long benders where he couldnt find the bottom of the net. Walker in particular could be a difference maker for a Knicks offense that sputtered in the playoffs. Doncic has undoubtedly been spectacular in 13 career postseason games, but the Clippers have eliminated the Mavs in back-to-back first-round matchups. For that reason, he's not included. Oklahoma City is eighth in the Western Conference shooting 36.2% from downtown, led by Jaylin Williams shooting 47.7% from 3-point range. Unlike other positions in basketball, point guards are usually specialists on the court, saddled with playmaking affairs on the court. Lowry and "Heat Culture." For now, Irving is out of the picture in Brooklyn. Its been two long years since NBA fans around the world saw Klay Thompson in action. Portland. In 2019-20, Beal averaged 30.5 points per game, finishing with the second-highest scoring average in the league, trailing only Harden (34.3). (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) - 2NDXFKN from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. He has also proven himself to be one of the best shooting point guards in these so-called clutch moments. When hes off the floor, Houston defends 8.8 points per 100 possessions better. Their point differential is best in the league by three points. He ranks 215th in FiveThirtyEights offensive RAPTOR score and the only reason he survived as the Clippers starter until the trade deadline is that John Wall was also a fellow All-Asteroid Team member. The Rockets look rudderless and disheveled, and execute sets with the organization of a church league team. As a result, this list of projected starters has been modified since its original publication. The NBA's Noches ne B A celebration starts in March, where teams will commemorate fans and players across Latin American and U.S. Hispanic communities. Before that, the 24-year-old had five consecutive 30-point games, the most by a Thunder player since Paul George in 2019. The 26-year-old proved himself as a secondary playmaker in addition to his high-level scoring ability and if all goes to plan, we'll finally see that translate to wins in 2021-22. James Harden, Brooklyn Nets With or without Kyrie Irving in the fold, Harden figured to have the ball in his hands more than anyone in Brooklyn. In the clutch, only Karl-Anthony Towns, Zion Williamson, James Harden and Damian Lillard scored more points while shooting better than Rozier's 50.0 field goal percentagemark when it mattered most. Play has sped up, scoring has increased and the game has been brought out to the perimeter as point guards dominate the ball more and more. Chris Paul isnt ready to hand the West over without a fight. Ja is scoring at a rate of 27.1 points per game this season, just off his career-high 27.4 he set during 2021-2022. As a result, nearly every team has a franchise floor general; only the 76ers, Bucks, and Kings havent invested highly into one. This post originally appeared onWarriors Wire! In 2021-22 things have changed. Without Chris Paul (out the last 11 games with a heel injury), Cameron Johnson (out the last 13 games with a torn right meniscus), and Jae Crowder (who hasnt played all season), Booker has carried the Suns to the best record in the West. His influence and impact on the game has certified his stance as a future Hall of Famer, and he continues to grow his game despite his advancement in age. Anyone following it has seen huge returns. Still, the Pacific Time Zone features some of the most talented All-Stars in the NBA. In a new report that dropped on Wednesday, Morant is facing multiple allegations of violent behavior, according to Molly Hensley-Clancy of The Washington Post. Up until he was traded to Minnesota, Malik Beasley was a pinpoint triggerman. His shooting, on-ball creativity and off-ball movementmakelife easier for all of his teammates. Tyler Schmidt previews the game and offers up his best bet below. The west is loaded to say the least and these are the best players on each team in the conference. It slid under the national radar because, well, he's on the Cavs, but Garland averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range. Ja is a verified lunatic. The season is still young and Curry may just be taking time to adjust to playing with Kevin Durant. NBA Trade Machine; Draft; G League; World of Woj; Awards; NBA History . Westbrook was a grenade with a loose pin dangling out during his one-and-a-half seasons in Los Angeles. This story has been updated (Oct. 12) to reflect the news that Kyrie Irving will not play or practice for the Nets until he is available full-time and in compliance with local COVID-19 vaccine requirements. He can't be his usual ball-dominant self on a team featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors.All teams, except the Raptors, are located on the East Coast of the United States. He is undeniably one of the 10 best shooting guards in the NBA. But the next generation is coming fast. Gettysburg, PA (17325) Today. However, McCollum needs to be better than steady to make it to the next level of shooting guards. Curry is posting ridiculous numbers across the board, averaging 31.4 PPG on 51.8% from the field, 43.6% from three, and 90.7% from the free-throw line. McCollum has been a steady backcourt partner for Damian Lillard over the years. Fox jumped up to 25.2 points per game last season, a higher mark than LeBron James (25.0) and Kawhi Leonard (24.8). McCollum was well on his way to his first-career All-Star bid last season before a foot injury derailed his blazing start just 13 games in. Key Subtractions: Carlik Jones, Moses Wright, Justin Jackson Much of the team that earned the Legends their first-ever playoff berth last season has departed, with none more important than point. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is currently leading all vote getters in the Western Conference with over 3.1 million votes. Is he the shooting guard? In the Eastern Conference, former Warrior Kevin Durant is sitting in the No. Complete listing of all NBA Players and team rosters. The Nuggets' starting point guard has quieted all the critics who said that he was too small, forcing him to drop to No. Curry may have the chance to shoot up this list if he is forced to replace some point guard production from the likely-absent Ben Simmons.
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