NBA player rankings: Kobe Bryant's place as top shooting guard no surprise - SportingNews.com

Probably the toughest thing about going through the list of the league’s shooting guards to find the best is simply coming up with enough healthy guys. Most of the top shooting guards in the NBA spent significant chunks of last season sidelined with a variety of injuries, and ranking those players heading into training camp becomes correspondingly difficult. But, after extensive number-crunching, plus discussions with scouts and personnel executives, the leadoff category in this year’s preseason positional rankings looks like this:

1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers.

Dwyane Wade has missed time for injury and deferred to teammate LeBron James, but he remains one of the top shooting guards. (AP Photo)

Credentials: 27.9 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, five championship rings.

The skinny: Bryant might be 34 and a tad slower than he was a decade ago, but compare him to his cohorts at the off-guard spot, and he has been exceedingly durable, missing just 17 games in the last five years.

Scouting view: “To me, the only area of concern is the outside shot, the 3-pointer. That has fallen off (to 30.3 percent) the last few years. Other than that, he is still pretty much Kobe.”

2. Dwyane Wade, Heat.

Credentials: 22.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists. Shot 49.7 percent from the field, though just 26.8 percent from the 3-point line.

The skinny: Wade had trouble staying healthy in the regular season and the playoffs, and has ceded top spot on the team to LeBron James. He is still a creative and dangerous scorer attacking the basket.

Scouting view: “He still has that little slide step move that gets him to the basket, and he is one of the best at protecting the ball at the rim. Still a lot of fun to watch him play.”

3. James Harden, Thunder.

Credentials: 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, with a true shooting percentage (which factors in 3-pointers and free throws) of 66.0, second in the league.

The skinny: He is the league’s best sixth man, but Harden is essentially a starter, providing a little of everything for the Thunder behind leading scorers Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Scouting view: “He is very court-aware, and game-aware. He doesn’t kill you with quickness and athleticism, but with his head. He is mature for his years (23). It is hard playing with two high-volume

superstars, but he has carved out his spot and he is just extremely valuable to what they do.”

4. Joe Johnson, Nets.

Credentials: 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from the 3-point line.

The skinny: Johnson is 31 and though he wasn’t as active last year, he maintained his production because he was more efficient. He will have to adjust to playing alongside Deron Williams, but if that goes smoothly, with Williams taking pressure off Johnson, he should be even more efficient this year.

Scouting view: “They’re going to be a slow, deliberate team, and I think that only helps Johnson. He can spot-up, of course we know he is great in isolation. I’d like to see him post up some more, too, he is

a good playmaker from that position.”

5. Manu Ginobili, Spurs.

Credentials: 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 52.6 percent shooting from the field, 41.3 percent from the 3-point line.

The skinny: Ginobili is doing his best to stave off the wear and tear of a pro and international career that is nearing two decades. He missed 32 games last year, but when he was on the floor, he was still

himself.

Scouting view: “It is amazing that no matter his age or his injuries, he plays the same. He is going to give you that same frenetic energy. He could play another four or five years if his body lets him.”

6. Andre Iguodala, Nuggets.

Credentials: 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 39.4 percent shooting on 3-pointers.

The skinny: We’re counting Iguodala as a shooting guard because, though he was a forward for Philadelphia, he will play the off-guard spot now in Denver. Iggy never really seemed to find his footing with the Sixers, but he could shine playing for George Karl with a deep Nuggets roster.

Scouting view: “It is a great fit. He is still one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and that is going to be important for George. Andre seemed to lose a little bit offensively, he was a little less aggressive, but I expect him to bounce back playing at George’s tempo.”

7. Monta Ellis, Bucks.

Credentials: 20.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 43.3 percent shooting.

The skinny: Ellis turns 27 in October and is in the heart of his prime. He is a deft scorer and as quick as anyone in the league, but the question remains whether he will bundle up his talent and figure out how to turn it into wins, or simply remain a good individual player who rarely sees the postseason.

Scouting view: “I hope playing for Scott Skiles gets through to Monta, because he has too much talent to still be approaching the game like a rookie or a second-year guy. I think he got a mentality stuck in his head with the Warriors where it was score, score, score and don’t worry about defense. He might make a big improvement this year.”

8. Paul George, Pacers.

Credentials: 12.1 points per game, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 38.5 percent 3-point shooting.

The skinny: George is 22 and still figuring out how to play, on both ends of the floor. But if the improvement he showed between Year 1 and Year 2 is any indication, he should earn his spot on this list this year.

Scouting view: “Some guys think he is overrated, some guys think he is a Hall of Famer. The truth is in the middle. He has a lot of potential, but I really want to see him cut down on mental errors, especially on the defensive end. He is very athletic, but he almost needs to harness that and focus.”

9. Eric Gordon, Hornets.

Credentials: 20.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 45.0 percent shooting.

The skinny: Gordon sat for most of last year, playing just nine games after coming back from a knee injury. He has been fragile in his short NBA career, but he showed enough ability as a scorer to encourage the

Suns to offer a max deal, which New Orleans matched.

Scouting view: “He’s got to do more. Put the injuries aside, he is being paid like a franchise player. When he is on the floor, he has to do more than just be a scorer. He was starting to develop that but he needs to realize he is the man now.”

10. Kevin Martin, Rockets.

Credentials: 17.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 41.3 percent shooting.

The skinny: Martin was banged up for most of the year, missing 26 games, and the Rockets didn’t put much of an emphasis on his scoring when he did play. But he is an outstanding spot-up shooter when healthy.

Scouting view: “That was a hard team to track last year and it is hard to say what they’ll get this year. He can score, he is very accurate with his shot and he can get to the rim and pick up fouls. But he is a big negative on the defensive end.”