In this Position
Battle post, we will focus on the top five shooting guards at this point in the
season. We will take into account just the players’ stats for the latest five
games of their respective teams. This will, hopefully, give us a more current
picture of each player’s production.
The shooting
guard position hasn’t really been the most exciting position this season so
far. Sure, James Harden and Dwyane Wade have been great, but SGs haven’t really
filled up the highlight reels as much as, say, the Steph Currys (or Curries?),
Kevin Durants, and LaMarcus Aldridges of the Association. Still, there is a lot
of gam-changing talent here, and that’s what we will celebrate in this post.
Note: All of the following stats are based on each
player’s stats as computed by HoopsStats.com. They were taken on February
12, 2014 (Manila time).
5. James Harden (HOU) - 23.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 3.3apg,
1.8spg, 2.5 triples per game, .933 FT%, 18.5 EFF
Yes, the
Beard is just at fifth spot, which is quite low for him, who is considered by
many the best active SG out there. With Harden playing really well, Houston has
won 8 of its last 10 games, and they remain among the top five clubs in the
Western Conference. His recent best was dropping 28 points on the Cavs on top
of 4 assists and three triples.
4. Monta Ellis (DAL)
- 17.8ppg, 4.0rpg, 4.0apg, 2.0spg, .469 FG%, 1.0 triples per game, .417 3pt%,
.857 FT%, 18.6 EFF
Quietly, the
Dallas Mavericks have clustered five straight wins, which is the second-longest
active streak behind the Rockets’ six-game run. Ellis, not surprisingly, has
been a major contributor in that winning run, playing awesome two-way
basketball. His recent best was scoring 20 points with 3 assists, 3 steals, and
1 block in a close win by Dallas over Sacramento.
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| Monta Ellis has emerged as a vital cog for the Dallas Mavericks. (image by Jerome Miron/USA Today) |
3. Dwyane Wade (MIA) -
20.0ppg, 4.8rpg, 4.2apg, .618 FG%, 20.0 EFF
I still
cannot get over the fact that the Jazz beat the Heat, but we cannot’ really
blame Wade much because he did shoot 50% from the field and score 19 points in
that defeat. A couple of games before that, he even dropped a 30-10 beast on
the hapless Pistons. That was Wade’s most productive game of the season yet,
and it might just be a harbinger of things to come. He looks much healthier and
more active than he was last year, and Miami should benefit big time.
2. Jamal Crawford (LAC) - 23.8ppg, 2.6rpg, 5.0apg,
1.6spg, .472 FG%, 2.2 triples per game, .952 FT%, 22.2 EFF
Chris Paul
recently returned to action for the Clips, but Crawford is still LA’s best
backcourt player right now. He hasn’t scored fewer than 19 points since
February started, and the Clippers continue to continue to be firmly entrenched
as the best Pacific Division team out there. What has been most impressive with
Crawford is his all-around play. He norms just 3.3 assists for the year, but
recently he has been handing out around 5 per game. He’s also stealing the ball
nearly twice per outing, and shooting close to flawless from the line.
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| Jamal Crawford continues to carry the Clips this season. (image by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) |
1. DeMar DeRozan (TOR) - 27.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 6.4apg,
1.2spg, 1.4 triples per game, .846 FT%, 23.6 EFF
If you told
me prior to the start of the season that DeRozan would be among the league’s
elite SGs and that the Raptors would be the number one Atlantic team, I would’ve
barfed right in front of you and slapped you silly. But here we are, a few days
away from the All-Star Weekend, and both of those things are true. DeRozan has
been consistently productive for Toronto, and he has paired up really well with
Kyle Lowry to form maybe the most unheralded but effective backcourt tandem in
the league. Sure, the Raptors have won just two of five games so far in February,
but look at this kid’s numbers – two 36-point games, great playmaking, great
defense, and great shooting. Wow.
Outside
looking in:
Trevor Ariza (WAS) - 18.0 EFF
Lance Stephenson (IND) - 17.0 EFF
Randy FOye (DEN) - 15.4 EFF
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