We covered point guards earlier this week and now it’s time to take a look at the top 20 shooting guards for not just next year, but for the next few years. Always remember that when you are picking out keepers you aren’t just looking at next season, but you have to consider a few years down the road as well.
Here are my top 20, but keep in mind it’s early and there could be a lot of shuffling depending on the off-season and other factors.
- Dwayne Wade – Miami Heat
- Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers
- Monta Ellis – Golden State Warriors
- Tyreke Evans – Sacramento Kings
- Eric Gordon – Los Angeles Clippers
- Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
- Andre Iguodala – Philadelphia 76ers
- Kevin Martin – Houston Rockets
- Stephen Jackson – Charlotte Bobcats
- Manu Ginobili – San Antonio Spurs
- Ray Allen – Boston Celtics
- Wesley Matthews – Portland Trail Blazers
- Wilson Chandler – Denver Nuggets
- James Harden – Oklahoma City Thunder
- Marcus Thornton – Sacramento Kings
- Jason Richardson – Orlando Magic
- Jason Terry – Dallas Mavericks
- Jordan Crawford – Washington Wizards
- Nick Young – Washington Wizards
- DeMar DeRozan – Toronto Raptors
- Kobe Bryant might be getting old, but he’s not really losing anything in the way of production and is still a worthy keeper for a couple more years.
- Though Kobe has maintained his spot at number two, Monta Ellis has closed the gap on him. He cut down a bit on turnovers and kept his stats up across the board despite the coaching change. It’s time to start taking Monta Ellis serious as a top tier fantasy basketball player.
- It’s clear Kevin Martin has earned this spot on the list and I was tempted to put him a bit higher up. If he wasn’t quite as one dimensional he would be a couple spots higher most likely because he is an elite scorer.
- If we were just talking about next year Manu Ginobili and Ray Allen wouldn’t be 10 and 11 on the list. Both guys have remained steady this year and should continue to do the same again next year, but it’s only a matter of time before they do start falling off a bit and you have to consider that.
- From 12 – 20 this list could be very interchangeable. Wesley Matthews gets top nod because I feel like he has the most raw talent and can contribute across the board. However, Brandon Roy didn’t make the list because his future is uncertain, news on that could change both guys rankings.
- Marcus Thornton is on fire right now, but you can’t lose sight of what he did for the rest of the year and the fact that Sacramento has several players to compete with Thornton for playing time if he goes cold at all.
- The team Jason Richardson ends up playing for next season will either move him up or down this list. If he stays in Orlando I can see him being bumped down a couple spots, but if he signs somewhere else where he can have a more central role offensively he’s borderline top 10 guy.
- I’m very high on Jordan Crawford and the potential he brings. It looks like he is going to have to settle in as the small forward on the team though if he wants starter’s minutes because Nick Young has proven himself this season. Crawford gets the nod over Young on these rankings based on potential and the fact that he can offer more in categories other than points where Young’s value is tied to.
