Shooting Guards
- Kobe Bryant - The Black Mamba will devour everyone in his way...including his teammates and front office.
- Tracy McGrady - He's in great shape after missing a few games last season and is still one of the most complete scorers in the game.
- Dwyane Wade - Why here? Because reports are that the Heat aren't sure of when he'll be 100% after his offseason surgeries. If his healing process hits any snags, he could face some lingering issues.
- Michael Redd - Lost more than a few games to injury last year, but shot very well from all over the floor and will have more weapons around him this season, making him even more dangerous.
- Joe Johnson - Is he putting up great numbers on a bad team? Absolutely. But he got some help this offseason that could take care of the cellar dweller moniker the Hawks have been saddled with. If his team gels, he could average 28+ ppg this season.
- Ray Allen - He just won the lottery. With Garnett and Pierce slashing and posting up, he'll get to camp out behind the arc and bomb away to his heart's content. He might challenge the record for 3-pointers attempted and made in a season if he stays healthy.
- Richard Hamilton - His teammates are another year older, but nobody is in better shape than Rip, so look for him to carry his team and lead them in scoring this season.
- Vince Carter - Is he in a contract year? Didn't think so. He'll continue to shoot fadeaways and avoid contact while his shooting percentages continue to slide.
- Jason Richardson - The BETcats have a legit lead scorer now, so look for him to lead by example. The interesting thing to consider is that his style of play didn't fit in with Nellie's free-wheelin' system and he still put up great numbers.
- Manu Ginobili - He's a flopper and a royal pain in the butt for opponents, but he's still sneaky good with the ball in his hands and his outside shot is still improving.
- Kevin Martin - This is one guy that won't take a step back after signing a big contract extension. With Bibby and Artest on the trade block, he could be the de facto leader on this team by January.
- Andre Igoudala - He's poised to jump to the next level after emerging from a cocoon following the Iverson trade last season. If he puts it all together, the rest of the division could be dealing with another team fighting for the top spot.
- Leandro Barbosa - He had a coming out party last season and continued to impress during international play this summer. Steve Nash and Raja Bell will need some rest this season if they are to get over the hump in the postseason, so look for him to get even more playing time this year.
- Mike Miller - Played at a very high level after Pau Gasol returned from injury and Tony Barone instituted an uptempo system. With Marc Iavaroni set to run, run, run this season, look for Miller to put up solid numbers again.
- Jason Terry - Moved over from PG last season and bounced back from a poor season the previous year. He also posted a career high in 3PT%.
- Ben Gordon - He's a one trick pony, but what a trick it is. He scores points like he's at an arcade.
- Raja Bell - Solid perimeter shooter (.413% last season) and dogged defender, Bell has established himself with the Suns after bouncing around the league his first few seasons.
- Morris Peterson - He seems to have been forgotten now that he's in NOLA. That's a mistake, as he's likely to become CP3's favorite target in the open floor.
- Cuttino Mobley - With Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston out, somebody is going to have to step up. Mobley will take on as much responsibility as Mike Dunleavy can give him and will fill the stat sheet on a nightly basis.
- Wally Szczerbiak - I can see you scratching your head right now. He's the likely starting SG for the Sonics as they embark on the Kevin Durant era. Wally is still a capable scorer and he's healthier now than he has been in quite some time.
- Brandon Roy - He'll have to carry the load this year with no Zach Randolph to take on the brunt of the scoring. LaMarcus Aldridge will be some help, but I think Roy will find it a little more difficult this season than he did in his rookie campaign.
- Monta Ellis - Should see more PT for last year's MIP now that Jason Richardson is on the other coast. If he can continue to improve, look for him to make everyone forget about last year's Sarunas Jasikevicius experiment.
- Ricky Davis - It pains me to have him on this list, but he's the most proven scorer in Minnesota and it will take his teammates some time to figure out that he's a black hole on offense.
- Juan Carlos Navarro - La Bomba will take some time to get acclimated to the NBA, but once he does the fireworks will begin.
- Jamal Crawford - He'll continue to shoot without conscience (or awareness of his teammates on the court) and his stats will reflect that, just as they do every season.
Players who could move into the Top 25: J.R. Smith, Ronnie Brewer, Corey Brewer, Rodney Stuckey, Thabo Sefalosha, Matt Carroll
With the PG rankings, I agreed until sometime in the teens...
ReplyDeleteHere for the SG's, I think I would start deviating a bit quicker...
1. Kobe
2. DWade
3. TMac
4. Rip
5. Joe Johnson
6. Vince Carter
7. Manu
8. Micheal Redd
9. Ray Allen
that's all I got...after that I'm too indecisive...
Most of my quibbles are too minor to mention - but I do have one larger disagreement.
ReplyDeleteManu Ginobli, in my book, is number 4. I don't care if he does play only 27 minutes a game, the guy is tough, clever, skilled both offensively and defensively, and cold as ice in big games. I'd have him on my team long before Redd and Joe Johnson.
I'd probably have Bonzi around 20, since he usually plays shooting guard.
I think you dropped the ball when you added MoPete but left off Anthony Parker. I know he plays in Canada and no one sees him, but he was one of the top 3 pt shooters in the league last year and the best wing defender on the Raptors. MoPete was out of shape and sulked all season because he was outplayed
ReplyDelete