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Continuing my Top 10 theme, here is my opinion on the Top 10 Shooting Guards for the 2009-2010 season. Unlike the point guard position, which is full of young, up-and-coming stars of the future, it seems like a good portion of the talented 2 guards in the league are aging, already established or even starting to decline players.
10. Ray Allen, Celtics: Ray is certainly in decline overall as a player, but he is still a deadly outside shooter and will one day, barring injury, become the all time leader in 3 point field goals made. His stats will fall even further this year, as the Celtics are even deeper than they were the last two years, but unlike some other players on this list who's stats are inflated by being the main stars on their team, Ray has to contend with KG and Paul Pierce for shots. I think he could still score in the low 20's for an average or bad team without breaking much of a sweat. Although Leandro Barbosa and Jason Terry will push him for production stats, Ray is a Champion and gets the edge due to his clutch play that will pay off for the C's this season.
9. Ben Gordon, Pistons: During last season's playoff series against Boston, I was certain that Gordon had made a pact with Satan, and now, watching his results in Detroit thus far, I'm only more sure that he and the Dark Lord are in cahoots. Gordon is an offensive force, especially when he gets hot. The only problem is, all Ben can do is score. He can't rebound, turns the ball over a lot for a guy who is a jump shooter and can't pass, and is an average defender on a good day. We'll see if he's worth the 55 million Detriot shelled out for him, although he is superior to Rip Hamilton in my book.
8. Vince Carter, Magic: As much as everybody hates Vince Carter, and they do, you have to admit, he's pretty damn good. He will easily replace Hedo Turkoglu in Orlando if he can get healthy, as he is a better scorer, had a better true point rating than Hedo, is a better shooter, and a better defender. He's clearly not the athlete he once was, but he will still rise up and throw a dunk down over your ass if you get lazy on him. We'll see if being on a good team will change his legacy of being a lazy quitter. Even if it does, I will probably still hate him.
7. Kevin Martin, Kings: Martin has been so underrated in the past he is now slightly overrated. Martin, like Ben Gordon, really only has one NBA specialty, albeit a very important one: Scoring. K-Mart can score from all over, is a good outside shooter despite having a very ugly shot, and is quite adept at getting to the line. Still, one has to wonder if he looks better because he's on such a crappy team, or if he would be even better with improved talent around him. Also, he can't guard anyone and is a horrible passer. Oh, and he's kind of a weenie when it comes to durability. Did I mention he can score?
6. Andre Iguodala, 76ers: Now, this guy is underrated. First of all, he is among the elite defenders at his position, without question. He consistently guards the opposition's best scorer, be it a point, 2 or 3 or even a small 4. The new AI is a tremendous offensive player as well, especially when he uses his athleticism to get to the basket. He is a good passer and rebounder for his position. He really only has one weakness as a player that I see, and that is shooting. He is not a good outside shooter, or free throw shooter, but his 68.4 percent in the immediate basket area -- that's not a typo -- is a phenomenal figure for a 6-6 wing and the third-best of any player with at least 200 attempts. Unfortunately, like many skilled athletes, he seems to fall in love with his jumper more than he should. Iguodala is a box score stuffer, and I like those kinds of players.
5. Manu Ginobili, Spurs: In seasons past, I would have had Manu in the top 3, for sure. When he plays, he can be considered a top 3 2-guard in the league, along with D-Wade and Kobe Bryant, but as he gets older and his aggressive style continues, he just can't seem to stay healthy for any extended period of time. Manu can do it all, shooting well from deep, getting to the hole at will, getting and making a ton of free throws, being a decent passer and rebounder, and a good team defender, but he's only played in 82% of his teams games for his career, 72% in the last 3 years. On top of that, he has really hurt the team come playoff time, where he has been hurt and inconsistent the past 2 playoffs, which is a far cry from the player who helped the Spurs to several NBA championships. Also, he needs the Ron Popiel spray-on hair to cover his bald spot.
4. Joe Johnson, Hawks: Is this pick going to be my Rajon Rondo of Shooting Guards? Look, offensively, Johnson is on par with the other guys behind him on this list. He is a good scorer, although not on the level of Gordon, Carter or Martin. He is a good passer, with a better pure point rating than many of the league's point guards. He is a solid rebounder. He is a very talented defender. Most of all, he's a good leader and extremely durable. He's averaged around 40 minutes the last 6 seasons, and has played all 82 games in 5 of his 7 seasons. So, he may not be the most flashy player, but he can do it all and you can count on him.
3. Brandon Roy, Blazers: The gap between the 3 best shooting guards and the rest of the pack is significant. Portland fans are going to sit there and tell you that Roy is an MVP candidate and you know what? They are wrong. Now, Roy is an excellent player, maybe even a top 10 player in the league, but he isn't winning an MVP any time soon, or probably ever. The problem is, I can't really put my finger on why. Roy is a great hybrid guard who can play the point better than most points, and he is a terrific scorer. He shoots well from 3, has a good midrange game, and can get to the basket and finish or draw fouls at an elite level. He is a solid rebounder and an underrated and improving defender. All that being said, there is just something missing in his game when I watch him. Can someone else give an opinion on that, or am I crazy?
2. Kobe Bryant,Lakers: No one wants to say it because he led his stacked team to a championship last year, but Kobe is slowing down. The numbers bear it out, the eye test bears it out. That being said, he's Kobe Freaking Bryant. He remains a dynamite scorer, although his free throw attempts are on the decline, never a good sign for an older player. Bryant is shooting less threes, which is good since he is an average 3 point shooter. Kobe has the most versatile array of offensive moves since Michael Jordan, and keeps himself in great shape, despite the amount of games he has played. Kobe is a good ball handler, a good passer and a very solid defender who picks his spots and really seems to buckle down at the end of games. On top of this, Kobe is one of the best clutch players the league has ever seen. I know this kind of sounds negative, but really, I have a ton of respect for Kobe. I can't put him at number one because I think that if you remove Kobe from the Lakers and trade him for D-Wade, I think the Lakers win 70 games and the championship, but the Heat are the same or worse with Kobe.
1. Dwayne Wade, Heat: Despite the idiotic "Fall seven times, get up 8" slogan, which made sense only to the truly retarded, Wade is just an animal on the court, and is in the conversation for the best player in the league. Wade is basically unstoppable in the pick-and-roll game, because no matter how you decide to defend him, you lose. Go under the screen, and he is a good enough  midrange shooter to hurt you. Try to double him, and he is a good and willing passer. Oh, and either way, he's such a good ball handler that no matter what you choose, he can probably just drive past you and get a good shot around the basket. Add to that the fact that if you breathe on him the referees call a foul, and you pretty much better get used to seeing him kill your team. Luckily, his teammates are mostly garbage. Now, add to this the fact that Wade is the best defender at the 2 (please, don't say Kobe, it ain't even close) and you see why I say he is in the best player on the planet discussion. Wade delivered an amazing season at the defensive end last year, leading all shooting guards in blocks per minute and ranking third in steals. I mean, Wade blocked 1.3 shots per game and ranked 16th in the entire league. He's 6-4. On a per-minute basis he outblocked more than three-quarters of the league's power forwards, and nobody under 6-7 came within screaming distance of his rate.
PS:
An excellent NBA Blog, Bust A Bucket has begun a list of Top 10 by position as well. Click the link for a good read, starting with the Power Forwad position.
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wade he better dan any body ite jit lets fade foo
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Also, I agree about his MVP status, it would take LeBron and Kobe type players to be injured or out for that to happen.