Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
Moderators: Clyde Frazier, Doctor MJ, trex_8063, penbeast0, PaulieWal
Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Junior
- Posts: 294
- And1: 229
- Joined: May 01, 2018
-
Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
Yes, positionless basketball is a thing in the NBA now, but I'm an old-head of sorts and today is Jordan's 61st birthday so I wanted to have a discussion about shooting guards. Specifically, looking at the candidates for best at the position currently. I do think some guards and swingmen blur the lines, so I did include a write-in option for arguments to be made.
However, I'm looking at three players that fit the bill to start:
Devin Booker
Anthony Edwards
Donovan Mitchell
In your opinion, who is the best at the position currently. Also, if you think there is someone not quite there but could join this conversation in a season or two, feel free to call your shot. I'm always curious about what players/teams to pay extra attention to on League Pass.
However, I'm looking at three players that fit the bill to start:
Devin Booker
Anthony Edwards
Donovan Mitchell
In your opinion, who is the best at the position currently. Also, if you think there is someone not quite there but could join this conversation in a season or two, feel free to call your shot. I'm always curious about what players/teams to pay extra attention to on League Pass.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Lead Assistant
- Posts: 5,502
- And1: 3,392
- Joined: Aug 07, 2010
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
Of these 3, I’d probably take Booker first. Slightly ahead of Mitchell. Long term, AE may be better than both but he’s not there yet.
SGA is the best SG, if anyone considers him to be that (which I do).
SGA is the best SG, if anyone considers him to be that (which I do).
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Junior
- Posts: 474
- And1: 340
- Joined: Feb 19, 2022
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
I consider Luka a SG, so I'd say him. However, if you see him as something else, it's Booker with a pretty big gap on the other two
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Senior Mod - NBA Player Comparisons
- Posts: 30,166
- And1: 9,778
- Joined: Aug 14, 2004
- Location: South Florida
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
You need to define the term. If you mean the 2nd smallest guy on the court for your team during the majority of his minutes, then you get a different grouping from whichever of the 2 smallest guys does the least creating for others. Other definitions will produce similar differences.
That's the main way to figure out if you can include a Luka or SGA in the discussion.
That's the main way to figure out if you can include a Luka or SGA in the discussion.
“Most people use statistics like a drunk man uses a lamppost; more for support than illumination,” Andrew Lang.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Junior
- Posts: 294
- And1: 229
- Joined: May 01, 2018
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
penbeast0 wrote:You need to define the term. If you mean the 2nd smallest guy on the court for your team during the majority of his minutes, then you get a different grouping from whichever of the 2 smallest guys does the least creating for others. Other definitions will produce similar differences.
That's the main way to figure out if you can include a Luka or SGA in the discussion.
I'm leaning towards the latter definition, but even that is a inconsistent usage. Isn't Booker running point for the Suns, with Beal/Allen at the wings? Then you have Luka and Kyrie, where Luka is obviously bigger, but I would call Kyrie the off-guard in that pairing. It's a new world in the NBA, so this question is trickier than ever.
My personal opinion is that Luka and SGA are both 1s that create the most for their team while also scoring a ton (which is just modern NBA scoring from ballhandlers), but welcoming all debates on this.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
- TheGOATRises007
- RealGM
- Posts: 21,415
- And1: 20,072
- Joined: Oct 05, 2013
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
This season? I think Mitchell's been the best.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Sixth Man
- Posts: 1,762
- And1: 1,464
- Joined: Dec 23, 2023
- Location: Clearwater, FL
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
Booker has the most well-rounded game of this group, at least offensively.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
- CodeBreaker
- Head Coach
- Posts: 6,233
- And1: 5,930
- Joined: Jul 21, 2017
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
Kawhi is the closest thing to MJ currently.
From the poll, it's Booker.
From the poll, it's Booker.

Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Rookie
- Posts: 1,076
- And1: 1,228
- Joined: Jul 11, 2006
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
On the season Donovan has put up better numbers. Big picture to date I'd still take Booker, following his playoff performances last season I'm a much bigger believer.
He could always score, but I'd spent some time criticising his play style and aversion to defense.
Over the past couple of seasons he has really matured his game, particularly in his decision making, has become a very solid primary ball handler, and has clearly worked on his defensive fundamentals, Reads switches much better and can now play solid (good) one-one when isolated in those situations. I still think the other two have the me-first streak in them which leads to some poor decisions, and inconsistencies on the other end of the floor. Edwards is a couple of years of development away.
He could always score, but I'd spent some time criticising his play style and aversion to defense.
Over the past couple of seasons he has really matured his game, particularly in his decision making, has become a very solid primary ball handler, and has clearly worked on his defensive fundamentals, Reads switches much better and can now play solid (good) one-one when isolated in those situations. I still think the other two have the me-first streak in them which leads to some poor decisions, and inconsistencies on the other end of the floor. Edwards is a couple of years of development away.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Junior
- Posts: 294
- And1: 229
- Joined: May 01, 2018
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
Remembered this from earlier in the year, and with the MIN/PHX series currently going the way it is, does this push Ant over Booker for anyone now?
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
- Dr Positivity
- RealGM
- Posts: 62,563
- And1: 16,340
- Joined: Apr 29, 2009
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Starter
- Posts: 2,265
- And1: 2,269
- Joined: Jul 01, 2022
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
I consider Shai to be a SG, clearly him as a result. No love for D-Mitch on the poll is wild though! When healthy this year, he was clearly the best
Mogspan wrote:I think they see the super rare combo of high IQ with freakish athleticism and overrate the former a bit, kind of like a hot girl who is rather articulate being thought of as “super smart.” I don’t know kind of a weird analogy, but you catch my drift.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
- RCM88x
- RealGM
- Posts: 15,184
- And1: 19,127
- Joined: May 31, 2015
- Location: Lebron Ball
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
rk2023 wrote:I consider Shai to be a SG, clearly him as a result. No love for D-Mitch on the poll is wild though! When healthy this year, he was clearly the best
Easily has the worst offensive supporting cast to, like by miles and miles compared to these other guys.
I still feel like I'd take Booker when starting a team from scratch though.

LookToShoot wrote:Melo is the only player that makes the Rockets watchable for the basketball purists. Otherwise it would just be three point shots and pick n roll.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Junior
- Posts: 294
- And1: 229
- Joined: May 01, 2018
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
I was thinking about making this thread, and then remembered I did it a year ago. The options and opinions have likely shifted, so things are out-of-date, but how is everyone feeling as we head into the last quarter of the season?
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Forum Mod - Raptors
- Posts: 90,917
- And1: 30,669
- Joined: Oct 14, 2003
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
Kinda depends on how you define it. Of those 3, I'd probably take Booker, with Ant second.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- RealGM
- Posts: 13,304
- And1: 8,527
- Joined: Feb 21, 2017
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
SGA is an archetypal SG.
If you exclude him, its Ant, Mitchell, Brown, then Booker.
Booker isn't any good no more
If you exclude him, its Ant, Mitchell, Brown, then Booker.
Booker isn't any good no more
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Forum Mod - Raptors
- Posts: 90,917
- And1: 30,669
- Joined: Oct 14, 2003
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
Jaqua92 wrote:Booker isn't any good no more
That isn't accurate.
In a BAD season for him, he's rocking 26/4/6.9 on 45.7 / 34.9 / 89.3, 59.6% TS (+2.1% rTS), and .366 FTr.
The idea that he "isn't any good no more" is ludicrous.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
- spree8
- RealGM
- Posts: 16,290
- And1: 8,922
- Joined: Jun 05, 2001
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
I don’t see how SGA can be excluded here. The guy averages 33 ppg, how many true pg’s ever did anything close to that? Does anyone consider Harden to be a true pg? No way. Westbrook? He wasn’t a true pg either but closer I guess. West? Even he’s kind of a tweener. Magic, Nash, Kidd, Stockton, Cp3 never came close to that type of scoring. Just his play style overall isn’t one I’d call a pg by any stretch. He’s cracked and topped out at 6 apg twice in his career.
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
-
- Forum Mod - Raptors
- Posts: 90,917
- And1: 30,669
- Joined: Oct 14, 2003
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
spree8 wrote:I don’t see how SGA can be excluded here. The guy averages 33 ppg, how many true pg’s ever did anything close to that?
This mostly comes back to the age-old question of "what defines a position?"
Scoring average doesn't force him to not be a PG. We've seen scoring PGs before. Jalen is a 21/5/5 guy at 6'6 playing alongside him, so there isn't even a size-rooted argument for their backcourt.
Does anyone consider Harden to be a true pg?
And again, what is a "true" PG and why? Is it a position which can only ever be a volume playmaker like Magic? Did he stop being a PG when he got north of 20 ppg? Or a roleplayer like a Jose Calderon or something?
Volume playmaking doesn't necessarily equate to actual value, which we've seen in the past. So it isn't an end in and of itself. So what makes a PG?
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
- spree8
- RealGM
- Posts: 16,290
- And1: 8,922
- Joined: Jun 05, 2001
-
Re: Jordanaires - The Best SG Today
tsherkin wrote:spree8 wrote:I don’t see how SGA can be excluded here. The guy averages 33 ppg, how many true pg’s ever did anything close to that?
This mostly comes back to the age-old question of "what defines a position?"
Scoring average doesn't force him to not be a PG. We've seen scoring PGs before. Jalen is a 21/5/5 guy at 6'6 playing alongside him, so there isn't even a size-rooted argument for their backcourt.Does anyone consider Harden to be a true pg?
And again, what is a "true" PG and why? Is it a position which can only ever be a volume playmaker like Magic? Did he stop being a PG when he got north of 20 ppg? Or a roleplayer like a Jose Calderon or something?
Volume playmaking doesn't necessarily equate to actual value, which we've seen in the past. So it isn't an end in and of itself. So what makes a PG?
Why no mention of assists or lack there of?
Also, Cason Wallace starts next to him a great deal too when Chet’s out… so this offense obviously isn’t conventional.