Best defenders among SHOOTING GUARDS CANDIDATES LIST- The Ten Best Defenders in each Position Project

[70sFan]

Coop and Sloan are clearly SGs. Don Chaney is a must-have here.

Bowen, Iggy and Hondo are SFs mostly, I wouldn't consider them here. Havlicek played some time at SG, but he played with Jones and later Chaney.

What do you think about Paul Pressey? I always had him at SF but he basically played 1-3 for his whole career.

[Dr Positivity]

Would lean SF for Pressey, Nellie vacillates between going big and going small, but it seems like there's more years where he's playing with 2 smaller guards such as Moncrief, Pierce, Hodges, Lucas, Robertson, Humphries

[HeartBreakKid]

Marcus Smart?

[PistolPeteJR]

I haven't heard one mention of Alvin Robertson. He's up there in top-3.

[Gibson22]

I haven't heard one mention of Alvin Robertson. He's up there in top-3.

Mentioned plenty of times!

[Gibson22]

Positions to decide: Andre Roberson, Butler, Sefolosha, Paul Pressey.

Guys that I'm not sure if we should put them: Klay (I say yes), Raja Bell, Jo jo White, Manu, Sprewell if he's a SG, Aaron McKie, stacey augmon, Larry hughes, bobby phills, Lionel Hollins.

[Gibson22]

I say SG for Thabo, his best years were beside Durant and I believe was playing SG in Chicago as well

Majerle made some all defense teams. Stephen Jackson good enough to get on the candidates list?

Two other guys whose position is not easy to decide

[Gibson22]

Positions to decide: Andre Roberson, Butler, Sefolosha, Paul Pressey, Dan Majerle, Stephen Jackson

Guys that I'm not sure if we should put them: Klay (I say yes), Raja Bell, Jo jo White, Manu, Sprewell if he's a SG, Aaron McKie, stacey augmon, Larry hughes, bobby phills, Lionel Hollins.

[KobesScarf]

Clyde Drexler belongs in the top 10 defensive SGs, definitely above someone like Wade

[Gibson22]

Clyde Drexler belongs in the top 10 defensive SGs, definitely above someone like Wade

I gave a tought at him, but I don't think he deserves to be in the candidates list, but anyway he could be on the list, but definitely not a top 10 or better than wade, in my opinion

[KobesScarf]

Clyde Drexler belongs in the top 10 defensive SGs, definitely above someone like Wade

I gave a tought at him, but I don't think he deserves to be in the candidates list, but anyway he could be on the list, but definitely not a top 10 or better than wade, in my opinion

All the help defense stuff people praise Wade for, Drexler is actually better at. He's also an above average on ball defender while Wade is average to bad in that aspect

[Dr Positivity]

Positions to decide: Andre Roberson, Butler, Sefolosha, Paul Pressey.

Guys that I'm not sure if we should put them: Klay (I say yes), Raja Bell, Jo jo White, Manu, Sprewell if he's a SG, Aaron McKie, stacey augmon, Larry hughes, bobby phills, Lionel Hollins.

Yes for Klay, Bell being on candidates list. I probably won't vote for Manu but a few others in this thread wanted him on so I say yes for him. I thought Hollins was a PG but he wouldn't have made top 10 on that list anyways

[pandrade83]

.

Mj
Wade
Dumars
Bowen
Starks
Coop
Tony Allen
I feel I “have” to mention Kobe even though he won’t be near the top of my list
hondo
Iggy
Bradley
Moncrief
Robertson

That’s a good start

I don't disagree with any mentions above based on their defensive chops, but the bolded ones I may have a hard time classifying as SG's.
Bruce Bowen in particular was pretty consistently a SF in the Spurs line-up (bbref's play-by-play data has him 81% at SF from '01 thru end of career, vs only 13% SG).
Hondo is listed (on bbref) as SF in 12 of his 16 seasons; which is fitting when you think about those rosters--->he was frequently starting/playing next to the Jones's or maybe one Jones and Larry Siegfried (or maybe Ramsey)......among those casts, he's the pretty clear SF.
And bbref's play-by-play data has 65% of Iggy's career played at SF (just 32% at SG).

That's fine - was trying to start the conversation. I remember a lot of Bowen/Kobe duels which is why I mentioned him here.

[Samurai]

.

Mj
Wade
Dumars
Bowen
Starks
Coop
Tony Allen
I feel I “have” to mention Kobe even though he won’t be near the top of my list
hondo
Iggy
Bradley
Moncrief
Robertson

That’s a good start

I don't disagree with any mentions above based on their defensive chops, but the bolded ones I may have a hard time classifying as SG's.
Bruce Bowen in particular was pretty consistently a SF in the Spurs line-up (bbref's play-by-play data has him 81% at SF from '01 thru end of career, vs only 13% SG).
Hondo is listed (on bbref) as SF in 12 of his 16 seasons; which is fitting when you think about those rosters--->he was frequently starting/playing next to the Jones's or maybe one Jones and Larry Siegfried (or maybe Ramsey)......among those casts, he's the pretty clear SF.
And bbref's play-by-play data has 65% of Iggy's career played at SF (just 32% at SG).

That's fine - was trying to start the conversation. I remember a lot of Bowen/Kobe duels which is why I mentioned him here.

When you are an elite defender, it seems fairly common to be put on the other team's top offensive weapon even if it means playing "out of position". For example, Cooper was a SG but I think most of us remember the classic battles he had defending 6-9 Larry Bird.

[Owly]

Some mentions based on the Barry handbook and some positional quandaries and opinions.

Vincent Askew SF or SG (x2 Barry triple AAA)
(assume Randy Brown was a PG (1x AAA))
Dumars (4x AAA)
Craig Ehlo (1x AAA)
Mario Elie SG or SF (2x AAA - triple AAA in 95 and 96 so perhaps going forward)
Bob Hansen (1x AAA)
Bill Hanzlik (2x AAA)
Michael Jordan (6x AAA)
Fat Lever (3x AAA - 89-91 91 based on reputation he didn't play much but perhaps AAA going back before 89)
Mark Macon (2x AAA)
Dan Majerle (4x AAA)
Sarunas Marciulionis (1x AAA - grades then slipped frequently into poor territory)
Vernon Maxwell (4x AAA)
Bobby Phills (1x AAA - 96 so perhaps going forward)
Mitch Richmond (1x AAA)
Alvin Robertson (1x AAA - note, no AA years, so mostly no better than good - generally critical of gambling tendencies)
Tony Smith (3x AAA) (SG or PG - probably the former overall)
Latrell Sprewell (1x AAA)
John Starks (1x AAA)
Darrell Walker (2x AAA) (PG or SG)
David Wingate (1x AAA) (probably SG rather than SF)

Other names for status or (me) perceived goodness
Moncrief
Bryant (though more status)
Christie
Allen
Dunn
Sloan
Chaney
Manu
Sharman
Eddie Jones

Mckie is a good mention. Bell probably warrants being on the long list. "Fast Eddie"

Will leave more recent guys and deeper looks into the numbers for others.

Regarding positions, the following refers to my opinion on their primary position saying Havlicek "is" an SF isn't to say he couldn't or didn't play significantly at SG. Also this doesn't really matter.

Havlicek SF
Cooper 1-3 and splitting the difference makes sense (he's a little stringy for 3s - where some 1-3 guys - have IMO a clearer nominal position - Pressey SF (also Point Forward) or McMillan PG) so SG
Bowen SF
Iggy - "Wing" lean SF
Butler - lean SG
Battier - "Wing" lean SF but some positional allocations seem fuzzy (for instance - BkB Ref has 2004 Griz non-Bonzi SG minutes as Posey, calling him 76% a 2, Hollinger differed but called Mike Miller 90% SG [and 9% PG] - seems like it's just "wings" - see also Houston years with T-Mac).
Roberson SF
Thabo SG

Fast Eddie probably warrants being on the long list. He, and to a lesser extent Robertson (and perhaps Kobe) bring up the question, which Hall of Fame type organizations face, of the degree to which you are comfortable including off-court factors or acknowledging/praising/rewarding people whose actions have been ... (choose your framing per your inclinations). My inclination would be to keep it basketball, but understand other points of view.

The above isn't a comprehensive list, just some thoughts on some things mentioned.

[cecilthesheep]

Pressey is an SF to me, one of the earlier real point forwards. That one's for sure arguable though, because he did spend a lot of time at SG as well.

I think if Thabo is an SG based on his time next to Durant, then surely Roberson should be an SG as well?

[bledredwine]

Richmond (yes you read that correctly)

big fan of this mention

He's so underrated.... not offensively but as a player in general. That seems cliche to say now. But when he's not mentioned in defensive threads, it's more testament to how forgotten he is.

[Sublime187]

I'd like to mention Doug Christie.

[Gibson22]

So I would go: butler sg, pressey sf, andre roberson sf, thabo sefolosha I don't know.

I would put bobby phills and vernon maxwell, mitch richmond too.
I think we gotta find a way to decide some players' position. Maybe I will start a poll in this board

[Gibson22]

Locks in my opinion (they are a lot)

Starks
Ginobili
Tr Dunn
Dumars
Fast Eddie
Fat Lever
Jimmy Butler if he's SG
Sidney Moncrief
Michael Jordan
Tony allen
Avery Bradley
THABO SEFOLOSHA
Michael cooper
Alvin Robertson
Wade
Doug Christie
Danny Green
Klay
Jerry Sloan
Kobe
Tom Gola
Don Chaney
Nick Anderson
Mitch Richmond
Raja Bell
Bobby Phills
Vernon Maxwell
Bill Sharman

Then
maybes:
Sprewell , Aaron McKie, stacey augmon, Larry hughes, Lionel Hollins + the players that we have to decide their position (jimmy b thabo andre roberson majerle)