Hoopshype's "20 Greatest SGs ever" list

[GSWFan1994]

After making the threads for the 20 greatest SFs and the 20 greatest PFs, this is the time for the SGs version.

Here's the link if you want to check the accolades & reasoning behind the players' placement.

So here is the full list:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Dwyane Wade
4. Allen Iverson
5. James Harden
6. Clyde Drexler
7. George Gervin
8. Reggie Miller
9. Ray Allen
10. Vince Carter
11. Tracy McGrady
12. Hal Greer
13. Earl Monroe
14. Klay Thompson
15. Sam Jones
16. Manu Ginobili
17. Dennis Johnson
18. Joe Dumars
19. Bill Sharman
20. Gail Goodrich

What are your thoughts on this list?

Cheers.

[wojoaderge]

It's ok. Carter is too high, Jones and Sharman too low

[Drakeem]

McGrady is too high for my liking, would put a few names above him, career was too short to be the greatest anything IMO.

Iverson also shouldn't be above Harden or Clyde. To be fair, it's a bit weird since he's always been a PG/SG.

[70sFan]

Iverson way too high, I don't like lack of Paul Westphal either. Not a bad list, though I'm not satisfied with the order.

[CobraCommander]

Interesting that only 3 Sg have been the best player on a championship team in the history of the league...wow

[NyKnicks1714]

Luka should be on it.

[Lalouie]

so i'm trying to recall back in the day and if the sg' position was thing.

am i wrong?

gail was a pg in college and only played "sg" alongside hazzard and then west, plus he was 6'1
bill bradley, cazzie russell, i don't recall these two being considered sg's. i got an sf vibe from them. for one thing bradley played next to clyde.

dave bing was a legit sg(he was 6'3) BUT i don't recall thinking of him that way. i thought of him like a pg

i think earl monroe was the "first" sg who i thought of as not a pg and not an sf but like a for real scoring guard. he played with frazier too

and of course there's west

was the position of "sg" kind of a throwaway slot that became a real position because of the 3? or maybe was it because players started growing and you couldn't make a 6'4/6'5 player a pg or a sf?

and was havlicek our first "small forward"?

[CobraCommander]

Luka should be on it.

Is he a two ?

[CobraCommander]

so i'm trying to recall back in the day and if the sg' position was thing.

am i wrong?

gail was a pg in college and only played "sg" alongside hazzard, plus he was 6'1
bill bradley, cazzie russell, i don't recall these two being considered sg's. i got an sf vibe from them. for one thing bradley played next to clyde.

dave bing was a legit sg(he was 6'3) BUT i don't recall thinking of him that way. i thought of him like a pg

i think earl monroe was the "first" sg who i thought of as not a pg and not an sf but like a for real scoring guard. he played with frazier too

and of course there's west

was the position of "sg" kind of a throwaway slot that became a real position because of the 3? or maybe was it because players started growing and you couldn't make a 6'4/6'5 player a pg or a sf?

Same thought I had. It makes you wonder what is the most important position in basketball. If these are the 20 best SGs - which it may be, in the last 75 years the SG hasn’t been as impactful as I would have thought.

Looks like the small forward has been the most important player on championship teams more often than not since jordan left...wow

[Lalouie]

Luka should be on it.

he plays the point, boss
and he's LISTED as one too
with an 8apg

yes i know...he's one of those indefinable enigmatic talents that defy the very definition

[Slot Machine]

Harden should be above Iverson and Ginobili should be above Klay IMO.

[UcanUwill]

Luka should be on it.

Is he a two ?

PG.

Star SG really is a dead position. Remember the times when we all accepted that a passer who is not intimidating by himself, should pound the ball and run offense? Like Erick Snow in Philly or Cleveland? Those days are gone, now the most talented player gets to play point, guys like Harden, Luka, Kyrie arent SGs anymore, they are all point guards by all sense of the word.

[Winsome Gerbil]

Ray Allen was NOT better than TMac. Sorry. The end.

Ray Allen played 17 years in the league. He was All-League TWICE. 1 2nd and 1 3rd. His career averages are 18.9/4.1/3.4 and an 18.6 PER, without great defense. Which makes him just exactly like every other great but not Great guard on the list (Mitch Richmond didn't even make the list with career averages of 21.0/3.9/3.5 and a 17.6PER + FIVE All-NBAs) At no point was Ray ever an MVP candidate. He won titles as a 3rd option and a bench guy. He belongs on the list somewhere, but he is NOT a top 10 all time guy. He was good. Not all time great.

Jerry West has also always been considered a SG for these purposes. When Kobe moved into the #2 all time SG spot, that was the guy he was widely considered to have passed. Calling him a PG has some merit behind it, but it upends all traditional rankings. At that rate Duncan should be called a C.

[CobraCommander]

Luka should be on it.

Is he a two ?

PG.

Star SG really is a dead position. Remember the times when we all accepted that a passer who is not intimidating by himself, should pound the ball and run offense? Like Erick Snow in Philly or Cleveland? Those days are gone, now the most talented player gets to play point, guys like Harden, Luka, Kyrie arent SGs anymore, they are all point guards by all sense of the word.

Like Lebron and Magic-


Look at all the chips over the last few decades- apart from Shaq, Hakeem,Duncan, Wade, MJ and Kobe...the best player on the team was a SF - it makes me think without a HOF big or shooting guard you need a good SF to win a ring

[CobraCommander]

Ray Allen was NOT better than TMac. Sorry. The end.

Ray Allen played 17 years in the league. He was All-League TWICE. 1 2nd and 1 3rd. His career averages are 18.9/4.1/3.4 and an 18.6 PER, without great defense. Which makes him just exactly like every other great but not Great guard on the list (Mitch Richmond didn't even make the list with career averages of 21.0/3.9/3.5 and a 17.6PER + FIVE All-NBAs) At no point was Ray ever an MVP candidate. He won titles as a 3rd option and a bench guy. He belongs on the list somewhere, but he is NOT a top 10 all time guy. He was good. Not all time great.

But what did tmac actually accomplish?

He couldn’t win with Yao?

I don’t know man...ray allen has actually won some rings and made some shots that mattered when it mattered.

Shooting is as important as what Tracy could do....and you could argue more people in nba history can do what Tracy can than what ray can do....not taking a side...just saying it’s not a cut and dry statement

[Johnny Bball]

Is PG13 still considered a SG? If so, yeah. Not sure he is though.

[jpengland]

Iverson way, way too high

[Time for Change]

As much as I dislike his play style, I have to say Harden should be 3rd. As good as Wade was, Harden’s efficiency is insane and he has an MVP and 6 All-NBA First teams to just 2 First teams for Wade.

[JimmyPlopper]

I have Wade over Kobe also

[Sothron]

After making the threads for the 20 greatest SFs and the 20 greatest PFs, this is the time for the SGs version.

Here's the link if you want to check the accolades & reasoning behind the players' placement.

So here is the full list:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Dwyane Wade
4. Allen Iverson
5. James Harden
6. Clyde Drexler
7. George Gervin
8. Reggie Miller
9. Ray Allen
10. Vince Carter
11. Tracy McGrady
12. Hal Greer
13. Earl Monroe
14. Klay Thompson
15. Sam Jones
16. Manu Ginobili
17. Dennis Johnson
18. Joe Dumars
19. Bill Sharman
20. Gail Goodrich

What are your thoughts on this list?

Cheers.

Am I missing things or is Jerry West not listed at all on here? Wow. Just wow.