Who are the best 6'5-6'8 scoring wings?

[Skybox]

I doubt all of these "tons of potential" bigs...Who are this year's stud off guard/wing scorers? Who is the next Zach Lavine, Zaire Williams, Jalen Green, SGA...type? Looking for 3-level scorers who can spread the floor, defend, put it on the floor.

[clyde21]

you're not really listing wings there (other than Ziaire) but in this class right now it's Keegan Murray by far

[Hal14]

you're not really listing wings there (other than Ziaire) but in this class right now it's Keegan Murray by far

Lavine is not a wing? Jalen Green not a wing?

A lot of these terms for positions are pretty ambiguous, but I consider "wing" as any player who plays the lion's share of his mins at the 2 or the 3.

Murray plays the 4 in college and projects as 4 in the NBA..

To answer the OP question, I'd say Caleb Houstan, Ben Mathurin, Bryce McGowens, AJ Griffin, Peyton Watson, Dyson Daniels, Marjon Beauchamp and Max Christie are all guys who potentially fit the description - to varying degrees..

[clyde21]

just because you play the 2 doesn't mean you're a wing...Jordan Poole plays the 2...is he a wing?

Green is a guard, Lavine has been playing combo guard the last few years, I guess this year he qualifies as a wing but there are way better examples of wings to use regardless

[Hal14]

just because you play the 2 doesn't mean you're a wing...Jordan Poole plays the 2...is he a wing?

Green is a guard, Lavine has been playing combo guard the last few years, I guess this year he qualifies as a wing but there are way better examples of wings to use regardless

If Poole plays all his mins at the 2, he's a wing. If a team is running their offense, the PG is at the top of the key or a little further out than top of key - hence the term POINT guard. The 2 and the 3 are on the wings - hence why guys who play those positions are often referred to as wings.

So say Green is a guard? Folks don't typically use the term guard anymore. Not since the 80s or even 70s. Ever since then, strategy of the game has evolved - as a result, we've gotten more granular with PG and SG instead of Guard...and SF and PF instead of Forward.

However, in the 2000s (and to some extent the 90s), we saw more evolution. we started to see less distinction between SG and SF - guys like Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Bruce Bowen, etc. Were they SG or SF? The line became blurry, so people started to just call them wings.

Now the line has continued to blur, with teams moving away from traditional PG at top of key, 2 wings on the wings and 2 bigs in the post - we now have less post play. More teams playing 4 out and even sometimes 5 out. So one might say that in today's game a 4 could be considered a wing - I'm not sure we're quite there yet, though..

And I'm not sure about Lavine as a combo guard. Combo guard to me means he gets a good amount of mins at both the 1 and the 2. I don't recall Lavine ever playing much at the 1. I see him as a 2 or a 3. Primarily a 2 but also playing more at the 3 this year with Chicago when they'll often play Ball at the 1 and Caruso or White at the 2..

[clyde21]

Poole doesnt defend wings therefore hes not a wing, just because you're a 2 guard doesn't mean youre a wing, thats a bad premise

[Skybox]

Here, in a nutshell, is what's wrong with RealGM (or maybe just humanity on social media)...I told you what I was looking for and now it's a "How I define wing" thread.

Didn't I say "off Guard/Wing"? Are you the kind of person who answers product questions with "I can't really help you with that because I don't have one, but my cousin's niece seems to like hers"?

thanks for the names, I'll keep looking. As a Magic fan, I'm tired of projects. Wagner was a "safe, high-floor" pick and he looks like a star. I'd love to see them bring in a guy who can actually shoot...not "projects as a shooter" or "form looks good" or "mechanics on free throws suggest NBA success (despite performance to date), etc". These kids have been attending camps year round since they were 8, if they can't shoot & don't show offensive or defensive instincts, odds aren't good. Looking for actual basketball skills, not just wingspan, vertical leap, hand size this time, IMO

[Catchall]

I haven't paid much attention to this year's class. Last draft, I liked Benedict Mathurin from Arizona before he withdrew. I see him as a 3D wing with the ability to put the ball down and make a few plays. Not sure if he's scoring at the rim better this year.

Keegan Murray at Iowa is putting up amazing numbers across the board, but I haven't had a chance to check him out.

Here's Mathurin.

Watch on YouTube

[crows2]

As a Magic fan, I'm tired of projects. Wagner was a "safe, high-floor" pick and he looks like a star. I'd love to see them bring in a guy who can actually shoot...not "projects as a shooter" or "form looks good" or "mechanics on free throws suggest NBA success (despite performance to date), etc". These kids have been attending camps year round since they were 8, if they can't shoot & don't show offensive or defensive instincts, odds aren't good. Looking for actual basketball skills, not just wingspan, vertical leap, hand size this time, IMO

If this is the kind of player you want/don't want, then why did you cite Ziaire Williams in the OP? He's the definition of "drafted on potential with no actual results to back it up.

Anyway, as the poster above said, Mathurin is a decent example in this draft. Others could be Baldwin, Brown, Houstan and Christie.

[Catchall]

As a Magic fan, I'm tired of projects. Wagner was a "safe, high-floor" pick and he looks like a star. I'd love to see them bring in a guy who can actually shoot...not "projects as a shooter" or "form looks good" or "mechanics on free throws suggest NBA success (despite performance to date), etc". These kids have been attending camps year round since they were 8, if they can't shoot & don't show offensive or defensive instincts, odds aren't good. Looking for actual basketball skills, not just wingspan, vertical leap, hand size this time, IMO

I always thought Wagner projected as a German version of Gordon Hayward. By German, I mean he's a bit stiff in the hips. (Listen to a polka, and you'll understand.) However, he's a versatile glue guy who can do a bit of everything and has defensive versatility. Big wings with ball skills dominate the league, since they can impact literally every play on the floor. It doesn't matter if they're especially athletic, though it can help if they are.

Size and skill often trump athleticism and measurables.

[Skybox]

As a Magic fan, I'm tired of projects. Wagner was a "safe, high-floor" pick and he looks like a star. I'd love to see them bring in a guy who can actually shoot...not "projects as a shooter" or "form looks good" or "mechanics on free throws suggest NBA success (despite performance to date), etc". These kids have been attending camps year round since they were 8, if they can't shoot & don't show offensive or defensive instincts, odds aren't good. Looking for actual basketball skills, not just wingspan, vertical leap, hand size this time, IMO

I always thought Wagner projected as a German version of Gordon Hayward. By German, I mean he's a bit stiff in the hips. (Listen to a polka, and you'll understand.) However, he's a versatile glue guy who can do a bit of everything and has defensive versatility. Big wings with ball skills dominate the league, since they can impact literally every play on the floor. It doesn't matter if they're especially athletic, though it can help if they are.

Size and skill often trump athleticism and measurables.

We are loving Franz. What I meant was that he's more offensively advanced than (I think) most draft previews considered him. I think he's got a little ways to go for Gordon Hayward's scoring, but I agree that GH is the best comparison. Franz seems to have it all, including the attitude and self-belief to go right at veterans on both ends...I'd like to have two big wings like Franz

[WargamesX]

As a Magic fan, I'm tired of projects. Wagner was a "safe, high-floor" pick and he looks like a star. I'd love to see them bring in a guy who can actually shoot...not "projects as a shooter" or "form looks good" or "mechanics on free throws suggest NBA success (despite performance to date), etc". These kids have been attending camps year round since they were 8, if they can't shoot & don't show offensive or defensive instincts, odds aren't good. Looking for actual basketball skills, not just wingspan, vertical leap, hand size this time, IMO

I always thought Wagner projected as a German version of Gordon Hayward. By German, I mean he's a bit stiff in the hips. (Listen to a polka, and you'll understand.) However, he's a versatile glue guy who can do a bit of everything and has defensive versatility. Big wings with ball skills dominate the league, since they can impact literally every play on the floor. It doesn't matter if they're especially athletic, though it can help if they are.

Size and skill often trump athleticism and measurables.

We are loving Franz. What I meant was that he's more offensively advanced than (I think) most draft previews considered him. I think he's got a little ways to go for Gordon Hayward's scoring, but I agree that GH is the best comparison. Franz seems to have it all, including the attitude and self-belief to go right at veterans on both ends...I'd like to have two big wings like Franz

He’s likely going to develop into a bigger version of Otto Porter if Otto stayed healthy. Which is a great player whose stats might not be mind blowing but will help a team get wins. I just don’t think he has that third gear of scoring in him because he prefers being efficient. The elite scorers will have 20 shots for 20 point games because the ego that makes them a great scorer demands it. Franz seems like the type that will pass to someone else for the better shot, especially if he is having a off night.