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NBA Power Rankings: All 30 Starting Shooting Guards

By Shane Young

January 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) guards Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Heat won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
January 17, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) guards Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) in the second half of the game at the Staples Center. Heat won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Power Rankings
Apr 26, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) argues a foul call against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter in game four of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

7.  Lance Stephenson — Charlotte Hornets

Could we handle the bloodbath if Stephenson went and blew in Al Jefferson‘s ear for a funny little trick?  Big Al doesn’t condone such behavior, and might send him back to Brooklyn.

Michael Jordan, Steve Clifford and the Hornets are more than excited to have Stephenson on board, and that’s undeniable.  He breaks the city through a rough period of torture, which seemed to get better last year with a No. 7 seed in the East.  Jefferson and Kemba Walker drove that car to victory lane as it pertains to their expectations, since nobody expected their name in the conversation with Brooklyn, New York, Atlanta, or Washington.

Stephenson led the league in triple doubles during his final year as a Larry Bird child.  Trust me, Stephenson doesn’t want to get near Larry Legend or his famous seat at Bankers Life Fieldhouse anymore.  Spurning their offer of five-years, $44 million to join a lesser talent in the East for slightly more money, Lance took a gamble.  He’ll look to earn more dough after the league signs its new television contract in 2016, so credit his agent on that part.

Grit, grind, and 10 gears of creativity is what Stephenson brings to the table.  On defense, he’ll need some work on his attention to detail.  Staying with shooters, working through and around screens, and keeping up with faster guards are all points of emphasis for him, but his playoff defense on superstar talents is what out-shines anything.

He’s not ever getting into LeBron’s head.  Nonetheless, he forces guys to know he’s there, and makes them alter their game plans just a bit.

Scoring the ball isn’t an issue for Lance, when he’s willing to attack and get to the line.  Turning him into a standalone shooter is something Charlotte cannot afford to do, because that’s the type of role he wanted to grow out of in his early stages in Indiana.

If you didn’t imagine him getting any more tenacious than this past contract year, stay tuned for the buzz in North Carolina.