When defining basketball positions, shooting guard plays an outsized role on offense and that has been the case throughout NBA history. Many of the NBA's greatest scorers were shooting guards and as offense has become an increasingly important part of the game; they have become all the more important.
Having a player who can put pressure on defenses and put up points in droves has been a recipe for success with 20 standouts over the course of NBA history but who ranks as the best shooting guard ever? Let's find out!
Honorable mentions:
22) Earl Monroe
21) Donovan Mitchell
Earl "the Pearl" Monroe had a strong start to his Hall of Fame career, averaging 23.7 points over his first four seasons with the Baltimore Bullets. His career numbers dipped for several years as a member of the Knicks but came roaring back, averaging 20.5 points over a three-season span in his 30s. His lack of longevity, playing less than 1000 games, resulted in him finishing with fewer than 17,500 points—one of the lowest scoring totals on this list, but he was a terrific offensive player at his peak.
It may seem premature to put a player with seven years of NBA experience on an all-time list. Even so, at barely 28 years old, Donovan Mitchell is already an all-time great shooting guard, having made five all-star teams and with a career average of 24.8 points, including a 71-point game.
He also has the seventh-highest playoff scoring average in NBA history with 28.1, which is the fourth-highest among shooting guards. Few other players on this list can say they had those accolades over an NBA career, let alone in their first seven seasons. He'll have to continue his hot start over the next five or so seasons to make headway up the tiers list but Mitchell looks poised to do so.