NBA All-time Player Tiers: The 20 greatest shooting guards ever, ranked
By Cal Durrett
Tier 4) All-Star level
20) Devin Booker
19) Jaylen Brown
18) Joe Dumars
17) Joe Johnson
16) Mitch Richmond
15) Hal Greer
At just 27, Devin Booker might be a surprise inclusion but his offensive production has already made him a strong candidate to be an all-time great shooting guard. He's averaged at least 22 points per game over his last 8 seasons, including at least 25 per game in seven of those years. That includes a 70-point explosion in his second year in the NBA.
His torrid scoring output and his age should allow him to make up serious ground over the next five seasons with him entering his prime. He already has more than 14,500 points and could cross 20,000 points by the time he's 30 at that rate. With decent longevity, he should easily crack 25,000 points.
Eight seasons in and Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is starting to become a superstar. In 2024, he won Finals MVP and his first championship, but that only appears to be the beginning. Over his last five seasons, he's averaged at least 20 points per game and 23.7 points overall.
He's also made three all-star teams, all before turning 28. Another five seasons at that type of clip with perhaps another title and Brown will leap from a lot of all-time greats on this list.
Detroit Pistons guard Joe Dumars spent the entirety of his career with the team and often served as the team's second option behind fellow Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas. Playing alongside Thomas, Dumars helped lead the Pistons to five straight Eastern Conference Finals, three consecutive NBA Finals, and repeat championships.
Better still, Dumars won Finals MVP in 1989, making him one of only a handful of players on this list ever to achieve that honor. Two championships, a Finals MVP, and five All-Star appearances make him a shoo-in for this list.
Joe Johnson had one of the longest careers of any player on this list. He logged 1,277 career games, second most on this list behind Ray Allen and while he didn't have his peak, Johnson was still very good.
During a five-year span, he made four straight all-star teams and averaged at least 20 points each season and 21.7 points per game overall during that run. While he wasn't a dominant player, he did make seven all-star teams, scored more than 20,000 points, and has a borderline case to make the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Shooting guard Mitch Richmond has the distinction of being one of the few players to average at least 20 points over 10 straight seasons. Part of his consistency was due to his 3-point shooting, which saw him shooting an impressive 38.8% from three when the league average over his career was just 34.9%, and drawing an impressive amount of free throws. As a result, Richmond scored more than 20,000 points in addition to making five all-star teams and winning a championship, giving him a strong resume.
Philadelphia 76ers legend Hal Greer played more than 1,100 games with the franchise and, while not as well known as many on this list, was just as productive. His 10-year run from 1960-61 to 1969-70 saw him average 22 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while making 10 all-stars and seven all-NBA teams. He also won a championship in that span, capping one of the best stretches on any player in NBA history.