Ranking NBA starting shooting guards — 24. Duncan Robinson, Heat
It has been a slightly down season for Duncan Robinson, which stands in contrast to a surging Heat team. A career 40.9 percent 3-point shooter, Robinson has only hit 35.7 percent of his triples in 2021-22. It says something about Robinson’s ability that a league-average season from deep feels like such a disappointment.
Struggles aside, Robinson remains integral to Miami’s dynamic offense. His off-ball gravity unlocks so much for Miami’s key creators. Robinson moves unceasingly, taking a page out of J.J. Redick’s book. He doesn’t let his defender rest, and even in the midst of a relative slump, his reputation is such that his defender cannot — and will not, at least purposefully — lose sight of him.
Ranking NBA starting shooting guards — 23. Gary Trent Jr., Raptors
Gary Trent Jr. can put the ball in the basket. There’s no doubt about it. He’s averaging 16.8 points on respectable .421/.368/.845 splits, and this season, he has made major strides on the defensive end. To the point where he’s a major part of Toronto’s elite defense, rather than a weak point.
For the most part, Trent is still a one-dimensional player. He’s a bundle of points, without much else to contribute. He doesn’t create for others, and there are stretches where his points feel somewhat empty. That said, Trent has given Toronto fans plenty of reasons for optimism over the new contract.
Ranking NBA starting shooting guards — 22. Josh Giddey, Thunder
Josh Giddey is one of the more unique players to enter the NBA in a while. He’s 6-foot-8, razor-thin, and he’s not much of a scorer. But he’s also one of the NBA’s smartest players, with vision and basketball I.Q. well beyond your typical 19-year-old. And he’s still a young 19-year-old. Giddey process the game with impressive speed, with the size to peer over defenders and read the entire floor on the move.
A nightly triple-double threat, Giddey is averaging 11.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists on .401/.280/.681 splits. His next step is getting the 3-point shot down, but even without it, Giddey’s slick handles, long strides, and soft touch make him enough of a scoring threat to make his playmaking chops truly dangerous.