Ranking NBA starting shooting guards — 12. Tyrese Haliburton, Kings
Tyrese Haliburton started the season slow but has come on strong as of late, really establishing himself as the future of the franchise in Sacramento (barring a trade for a certain Sixers point guard). He doesn’t play the flashiest brand of basketball, but Haliburton’s elite feel and dynamic 3-point range make him an excellent No. 2 playmaker.
For the season, Haliburton is averaging 13.7 points and 7.1 assists while slashing .467/.429/.819 — pretty remarkable when you consider how much oxygen De’Aaron Fox takes up offensively. Haliburton can hit shots well behind the 3-point line, and he’s the connective tissue that holds Sacramento’s (admittedly bad) offense together. Also, Haliburton has made the leap to above-average defender this season, using his length to clog passing lanes and generate turnovers.
Ranking NBA starting shooting guards — 11. Desmond Bane, Grizzlies
Desmond Bane has been one of the NBA’s best shooters from day one. Now, he’s a legitimately complete offensive player. The Grizzlies have watched Bane morph into a real No. 2 scorer — the kind of player who can leverage his 3-point gravity to beat closeouts, make strong backdoor cuts, and make himself involved in the offense far beyond his spot-up shooting.
With averages of 17.5 points and 4.5 rebounds on .466/.420/.896 splits, Bane is the ultimate 3-and-D guard. He’s also the perfect running mate for a player like Ja Morant, who thrives on rim pressure and slicing apart defenses from inside the arc.
Ranking NBA starting shooting guards — 10. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards was a somewhat controversial No. 1 pick, in part because 2020 lacked overtly elite prospects. There was real concern about Anthony Edwards’ ability to affect winning. He was an inefficient, high-volume scorer in college, and was much the same last season. Until the All-Star break, that is. Over the second half of last season, Edwards emerged, and he has carried that momentum into 2021-22.
For the season, Edwards is averaging 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on .443/.374/.802 splits. He and Karl-Anthony Towns are one of the NBA’s best one-two punches offensively, which makes the stark lack of competent play around them all the more heartbreaking. Edwards still has lots of room to grow as a facilitator and defender, but he’s already in rarified air as an on-ball scoring threat.