Sixers: Ranking Seth Curry and every starting shooting guard in the NBA

Ranking NBA starting shooting guards — 6. Zach LaVine, Bulls

Zach LaVine continues to silence his doubters. Last season, he showed people he was a legitimate All-Star. Now, he’s showing people he can lead a winning team. It’s not like he doesn’t have help, of course, but Chicago is the No. 1 seed right now. LaVine is one of the NBA’s purest scorers, blending dynamic athleticism with feather-soft touch, smooth handles, and unmatched body control.

For the season, LaVine is averaging 24.9 points and 4.2 assists on .491/.412/.872 splits. He’s one of the best at-rim guard finishers in the NBA, he can feast from mid-range or from 3, and he’s a talented lead ball-handler when called upon. His weaknesses are few and far between offensively.

Ranking NBA starting shooting guards — 5. Donovan Mitchell, Jazz

Donovan Mitchell’s big moment of arrival was the Bubble, but he has sustained that dominance in the subsequent seasons. He is one of the most electric offensive players in the league, with an unguardable first step and strength that can only be described as unusual for a 6-foot-3 guard. He can get to the rim whenever he wants, and more often than not, he can go right through whoever’s there to stop him. Mitchell’s jumper has also improved drastically since his college days.

Averaging 25.7 points and 5.1 assists for arguably the NBA’s most consistent offense, Mitchell is the main hub for a Jazz team that often feels mechanical in its dominance. With shooters abound and a dominant rim runner at the five, Mitchell is set up perfectly to torch defenses in any which way — pull-up jumpers, pick-and-rolls, drive-and-kicks, at-rim finishes, you name it.

Ranking NBA starting shooting guards — 4. Bradley Beal, Wizards

Bradley Beal’s play this season has admittedly not lived up to this placement on the list, but let’s cut him some slack. He’s adjusting to new personnel, lingering injuries, and the ever-looming impacts of COVID. When healthy, Beal has consistently been among the league’s top scorers in recent years. He’s gifted, simple as that. He’s a springy self-creator, with a deep bag of tricks off the dribble and a buttery jump shot that hasn’t quite found the mark yet in 2022, but should return as the season progresses.

Even in a “bad” season, Beal is averaging 24.0 points and 6.7 assists on .455/.298/.840 splits. He takes a lot of difficult shots and now, in the absence of Russell Westbrook, is once again the focus of every defensive game plan. Those numbers indicate an exceptional player, and they’re nowhere close to what Beal is capable of when at his best.