James Harden, Klay Thompson, and Jimmy Butler are the incumbent Shooting Guard All-Stars in the Western Conference. One can argue in which order they are ranked, but the ranking of the next 2-guards after the troika are up for grabs. Which shooting guards in the Western Conference have the chance to pass the 3 All-Stars?
3. Rodney Hood – Utah Jazz
With the departure of Gordon Hayward, the focus on the Utah Jazz’s offense now shifts to Rodney Hood. Hood averaged 12.7 points on 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 37.1 percent from the 3-point area last season.
Now Hood, entering his fourth season, will probably take up Hayward’s spot and his numbers are bound to increase. Hood distinguished himself after he served as Hayward’s backup during Utah Jazz’s run to the playoffs last season.
According to Synergy Sports data, the 23-year-old Hood generated 116.1 points per 100 possessions on finished plays when Hood uses a pick set for him. Interestingly, only Steph Curry, Eric Bledsoe, and Eric Gordon generated more points than Hood. Even more impressive is the fact that Kevin Durant and James Harden ranked behind Hood in this category.
It would be worth watching whether Hood can replace Hayward’s production last season as he takes on the offensive cudgels for the Jazz, a team that is seemingly bereft of scorers.
And for a guy who came into the league as a 3-and-D specialist, Hood is threading the same path that his predecessor Hayward, and up to a certain extent, MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard took.
2. Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker is barely 20-years-old when he dropped 70 points on the Boston Celtics. If that wasn’t any indication that the Phoenix Suns shooting guard is destined for stardom, then NBA fans can take the glowing recommendations from superstars the likes of Kevin Durrant, Jimmy Butler, and Kobe Bryant on face value.
Booker averaged 22.1 points on 42.3 percent shooting (36.3 percent from the 3-point area) during the 2016-2017 season. Booker ranked behind Harden, McCollum, Butler, and Thompson in scoring among Western Conference shooting guards. Discounting the statistics, Booker probably had the greater impact for his team as the young Sun is already the first option for Phoenix.
As mentioned above, Booker received nothing but praises from NBA players, current and former. Almost everyone holds Booker in such a high steam, suggesting that Devin Booker is going to be the next big NBA star.
1. CJ McCollum – Portland Trail Blazers
CJ McCollum averaged 23 points per game on 48 percent shooting (42.1 percent from the three-point area) last season. McCollum forms one of the most deadly backcourts in the NBA with Damien Lillard.
McCollum, one of the most underrated players in the NBA, improved in almost every statistical category each year since his rookie season. A former NBA player even suggests that McCollum would be a superstar “if he had his own team.”
The numbers McCollum put up last season ranks him only behind James Harden in scoring among Western Conference shooting guards and directly above the All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson.
Only Seth Curry and teammate Allen Crabbe have the better 3-point percentage than McCollum during the 2016-2017 NBA season.
But statistics aren’t the only measure of McCollum’s rise to stardom. He impacts the game in a way only a number of players could, and in a way that the likes of Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant could. It would be fascinating to see if McCollum will finally be recognized as a superstar in the NBA.
