Which team has the best starting shooting guard, and which one has the worst? The Sporting News is ranking every team’s starter at each position for the 2024-25 NBA season.
If there’s one takeaway from looking at the best shooting guards in the league, it’s this: the NBA is moving more toward shifting the best players to point guard, allowing them to have the ball in their hands more often.
Most of the All-Star guards fall into this category even if they are more score-first players. There are still a lot of talented shooting guards in the league, but the All-NBA caliber players drop off quickly after the top few names on this list.
Here are all 30 projected starters at shooting guard for the 2024-25 season, ranked 1 to 30.
SN’s NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule
NBA shooting guard rankings 2024-25
1. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Edwards’ time is now. He was one of the best players for Team USA in the Olympics and he’s coming off a season in which he led the Wolves to the Western Conference Finals as the scoring engine for their offense. His 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game earned him a No. 7 finish in MVP voting and Second Team All-NBA honors.
Edwards is unstoppable going to the rim and a great shooter from all over the floor. He’s an improved one-on-one defender who can lock down at the end of games. The one area where he will have to improve is as a passer out of double teams, which he will see more frequently this year.
MORE: Revisiting Anthony Edwards’ path to becoming No. 1 pick in 2020
2. Devin Booker, Suns
Booker earned Third Team All-NBA honors after averaging 27.1 points, 6.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Suns. He’s an electric scorer who is dangerous from everywhere on the floor, and he has upped his defense in recent years.
3. Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Mitchell made his fifth consecutive All-Star game last season, averaging 26.6 points and 6.1 assists per game. He took on more primary ball handler duties for Cleveland, making strides as a passer to go along with his electric scoring ability. And long criticized for his defense, he’s become significantly better on that end of the floor.
4. Kyrie Irving, Mavericks
Irving reminded everyone of what he’s capable of when healthy in 2023-24, helping to lead Dallas to the Finals as one of the best No. 2 options in the league.
Irving still has one of the best handles in the game, and his athleticism hasn’t waned too much. His six dunks last year were the most of his career. He averaged 25.6 points per game on a blistering 41.1 percent shooting from 3 playing alongside Luka Doncic.
5. Derrick White, Celtics
The do-everything guard ultimately fell short of his first All-Star nod but did win a championship and make his second consecutive All-Defensive team.
White is the best shot-blocking guard in the league and terrific in one-on-one settings against other guards. He’s become an extremely reliable 3-point shooter, knocking down 39.6 percent of his attempts last season. He was Boston’s best passer, averaging a team-high 5.2 assists per game.
6. Khris Middleton, Bucks
Middleton has been hampered by injuries since last making the All-Star team in 2022. He was on a minutes restriction for most of last season and only appeared in 55 games.
Middleton was still Milwaukee’s third-best player when he did see action on the floor, averaging 15.1 points per game. That number went up to 24.7 points per game in the playoffs when they needed him to score more. He’s no longer a positive defender, but he can still score with the best of them when he’s near 100 percent.
7. Mikal Bridges, Knicks
Bridges is a few years removed from a runner-up finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He hasn’t been nearly the same defender since then, but he’s still a solid positive on that end of the floor. He’s a good 3-point shooter who should be more efficient as the third guy with the Knicks rather than the No. 1 option with the Nets.
8. Alex Caruso, Thunder
Caruso is a maniacal defender who is impossible to screen and generates turnovers at a prodigious rate. There might not be a better one-on-one defender in the league. He’s also able to guard up in position because of his toughness.
Caruso is an improved scorer who hit 40.8 percent of his 3s for the Bulls last season, but he’s still a bit too reluctant as a shooter.
9. Coby White, Bulls
White is coming off a breakout season in which he finished runner-up in Most Improved Player voting. He averaged a career-high 19.1 points and 5.1 assists per game, taking on more ball-handling duties for the Bulls and improving dramatically as a pick-and-roll guard.
White is a very streaky shooter who always seems to end up around 37 percent at the end of the year. He gives effort on defense but his small stature makes him a target on that end of the floor.
10. Austin Reaves, Lakers
After a slow start to last season in which he was pulled out of the starting rotation, Reaves made a nice recovery and reminded everyone of why the Lakers valued him so highly.
Reaves finished the year averaging 15.9 points per game while shooting a solid 36.7 percent from 3. He’s good at drawing fouls and doesn’t shy away from big moments. He’s a better defender than he’s given credit for.
UPDATED NBA PLAYER RANKINGS: Where LeBron, Curry and other stars land ahead of 2024-25 season
11. Marcus Smart, Grizzlies
12. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Magic
13. CJ McCollum, Pelicans
14. Tyler Herro, Heat
15. Brandon Miller, Hornets
- Smart is coming off a disastrous year in which he only played in 20 games due to injuries. The former Defensive Player of the Year is still capable of defending at a high level and providing a ton of energy with smart hustle plays.
- Caldwell-Pope changed scenery this year. It will be interesting to see if he keeps his same level of production away from Nikola Jokic. The defense will always be there, but KCP may see a dip from the 41.5 percent from 3 that he shot while with Denver.
- McCollum is still a good scorer. He averaged 20.0 points per game last season and hit 42.9 percent of his 3s. But his size prevents him from defending at a high level, and he may be squeezed out of New Orleans’ starting lineup.
- Herro has had injury issues lately. He’s been a 20-point-per-game scorer over the past three years when he’s been available, hitting 3s at a high clip and pressuring defenses. The next step for him will be dealing with ball pressure and double-teams more effectively.
- Miller showed outlines of his idol, Paul George, during a rookie year in which he defended well, hit 37.3 percent of his 3s and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. He’s a good wing with size who will challenge for an All-Star spot in a few years.
16. Anfernee Simons, Blazers
17. Jalen Green, Rockets
18. Andrew Nembhard, Pacers
19. Brandin Podziemski, Warriors
20. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Hawks
- Last year was supposed to be a big one for Simons after the departure of Damian Lillard, but he played in only 46 games due to injuries. He has good box score numbers, averaging 22.6 points and 5.5 assists per game. He’s also a great 3-point shooter, but there are some questions about his overall impact given his mediocre shot selection and poor defense.
- Green had an up-and-down season but started to turn it on late. He averaged 27.7 points per game in March, showing how electric of a scorer he can be when he’s not taking bad shots.
- Nembhard had a great playoffs for the Pacers, hitting big shots and playing smart defense for them. He’s a heady player who isn’t the most aggressive scorer but knows how to pick his spots.
21. Devin Vassell, Spurs
22. Terance Mann, Clippers
23. Kevin Huerter, Kings
24. Kelly Oubre, 76ers
25. Collin Sexton, Jazz
- Vassell had a good year, turning it on late in the season and acting as the No. 2 scoring option for the Spurs behind Victor Wembanyama. He averaged a solid 19.5 points per game, and he has started to use his plus tools to impact the defensive end of the floor.
- Mann will get a bigger chance to show what he can do with the departure of Russell Westbrook. He’s a good defender and smart offensive player.
- Huerter had a down shooting year, hitting just 36.1 percent of his 3s last season for the Kings. If he can return to the 40 percent that he shot two seasons ago, he becomes a much more valuable player.
- Oubre was a surprise starter for the Sixers and thrived in the role, earning a bigger contract with the team. He brings size on the wing and can create decent offense for himself.
- Sexton very quietly had a terrific second half of the 2023-24 season for the Jazz, shooting lights out from all over the floor. He’s still not a great defender, but he’s improved as a passer and averaged an efficient 18.7 points per game for the Jazz.
26. Cam Thomas, Nets
27. Jaden Ivey, Pistons
28. Christian Braun, Nuggets
29. Jordan Poole, Wizards
30. Gradey Dick, Raptors
- Thomas is an electric scorer who doesn’t do much else. He averaged 22.5 points per game last year. That number will likely go up on a bad Nets team where he will have plenty of opportunities to shoot.
- Ivey should get a much bigger window with Monty Williams out and J. B. Bickerstaff in as the new coach. Ivey had a bad sophomore season in which most of his stats fell. Inefficient scoring and poor defense are concerns, but he does have plus athleticism and streaky shooting.
- Braun has big shoes to fill with KCP’s departure. He’s a high-energy player who plays hard on defense and can hit open 3s at a good clip.
- Poole is a very capable scorer, but poor decision-making and horrendous defense have limited his effectiveness since leaving Golden State.
- Dick had a terrible start to the season but recovered after the Raptors had fallen out of the playoff hunt. His main job is to hit 3s, and he connected on 37.1 percent of them after the All-Star break.
