by jabari davis a certified nba writer #6 – Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors 2012-13 Stats: 16.6 ppg, 2.2 apg, 3.7 rpg, 12.71 PER KlayThompsonTile1After nearly doubling his rookie-year productivity in his second season, Klay Thompson is poised to potentially take another step forward in the progression of his game. Alongside Steph Curry, Thompson is a part of one of the better three-point shooting backcourts in recent history. Thompson also has a pretty good first step when he decides to attack, but doesn’t always finish in traffic. Will elevate himself into “elite level” status if he can continue developing his mid-range and confidence when in traffic. Defensive statistics don’t always denote the true impact of a player, as is the case with Thompson. Not only is he a “willing” defender, but he isn’t afraid to mix it up with the elite guards of the league. He just does it quietly, and without an overabundance of emotion. #5 – Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets 2012-13 Stats: 16.3 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.0 rpg, 14.14 PER Joe_Johnson_TileJoe Johnson was less of the “iso-Joe” he was often described as in Atlanta for the Brooklyn Nets in 2012-13. As he ages, he becomes a bit more reliant upon the outside shot. Even though his shooting percentage dipped to its second-lowest point since his sophomore year in the league (.423 percent), with even more talent, not to mention veteran leadership on the current roster in the form of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, Johnson should see a resurgence in his efficiency numbers. First-year head coach Jason Kidd is a none proponent of the Princeton offense, so expect to see more and more of Johnson off backdoor cuts and mid-post screens for open jumpers as Kidd continues to install his preferred offensive sets. #4 – J.R. Smith, New York Knicks 2012-13 Stats: 18.1 ppg, 2.7 apg, 5.3 rpg, 17.67 PER JRSmith_Tile1Attempt to place aside opinions and/or feelings about pictures of J.R. Smith in the club partying with Rihanna during the postseason when actually judging his game. Smith is always going to be a bit of a free spirit, but he seemed to finally put it all together on the court in 2012-13. Buying into the sixth-man role head coach Woodson asked him to embrace, Smith turned in the finest season of his nine-year career, and did it in a contract year. Cashing in to the amount of a three-year, $18 million contract (initially reported as a four-year, $24.7 million deal), Smith is set to continue blossoming as Carmelo Anthony’s scoring wing-man once he returns from knee surgery. Although expected to be out for 3-4 months, barring any setbacks, Smith should return for the start of the season. #3 – Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat 2012-13 Stats: 21.1 ppg, 5.2 apg, 5.0 rpg, 24.04 PER Dwyane_Wade_TilePrior to last season, Wade would have still been in the top two players at the position. His slight slippage is absolutely to no fault of his own, as even though his body started breaking down towards the end of the season, Wade still played some excellent ball during the 2012-13 campaign. What may be most impressive about Wade’s maintained excellence is the seamless transition he made from being the main contributor, threat, and target to being willingly relegated to a secondary role in support of his teammate LeBron James’ greatness. Not only does Wade’s willingness to cast aside his ego in favor or success continue to impress, but his ability to find his spots and moments to impose his will and still be productive is pretty inspirational. Once upon a time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stepped aside (figuratively) for a budding superstar in Magic Johnson, as did David Robinson for Tim Duncan, just as Duncan did for Tony Parker. Wade’s willingness to adapt and desire to succeed helped him remain a champion. #2 – James Harden, Houston Rockets 2012-13 Stats: 25.9 ppg, 5.8 apg, 4.9 rpg, 23.00 PER JamesHarden_Tile3Whether you ‘fear the beard’ or the faux-hawk fade, if you’re a fan of the shooting guard position then you have to appreciate the development of James Harden’s game in just four short years in the NBA. Harden was seen as a bit of a “tweener” as he was entering the league, but quickly displayed the type of refined all-around game and playmaking ability that has become an unfortunate rarity in today’s NBA. There really aren’t any “holes” in Harden’s game, as he ranges from good to very good in just about every category. Harden can hit from beyond the arc, has a mid-range game, and actually led the league in free throw attempts in 2012-13 while shooting .851 percent. While several players on this list are on the backside of their careers, Harden will only be 24-years-old when the season begins, and is expected to be at or near the top of rankings of this nature for years to come. #1 – Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers 2012-13 Stats: 27.3 ppg, 6.0 apg, 5.6 rpg, 23.10 PER Kobe_Bryant_TileEvery time you want to say, “Kobe Bryant is now entering his __the year and has over 54,000 combined regular season and playoff minutes on his body, surely, he’s taken a step back,” you run the risk of making yourself look foolish in a basketball discussion. Even as we head into the 2013-14 season with Bryant’s physical status unknown as a result of a torn left Achilles he suffered in April of this year, you can only presume Bryant will find a way to return with a vengeance, yet again, just as he seemingly always has found a way to in the past. While he clearly isn’t what he once was from an athleticism standpoint, Bryant prides himself on utilizing external motivators and challenges. It will be interesting to see how this injury impacts his lateral foot-speed, as his one-time world-class defense had already taken a couple understandable steps back. Bryant’s will and grit have generally been enough to earn this top spot, but the added motivation of doubters and a key off-season disappointment will undoubtedly provide the extra motivation he’ll need to continue defying the odds, his age, and all forms of common sense. Read more at hoopsworld/top-6-nba-shooting-guards-in-2013-14#s606KtzoUUfLdF2u.99
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 03:56:28 +0000
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