Ranking the top 5 shooting guards in the Western Conference ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season

As we continue to countdown to the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, which gets underway on 19 October, we are ranking the five best players in each conference across positions. Trae Young and Stephen Curry ranked among the best point guards in the Eastern and Western Conferences while James Harden took pole position among the shooting guards in the East.

We now turn our attention to the five best shooting guards in the West. There are a number of young talented players like Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento) and Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) that were part of the consideration set, but the names that eventually made it to the list have all proven their value with their stat lines. We take a look at these five players who make up the very best of the shooting guard position in the NBA’s Western Conference.

#5 CJ McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers)

CJ McCollum has forged a good backcourt partnership with Damian Lillard in Portland Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder avergaed 23.7 ppg in 2020-21

McCollum has been a steady backcourt partner for Damian Lillard over the years. He has averaged a minimum of 20.8 ppg since 2015-16, going for a career-best 23.1 ppg in the 2020-21 NBA season. He is also a reliable three-point threat, shooting 40.2% from downtown last season and 39.8% over his eight-year NBA career.

However, McCollum needs to be better than steady to make it to the next level of shooting guards. He must be brilliant while being consistent. For instance, his shooting form in the 2021 postseason dipped to 43.9% (45.8% in the regular season) from the field and only 33.3% from long range in Portland’s six-game, first round series versus Denver. His highest scoring game was a 22-point effort in Game 3. If Damian Lillard has to stay in Portland, it is paramount that McCollum gets better and when it matters most.

#4 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Gilgeous-Alexander has only made people sit up and take notice of his game since his NBA rookie season. From averaging 10.8 ppg in 2018-19, to 19.0 ppg in 2019-20, to averaging 23.7 pgg in 2020-21, Gilgeous-Alexander has shown outstanding improvement. He also shot better than 50% from the field and more than 40% from downtown in 2020-21.

But Gilgeous-Alexander is not content. In a recent interview to GQ magazine, the Oklahoma City Thunder player called himself the “Black Steve Nash”. Gilgeous-Alexander went on to say, “I’m not playing this game just to be a good basketball player. I want to be one of the greatest to ever play.” Looking at his assist numbers, a career-best 5.9 apg in 2020-21, Gilgeous-Alexander is already making steady progress in the NBA as a playmaker, but at 23.7 ppg for 2020-21, he has already done better than Nash ever did in a single NBA season.

#3 Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors)

The last time Klay Thompson played was in the 2019 NBA Finals

It’s been two long years since NBA fans around the world saw Klay Thompson in action. But even though Thompson has missed the last two seasons, there is no denying his genius and greatness. He and Steph Curry are the first two players in NBA history to have seven straight seasons (between 2012-2019) of 200 plus made three-point shots each season. Thompson has also never shot less than 40% from downtown.

Another amazing fact about Thompson is that ever since the NBA started tracking the data eight seasons ago (since 2013-14), Thompson has accounted for six of the ten highest scoring seasons (including playoffs) on catch-and-shoot three-pointers. The only two seasons where Thompson didn’t figure at the top of the list is in the last two NBA seasons when he was out injured. With reports of him returning to the Golden State Warriors line-up soon, we hope that Thompson can discover the very same form that won him millions of admirers around the world.

#2 Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)

Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz has to improve his mid-range game

The Utah Jazz guard averaged a career-best 26.4 ppg in 2020-21, while also posting his best single-season numbers in three-point shooting efficiency (38.6%) and assists (5.2 apg). Donovan Mitchell also made his second NBA All-Star appearance as Utah clinched the top spot in the West only to fall to the Los Angeles Clippers in six games in the Western Conference Semis.

Mitchell has great athleticism, but he isn’t that great a shooter from the floor. While other elite players on this list shot close to or even more than 50% from the field in 2020-21, Mitchell shot only 43.8% correspondingly. He had a career-high 8.7 three-point attempts per game for the season, but Mitchell simply must get better at shooting the basketball from the 10-feet to three-point line area where he only managed a 42.4% shooting efficiency for 2020-21 (including the playoffs).

#1 Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)

Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns has had an incredible 2021

It has been a fantastic year for Devin Booker. From making his maiden trip to the NBA Finals to winning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Booker has been on a roll. He averaged 25.6 ppg in the 2021 regular season, a figure that improved to 28.2 ppg in the NBA Finals. That he was the best player in the playoffs for a Suns team that also featured Chris Paul is a tribute to Booker’s talent.

The key for Booker is to stay consistent as he seeks greatness. He had those two incredible 40-point outings in Games 4 and 5 of the Finals, but he also had a couple of underwhelming performances in the series (10 points in Game 3; 19 points, six turnovers in Game 6). Heading into 2021-22, one can be certain that Booker will look to improve upon the flaws in his game as he looks to win the Suns their first title in franchise history.