Without a hint of hyperbole, I'll offer up this prediction: The crop of shooting guards in this year's draft class has the potential to produce multiple All-Stars. There's only a small sliver of top-end talents this year like Anthony Edwards, a wing/shooting guard, but there's impressive depth that could surprise, with young talents like Tyrese Maxey and RJ Hampton looking like potential top-20 selections.
There are also a slew of upperclassmen who, despite being older and seen perhaps as less appealing or flashy, have the goods to compete right away. Between Desmond Bane and Elijah Hughes, among others, the experience and shot-making skills are off the charts.
So who are the top prospects at the position in this year's draft? Take a peek below as we continue our positional series examining the top players in the draft. (If you missed it, here's a look at the top point guards and top 3-and-D players from this year's class.)
Top NBA Draft Shooting Guard Prospects
| 1 | |
| The clear-cut top shooting guard prospect, and seen by some as the top overall prospect regardless of position, Anthony Edwards has the game of a shooting guard and the size of a wing. He can create space to get open shots for himself on the perimeter and has incredible athleticism to boot. Putting aside concerns about his efficiency, he's an exciting prospect because of how gifted he is physically and how much more he could still add to his game. | |
| 2 | |
| A one-and-done season at Kentucky was a mixed bag for Tyrese Maxey. On one hand, he showed himself as one of the best on-ball perimeter defenders. On the other, he struggled to live up to offensive expectations, hitting just 29.2% of his 3s and failing to consistently produce, though he had some major flashes of brilliance. The hope here is that NBA spacing unlocks the offensive game we rarely see from him in college, and that, paired with his defense, he becomes a two-way force. I'm a believer in the shot eventually coming around, and it's why he will be a top-10 prospect on my Big Board ahead of draft night. | |
| 3 | |
| An injury-plagued sophomore season stuffed what was anticipated to be a true star turn for Isaiah Joe, who was considered this time a year ago as one of the most pure shooters in college basketball. So I'm willing to buy while the stock is low. He has a smooth, quick shooting release and project as a plus-scorer, having averaged 16.9 points per game last season. If his efficiency from deep returns to form like his freshman season, where he made 41.4% of shots from deep, he'll wind up as a steal. Top-20 talent in this class with draft stock closer to early-to-mid second round. | |
| 4 | |
| A disappointing season overseas in the NBL overshadowed what is -- and remains -- promising prospects for former five-star recruit R.J. Hampton. He's a skilled combo guard with an advanced handle who struggled shooting the ball and didn't perform well defensively, but has the athleticism to turn things around. He's already reworked his shot this offseason, too. | |
| 5 | |
| One of the fastest-rising prospects in this year's draft, Desmond Bane played four seasons at TCU where he twice won All-Big 12 honors. He was productive in every role he served in, too, from complementary bit piece to No. 1 option. At 6-foot-6, he has good size for his position and, best of all, made 43.3% of his 3s in college. Top-notch shooter who should be viewed moving forward as a potential top-20 prospect. | |
| 6 | |
| A projectable role player at the NBA level, Josh Green already proved he could thrive in such a role at Arizona, where alongside Nico Mannion and Zeke Nnaji, he averaged 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and shot 36.1% from 3. He's still got growing to do on offense, but he's no stiff, and I think he's got some untapped upside with the ball in his hands as a driver that we rarely saw at Arizona. He's a 3-and-D-type player who teams with stars should be targeting in the back half of the first round. | |
| 7 | |
| When you think of Duke one-and-dones, you think of Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram or Jabari Parker -- superstar talents and top-10 picks. Cassius Stanley isn't necessarily that, but he is a hard-nosed, no-nonsense defensive stalwart who thrives taking on tough assignments and has enough offensive juice to get by. We're talking about a guy who bested Zion Williamson's vertical leap record at Duke, so Stanley isn't short on athletic gifts. | |
| 8 | |
| Among players from power conferences last season who took at least 100 3-point attempts, Jahmi'us Ramsey ranked third nationally, hitting 42.6% of his 141 attempts behind only Jalen Cone and Spencer Jones. And that's exactly what he'll be expected to do in the NBA, too, with his reliable catch and release shooting skills. He still needs to polish up his skills on offense overall, particularly his handle, but there's a role for a prolific scorer like Ramsey in the NBA as a potentially impactful two-way presence off the ball. | |
| 9 | |
| Despite drawing extra defensive attention throughout the season as Syracuse's No. 1 scoring option, Elijah Hughes managed to deliver a big breakout season, averaging 19.0 points per game while hitting 34.2% from 3 and 50.8% from the field. In the process, he flashed playmaking abilities as the team's second-leading assist man, too. His big frame, defensive potential and scoring gives teams the flexibility to draft and develop him at either the 2 or the 3. | |
| 10 | |
| A four-year college player from LSU, Skylar Mays improved each season in the Bayou and now has borderline first-round prospects because of his offensive creation abilities as a passer and as a shooter. He can pull up and deliver shots on a dime and also has the experience to captain an offense, so teams looking for backcourt depth and an added scoring punch may find both options here with the 6-4 23-year-old. | |
