In this young NBA season, we have been seeing plenty of young talent thrive and make leaps and bounds in their game. In the Eastern Conference, we are starting to see the emergence of the SG position. The top shooting guards are all under 30 years old and have made a huge impact on their teams through the first few games. The Eastern Conference All-Star Shooting Guard contenders are:
1.) DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan was the starting SG last year for the Eastern Conference All Stars and is on his way to repeat. He’s still the best offensive SG in the Eastern Conference with his incredible skill set to put the ball in the hoop. It’s a tough task for any defender in the NBA to stay in front of him, and his ability to shoot the mid-range is an underrated part of his game. In his first four games, he’s shooting just under 50% from the field while averaging 23.3 PPG. The back-court of him and Kyle Lowry is one of the best back-courts in the NBA, let alone the Eastern Conference. If DeRozan has a year as close to the one he had last year, I would say he’s a lock to be the SG for the East All Stars. Here is his best game of the year so far against the 76ers where he scored 30 points in three quarters!
2.) Bradley Beal
It feels like Beal has been in the league longer than he has. He’s only 24 years old and has shown strides of improvement every year he’s been in the NBA. He’s currently 15th in scoring, averaging 24.5 PPG. The only cause of concern is that he is shooting 26% from 3PT, and that’s unacceptable for Bradley Beal. He’s considered to be one of the best shooters in the Eastern Conference, and if he can consistently knock down the 3-ball, he’s going to be a serious contender over DeRozan. Beal is also showing great skill on the defensive end with almost two steals and over a block per game. I think Beal has the highest upside out of any of these four guards. Now, let’s see him block LaVar (whoops, Lonzo) Ball.
3.) Victor Oladipo
Now, I’ll admit, I have been slandering Oladipo’s basketball skill since he was drafted second overall by the Magic. I thought the Magic were crazy to draft him that high! Since then, he’s been traded to OKC for Ibaka and then shipped off to Indiana for Paul George. Now in Indy, he’s the main production on offense. He’s currently seventh in scoring, averaging 26 PPG. Oladipo has already proved his skills defensively and is continuing the trend with 2.2 steals per game. The offensive explosion from Oladipo shows that if he’s the guy to score, he’s capable of taking over the game. One stat that stood out to me was that he’s shooting almost 45% from 3PT. If that trend continues, at least somewhat, Oladipo is going to be a pest to play against all year. Let’s see if he can continue his hot start and be the new top SG in the Eastern Conference. Here’s his most recent game against his former team.
4.) Jaylen Brown
The dark horse! Jaylen Brown just turned 21 on Tuesday and is starting to break out of his shell. He’s been one of the best players on the Celtics to start the year. Last night’s game he struggled from the field to start but has shown improvement in his shooting from last year. He’s knocking the 3-ball down more consistently, which is going to be needed for the Celtics in order to win games. His defensive potential is still high due to his length and size at the SG position, and his able to guard 1-4 on the court. Jaylen Brown might be a few years away from stardom, but if he can be a huge piece to the Celtics team this year, he could make a run against these other three guards for the All Star spot. After the Gordon Hayward injury, Brown has to be able to fill in the scoring for the team along with Tatum. Despite being a young man, Jaylen is a perfectionist and is always focused on making his game better. Here’s what Brown is capable of on a nightly basis when he’s feeling himself on offense.
Thank you for reading!
JTA (@jtapersources)