Michael Jordon, 2003 NBA All-Star Game
Welcome back to Passin' the Torch. What I would like to do in this series is highlight young players who will be considered the best of the best. When Jordan gave that speech at the All-Star game, players like Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan were listening. Now Kobe and Duncan are considered the best and will soon (or not so soon) be giving up their titles as The Best. This week's edition will be focusing on shooting guards in the NBA that are 25 years of age and under. Personally, I feel that the shooting guard position is a bit lacking when it comes to young talent in the NBA, but there are a few notable players in the shooting guard spot.
O.J. Mayo (22)
2009-2010 Stats
| FG% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| .458 | .383 | .809 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 17.5 |
Simply put, O.J. Mayo is a scorer. Since his days at USC, he's always been known as a player who puts the ball in the hoop. Whether it be through penetrating through the paint or hitting a deep three, scoring is what Mayo does best. If he wasn't on a team with people who dominate the ball, he could easily be scoring 20+ points a game. Even with Zach Randolph AND Rudy Gay on his team, he found a way to score 17.5 points a game last year. Although he is one of the better young guards in the game, his skills are limited to scoring. Whether that be the fault of being on a team with people who need the ball in their hands or a lack of skill, Mayo doesn't have what it takes to be called the best. Until he takes his game to the next level, he'll just be known as one of the better scoring guards in the game.
Eric Gordon (21)
2009-2010 Stats
| FG% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| .449 | .371 | .742 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 16.9 |
Eric Gordon has really been impressive the last couple years. He's a very solid wing scorer who can slash to the hoop or knock down the open jumper. He has a big body so he's strong when going to the hoop to draw a foul and can play defense with his size and strength. His inability to score more points is more because of him being on a team with players who demand the ball (i.e. Baron Davis, Chris Kaman) and less because of a lack of talent. Although Gordon is a very solid player, the best he will ever be is a very good role player. The Clippers are quickly becoming Blake Griffin's team, but that should only help Gordon as he should find more shots opening up for him with defenses focusing more on Griffin and Kaman. Look for Eric Gordon to be more aggressive on offense and defense this upcoming season.
Tyreke Evans (21)
2009-2010 Stats
| FG% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| .458 | .255 | .748 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 20.1 |
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Besides Tyreke Evans, only three other players in the history of the NBA averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists as a rookie. This just proves how talented of a player Evans is. Not only is Evans strong, but he is also very quick. His ability to penetrate through the lane with his size and quickness gave many defenses difficulties in guarding him. Along with his scoring ability, his rebounding and assisting are very impressive. Not many guards have a knack for rebounding, but that is not the case for Evans. Playing alongside DeMarcus Cousins this year should only further prove how talented Evans is. The main thing Evans will need to work on is a consistent jump shot. Once he's able to hit consistently from long range, he'll be almost impossible to guard. Look for Evans to really improve this year and possibly lead the Kings to surprise playoff berth.
Monta Ellis (25)
2009-2010 Stats
| FG% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| .449 | .338 | .753 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 25.5 |
If there's one thing that Monta Ellis is good at, it's putting the ball in the hoop. He was 6th in the league in scoring this past year. Ellis is such a talent on offense because he can do everything with the ball. He can hit the open jump shot, he can take it to the hoop, and he can even dish it to open team mates from time to time. Although Monta Ellis is one of the better young guards in the game, he will not be known for much if he doesn't start winning. Now that he has a future All-Star running mate in Stephen Curry and low-post talent in David Lee, he'll have lots of help to put up some W's for the W's. He probably won't score as much as he did last year, but that is a fine price to pay if his team will start to win some more games.
Brandon Roy (26)
2009-2010 Stats
| FG% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| .473 | .330 | .780 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 21.5 |
Alright, so let me explain myself. I understand that Brandon Roy is 26 years old and technically, he should not belong on this list. But, come on, this list needed someone worthy at the top. Like I said earlier, the shooting guard position is a bit lacking when it comes to superior talent, so I had to include some top notch talent. Brandon Roy is the 3rd best shooting guard in the league, only behind Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. He's the leader of the Blazers and their best player. The question to ask here is, "What can't Roy do?" Watching this guy play is amazing because he can do anything and everything with the ball. He can score, he can pass, he can rebound, he can play defense, and the list goes on. He's probably one healthy Greg Oden away from a deep playoff birth. If Brandon Roy can stay healthy this year and the Blazers can get all their players back safe and sound, this Blazers team will be a surprise threat in the West.
Runner Ups: Not sure if any runner-ups belong here because the talent pool is pretty shallow. If I could, I would probably put Mayo and Gordon in the runner-up list, but I needed at least 5 players.
Check out Passin' the Torch - Point Guards edition if you haven't already! Link is below:
Passin' the Torch - Point Guards
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