Early SG Rankings

It's been awhile, but I'm back. Going through such a lull at this point in the off-season makes it tough to write a column that will be of any significance come October. There are too many variables--not so much at the top of rankings as nearer to the middle-of-the-road players. Which is why I'm listing only the Top 10's. Once training camp starts, I'll update my rankings into the Top 25.

Alright, its the week of the Shooting Guards. Some of these players are ranked not only on the basis of the fantasy numbers they put up last year, but also by those that are versatile fantasy players. Some can be played in either guard slot--like Wade, Iverson, Joe Johnson--, while some can switch between SG or SF-- Carter, Maggette, McGrady-- and last year's newly minted Mr. Versatile, Boris Diaw. Let's roll...

#1- Dwyane Wade, Miami. The question should be asked: How can you NOT have him listed here? One could argue against his fantasy game with the amount of turnovers he produced and, unfortunately, it's not an argument you can really put up a legitimate debate against. He ranked fourth in the league in total turnovers with 268, an average of 3.6 per game. It's definitely a hinderance; it kept me from making a run to the top of my league last year. Other than turnovers and the lack of a 3-point shot, the rest of his game is nearly flawless. He ranked fifth in scoring (27 PPG), sixth in steals (1.95 SPG) and twelfth in assists (6.1 APG) to go along with five boards, nearly one bock, 49% from the field, an alarming amount of free-throw attempts, durability and extreme toughness. As long as you make sure the rest of your roster will keep their turnovers down, Wade should carry you to the top.

#2- Kobe Bryant, Lakers. While I personally can't stand the guy, his numbers are too disturbing to pass up. He had a career scoring year, leading the league with over 35 points per game. His secondary stats are also decent, posting 5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals. The downsides? He averages over three turnovers and can have nights in which he forces every shot possible which causes his FG%. Compared to Wade, Bryant doesn't block as many shots, yet he hits more shots from beyond the arc. To most people, these two would probably be #1 and #1A. I just can't get past my hatred to see it that way.

#3- Allen Iverson, Philly. Simply put: one of the toughest players in the league, hands down. Not only did he continue his torrid scoring pace, he took over the PG role and boosted his assists and FG%. Last year, Iverson was second in scoring (33 PPG), seventh in steals (1.94 SPG), ninth in assists (7.4 SPG). The negatives in his game continue to grow each year, unfortunately. For as tough as he is, his small body gets banged around so often that he comes away with many nagging injuries over the course of the year, forcing him to miss at least ten games per year. Seeing as how he just recently turned 31, I'm expecting those nagging injuries to continue to grow and force him out as the year goes on. On top of injuries, he's always been near the leaders of the league in turnovers and horrid FG%. If you ask any fantasy owner which areas were considered the reason for losing a close race in the league championship--it'd most certainly be turnovers and FG%. It's an area not many think about.

#4- Ray Allen, Seattle. Not much to say about Allen that people dont already know. He's another well-rounded SG that does just about everything well and carries few weaknesses. He ranked tenth in scoring at 25 PPG, lead the league in 3-point shots made, averaged 4 rebounds and 4 assists; shot a respectable 45% from the field and a blistering 90% from the line. On top of all that, he manages to limit his turnovers which is one of the main reasons for his staying power in the Top 5. He's carried me to a title more than once.

#5- Vince Carter, New Jersey. The "Old" Vince is back. Since being dealt to Jersey, he's gone back to the ways of his early Toronto days. He's back putting together solid numbers across the board that vault him back into the Top 5 of fantasy SG's. 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.3 steals and about 130 three's rounded out his season last year. The downsides were his 43% FG's and 79% FT's (not great for a perimeter scorer). Thankfully for owners, he's been durable the past two years after 2.5 injury plagued years. His head is back, his game is back...draft him.

#6- Jason Richardson, Golden State. Richardson always puts up numbers and will almost always be in the Top 10 at his position. That's why this is a fantasy ranking; his numbers don't translate to wins. Luckily, team wins mean nothing in a fantasy season. In Richardson, you're getting a big time scorer (26 PPG), a very good rebounder at guard (6 RPG), a limited passer (3 APG), a decent FG shooter (44%), a very poor FT shooter (67%), a 3-point bomber (183 total last year) and a player good at keeping turnovers down.

#7- Michael Redd, Milwaukee. Redd's a two-category fantasy player. He'll give you points and 3's. He won't hurt you anywhere else. He rebounds decently but gives you next to nothing in assists, blocks or steals. His FG% and FT% are near the top at his position and he can nail 3's with the best of them. He's not a guy that will carry your team to the top, but he's a solid specialty guy that can give you a boost in 2-3 categories. People seem to draft him higher than I think is necessary. He's a solid mid-round pick.

#8- Joe Johnson, Atlanta. He started off slowly last year and came on strong at the end, showing that he really was worth the contract handed to him. This year should be no different. Atlanta is still a very young squad with not a whole lot on the side of leadership. Johnson had a career year, which wouldn't have been hard for most players on the roster Atlanta had assembled and patched together last year. But still, credit has to be given to his increased scoring and assist numbers--20.2 and 6.5, respectively. On top of that, he's a decent rebounder (though those numbers did dip a bit last year), shoots a solid 46% from the field, hits nearly 80% of his free throws and is a lock for at least 100 three's per year.

#9- Brandon Roy, Portland. I have to put the guy in the Top 10 if for no reason other than the fact that he's playing for Portland. You thought they were bad last year? Last year's roster will look like over-achievers compared to the complete mess it's going to be this year. They've got solid young guys that'll be good someday; they just can't be counted on to produce right now. The only one they've got is Roy, a college senior with an all-around game and a starting spot all to himself. I placed statistical predictions in my Rookie's column--look back to that if you want some numbers.

#10- Richard Hamilton, Detroit. Hamilton's a guy that's not going to consistently put up huge numbers, nor is he a real big value as an all-around contributor. He still ranks in my Top 10 for a few, simple reasons. First, while he doesnt put put really big numbers, he maintains consistency. He's not a player thats going to follow up a 38 point outing with a 7 point outing. He'll have a few 30-40 point games per year and stay in the 18-23 point range for the rest of the year. Secondly, he's a conservative, team player. He won't throw up shots just for the sake of shooting. If someone else has a better shot, he'll find them. This leads to a higher than normal FG% for SG's and a very low turnover rate. Third, he's someone who rarely misses a game. He's missed only 12 in his four years with Detroit.

Other notables: Manu Ginobili, Ricky Davis, Eddie Jones, Larry Hughes, Bonzi Wells, JR Smith, Randy Foye, Ronnie Brewer and Morris Peterson.

If you've got any questions or comments, feel free to email Firebird35080@msn.com