Following a short hiatus, the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the league have returned to play for the 2020-21 NBA season. Superstars like Kevin Durant are back in the fold and a brand new class of rookies are trying to make their imprint on the league.
When games aren’t happening, though, fans turn to NBA 2K21 to get their fix of basketball action. Ranking players is a common practice among fans, but who truly are the best of the best? Let’s take a look at the 10 best shooting guards in the NBA, according to player overalls in NBA 2K21.
10 C.J. McCollum (84)
Damian Lillard may get all of the attention in Portland, but the Trailblazers have another star on their roster named C.J. McCollum. His playstyle will remind a lot of older NBA fans of a smoother and more controlled ball-handling style reminiscent of the late 80s and early 90s. McCollum is a shot creator who, when given the ball, can spark offensive success without the help of Lillard. His 84 overall may seem a little low to those hopping into NBA 2K21 and will more than likely go up at least a couple of points by the time the 2020-21 NBA season ends.
9 Zach LaVine (85)
Zach LaVine is an NBA player who became an overnight sensation solely due to his world-class athleticism. Through the years LaVine has made it a priority to be more than an athletic freak and has molded himself into a solid basketball player.
Last season LaVine finished 11th in scoring at 25.5 points per game and averaged nearly 40% from the 3-point line. He may not come to mind when discussing the best shooting guards in the NBA, but at least NBA 2K21 respects his game with an overall of 85.
8 Jaylen Brown (86)
It’s amazing how a player like Jaylen Brown can consistently perform at a high level in one of the league’s biggest markets and still go unnoticed and underappreciated. Brown currently has an overall of 86 on NBA 2K21, and the only reason that seems low is because he plays alongside future NBA superstar Jayson Tatum. Boston Celtics fans understand how good Brown is, but the greater NBA fan community needs to start recognizing how much Brown means to the success of both the team, as well as Tatum.
7 Bradley Beal (88)
How can a player who is one of the best shooting guards in the league be overshadowed by a teammate that hasn’t played in two years? This is the thought running through fans of Bradley Beal who have had to hear about John Wall over and over again. Beal may be an 88 overall in NBA 2K21, but fans will argue he’s done enough to land in the 90s club. He finished 2nd in scoring last year as he ended the year averaging 30.5 points per game, a number that has increased to 33 points per game to begin the new NBA season.
6 Devin Booker (88)
Devin Booker is a phenomenal talent at the shooting guard position. The Phoenix Suns star is easily one of the league’s most talented scorers, but unfortunately, he hasn’t had the chance to display it nationally. His 88 overall isn’t a gift from NBA 2K21 developers, but rather a number he earned via hard work and determination. If Chris Paul can help Booker and company finally reach the playoffs and win some games, more people will understand what Booker means to both Suns fans as well as the league in general.
5 Paul George (88)
Before the 2019-20 NBA Playoffs it seemed almost absurd for Paul George to have an overall below 90, and now no one’s blinking an eye at his 88 overall. This is entirely due to his terrible performance in the postseason, a time in which he was believed to make it to the NBA Finals and win a ring. George has started the new season with renewed purpose and is looking to return to his expected form. Don’t be surprised if his overall dips back into the 90s as the season continues and the bad taste of his playoff performance fades.
4 Donovan Mitchell (88)
Donovan Mitchell is hot off the heels of signing a mega extension with the Utah Jazz, following an outstanding NBA playoff duel against fellow guard Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets. Over his first 3 years in the NBA Mitchell has evolved from a high-flying athletic freak into a complete offensive talent who’s working to become a better defender.
He sits at an overall of 88 in NBA 2K21, a number that seems a bit high for those outside of Utah, and a bit low for Jazz fans who understand the talent Mitchell displays on a nightly basis.
3 Klay Thompson (89)
It’s unfortunate that one of the league’s best will be out of the NBA for 2 years, but Klay Thompson has simply been the victim of bad luck. He’s often discussed as one of the best shooters in the league and his 89 overall is proof he earned that reputation. The thing about Thompson is that he also happens to be one of the better defenders in the league at his position as well. If he didn’t happen to play alongside arguably the greatest shooter of all-time in Steph Curry, most fans would consider him a true superstar in the NBA.
2 Luka Doncic (94)
The front-runner and favorite for the 2020-21 NBA MVP, Luka Doncic is coming off of a breakout year in which he established himself as a future superstar in the NBA. His 94 overall in NBA 2K21 is good enough to land him at the #2 spot among all shooting guards, though a case can be made that he serves as the Dallas Mavericks primary point guard and ball-handler. He has very few holes in his game, and if the international stat machine can commit to the defensive side of the ball it’s unbelievable how high his overall can go.
1 James Harden (96)
Despite all of the drama currently surround James Harden and the Houston Rockets, the guy can still play basketball. Even his strongest haters have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that Harden can simply play the game of basketball at an incredibly high-level regardless of his lack of responsibility when it comes to his health. It’s unclear if he’ll be in a Rockets jersey for much longer, but no matter where he ends up he’ll still be rocking an overall of 96 in NBA 2K21. He continues to be one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen.
NEXT: NBA 2K21: New Rookies With The Best Chance To Succeed
