Power ranking NBA Western Conference shooting guards

Today, the NBA is in a golden era of point guards. But shooting guards are just as vital in an age where backcourts might matter more than ever.

Yesterday, we ranked the Eastern Conference’s premier shooting guards. The East has a nice crop of top-notch off-guards, which is especially stacked at the top. From Jimmy Butler to DeMar DeRozan, this season has been a wonderful coming-out party for that group of guys.

However, the Western Conference boasts the league’s best player at the position as well as a cluster of under-appreciated contributors surrounding him. In a conference that has been at the forefront of the league’s pace-and-space fad, the West’s two guards are largely of the sharpshooting variety. Plain ‘ole shooting guards.

Additionally, the West has an abundance of incredible backups like Alec Burks, Jamal Crawford and Will Barton who outperform the starters on other teams. Ranking guys so close together in skill and production is no easy task, and while objectivity is the goal, it’s eventually going to come down to preference.

In this ranking, defense and shooting were rated higher than almost any other category of value, as I see players of fitting into the shape of the modern Western Conference as more valuable than pure scorers or defenders. The rankings reflect such a valuation.

You may be surprised to see who made the first ten on this list:

The first ten

15. Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies

14. Alec Burks, Utah Jazz

13. Brandon Knight, Phoenix Suns

12. Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs

11. Allen Crabbe, Portland Trailblazers

10. Victor Oladipo, Oklahoma City Thunder

9. Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers

8. Will Barton, Denver Nuggets

7. Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks

6. J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers

Honorable Mentions: Lou Williams, Evan Turner, Jonathon Simmons, Tyreke Evans, Manu Ginobili, Seth Curry