NBA Live 19 Ratings: Top shooting guards (SG)

Now onto the shooting guards. Among these guys is the reigning MVP and one half of the splash brothers as we list the top ten shooting guards, as well as the best of the rest.

James Harden (94)

Age: 29

Position: SG

Height: 6’5”

Team: Houston Rockets

Traits: Slasher

Best stats: 99 Draw Shooting Foul, 98 Contested Shots, 98 Driving Layup

Harden has been in the top handful of players in the league for a number of years now, but last year he took it a step further as he led Houston to 65 regular season wins. Averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 1.8 steals per night, the star guard won the MVP and repaid the faith the Rockets had shown him in the 2017 offseason when they extended his contract by four years and just under $170 million.

Klay Thompson (91)

Age: 28

Position: SG

Height: 6’7”

Team: Golden State Warriors

Traits: Wing Shooter

Best stats: 98 Contested Shots, 95 3-point Shot, 95 Shot off Dribble

Thompson’s relatively low usage rate belies his incredible talent, something reflected in his high OVR in NBA Live 19. On any team other than this Warriors juggernaut he would be a far more prominent part of the offense, but even with a relatively minimal role to play he still puts up elite numbers. Last season, he averaged 20.0 points, but most impressive is the 48.8% he shot from the floor as almost exclusively a jump shooter, and 44.0% from beyond the arc. Thompson will enter this season on the final year of a four year, $69 million contract, well below what he could earn on the open market. 

Jimmy Butler (90)

Age: 28

Position: SG

Height: 6’7”

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Traits: Backcourt Defender

Best stats: 97 Draw Shooting Foul, 96 Stamina, 94 On Ball Defense, 94 Driving Layup

Butler’s first year as a member of the Timberwolves didn’t go exactly to plan, with injury and a seeming lack of team cohesion leading to a disappointing season. When he was on the floor, he was their best player, averaging 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals. Butler will head into this season in the fourth year of a five year deal which will see him earn a little under $19 million in 2018/19. 

DeMar DeRozan (89)

Age: 29

Position: SG

Height: 6’7”

Team: Toronto Raptors

Traits: Slasher

Best stats: 98 Draw Shooting Foul, 96 Contested Shots, 95 Stamina, 95 Dunk

Much to his own surprise, DeRozan, having spent all nine years of his career to date in Toronto, was traded to San Antonio two years after signing a five year deal worth $139 million with the Raptors. The move came after a solid season in which he averaged 23.0 points, 5.2 assists and 1.1 steals a game, but was once again unable to advance his side past the LeBron James led Cavaliers. 

Victor Oladipo (89)

Age: 26

Position: SG

Height: 6’4”

Team: Indiana Pacers

Traits: Slasher

Best stats: 95 Steal, 94 Injury, 94 Driving Layup

When Oladipo signed a five year, $85 million contract with Indiana prior to last season, he did so as a talented but under-performing player. That all changed in 2018/19, where he led the workmanlike Pacers to the playoffs on the back of 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per night, while putting up career bests in shooting percentage and 3-point percentage. 

Bradley Beal (87)

Age: 25

Position: SG

Height: 6’5”

Team: Washington Wizards

Traits: Wing Shooter

Best stats: 94 Stamina, 94 Injury, 91 Shot off Dribble

Beal was forced to shoulder more of the ball-handling load for the Wizards last year, with backcourt partner John Wall spending large parts of the season on the sidelines, and it was reflected in his career high average of 4.5 assists per game. He also managed 22.6 points on 46% shooting, as well as a little over a steal per game as he played through the second season of a five year deal worth close to $130 million. Best stats in 2k19

CJ McCollum (86)

Age: 26

Position: SG

Height: 6’3”

Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Traits: Wing Shooter

Best stats: 93 Stamina, 90 Contested Shots

McCollum’s 2017/18 season saw him enter a new contract which would earn him significantly more money than ever before. The Portland star racked up a little under $24 million last season, and that will grow even more this year. Though he deserves big money, the Trail Blazers will be hoping he can take another step forward after a season in which he averaged 21.4 points and 3.4 assists. 

Donovan Mitchell (86)

Age: 22

Position: SG

Height: 6’3”

Team: Utah Jazz

Traits: Slasher

Best stats: 96 Stamina, 96 Dunk, 95 Vertical

Donovan Mitchell’s rookie season won’t be forgotten anytime soon, particularly in Utah. Mitchell, still on a rookie contract which will see him earn an absurdly low amount of just over $3 million in 2018/19, came from the clouds to lead the Jazz to a 48 win season, averaging 20.5 points and 3.7 assists to go with 1.5 steals.

Devin Booker (85)

Age: 21

Position: SG

Height: 6’6”

Team: Phoenix Suns

Traits: Wing Shooter

Best stats: 92 Stamina, 90 Driving Layup, 90 Speed, 90 Injury

One of the best young talents in the game, Booker has steadily improved his numbers in each of his three years in the NBA, and was rewarded by Phoenix with a five year deal worth a huge $158 million during the 2018 offseason. Though he played just 54 games last season, his numbers saw a big increase as he finished the season averaging 24.9 points (including 38.3% from downtown), 4.5 boards and 4.7 assists, all of which were career highs. 

Jaylen Brown (84)

Age: 21

Position: SG

Height: 6’7”

Team: Boston Celtics

Traits: Backcourt Defender

Best stats: 94 Stamina, 91 Speed, 90 Vertical, 90 Driving Layup

Brown saw a big spike in his total minutes and subsequently his averages in his second season in the league, with the 2016 #3 pick averaging 14.5 points, 4.9 boards and a steal for the injury-ravaged Celtics as they forced their way into the Eastern Conference Finals. Brown will enter the final season of his rookie contract this season, earning a little over $5 million - likely the lowest annual salary he will earn for a long time. 

The Best of the Rest