Usually known for perimeter shooting and offensive prowess, the shooting guard position looks good for the 2024 NBA draft class. Having someone who can space the floor on the wing and possibly act as a secondary playmaker always helps offenses. In today’s game, the defensive side of the ball on the wing is also more emphasized for the position. Some prospects will hope to give their draft stock an extra boost by excelling on that end.
Let’s take a look at the best shooting guards in the 2024 NBA Draft class.
2024 NBA Draft Shooting Guards
1) Cody Williams: Colorado
Cody Williams has been rising up draft boards consistently and may enter into the number one overall conversation. He’s a six-foot-eight wing in his freshman season at Colorado this year. His slender frame and smooth offensive game place him in the shooting guard position for this NBA draft class. Before the season, Williams was projected as a jumbo-sized wing who could be taken as a high-upside pick. However, despite being perceived as an unfinished product, Williams has been extremely efficient and productive this season. He’s averaging 14.0 points per game and shooting 46.7 percent from the three-point line (two attempts per game).
Williams is the younger brother of starting NBA guard Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder. With his polished all-around game at his age, scouts are very excited since the upside is still present for him to improve. Young guards with production and upside like Williams are always going to be at the top of the draft.
2) Ja’Kobe Walter: Baylor
It’s an easy buy-in process when analyzing Ja’Kobe Walter’s skillset. He’s long, athletic, and can shoot the three-ball at a high clip. He uses this length and athleticism to be effective on the defensive end as well. Walter has had games however where the defensive performance hasn’t looked up to the standard most have come to expect. He will need to assure scouts he’s the real deal on that end to maintain his high projections. This 3-and-D archetype makes Walter a safe bet at the top of the draft though. He isn’t the strongest in the self-creation department, but he’s so solid at other aspects of the game that scouts may overlook it. In a weaker NBA draft class overall, a shooting guard with traits like Walter’s should stay at the top of the lottery.
3) Reed Sheppard: Kentucky
Reed Sheppard was another surprise to draft boards and wasn’t expected to be one of the top prospects above other teammates at Kentucky. He’s only six-foot-three and doesn’t possess elite athleticism, but he’s shown that he can be a lethal shooter and high-IQ passer. Sheppard’s ability to fill a variety of team needs as a ‘high-floor’ player makes him a great shooting guard prospect for this NBA draft class. He also has shown he’s an extremely adept team defender averaging a ridiculous 2.5 steals per game. It’s earned him plenty of top 10 projections at this point in the draft cycle. Sheppard established himself as a top player on a loaded Kentucky team when not many expected him to. There’s more than enough reason to believe he’ll accomplish the same thing for an NBA team when finding a role.
4) Dalton Knecht: Tennessee
Dalton Knecht is playing his best basketball in SEC conference play. He’s a six-foot-six sharpshooting wing who’s flashed some highlight dunks when given a runway. He needs to improve defensively, but big game performances have him firmly in the first round and late lottery mix. He’s currently up to 12 games over 20 points. Knecht has also shown he can provide great value as a cutter making him a good off-ball role player on offense. If he can prove serviceable on defense and test well at the combine, Knecht may rise even higher on draft boards.
5) Adama Bal: Santa Clara
Adama Bal has the archetype on the wing that NBA teams are usually very intrigued by. He’s a six-foot-seven wing who has taken on a lot of ball-handling responsibility for the Broncos. He lands at the shooting guard position for this NBA draft class as he’ll likely play more complimentary basketball at the next level. Bal is shooting 39.5 percent on the season from three on over four attempts per game. This combination of ball handling and perimeter shooting could make him very appealing for teams at the end of the first round or beyond. Transferring to Santa Clara after not playing much at Arizona, it’s also easy to believe Bal’s just scratching the surface. He has the length and developed skill to become an effective player on both ends of the floor.
6) Melvin Ajinca: Saint-Quentin BB (France)
Melvin Ajinca is a French basketball prospect standing at six-foot-seven on the wing. He’s currently heralded as a do it all guy who plays with a lot of energy. He doesn’t yet possess any one elite trait but has recently emerged as a reliable perimeter shooter. This has caused his draft stock to slowly creep back up after a slow start to his season in the French professional league. As a high energy perimeter shooter with plus size, the Combine and private workouts may prove beneficial for Ajinca. If teams see that the athleticism and perimeter shooting check out, he may work his way into the back end of the first round.
7) Devin Carter: Providence
Devin Carter will hope to be a taller version of Pelican’s fiery defensive point guard Jose Alvarado. While Carter may not be the fastest or most athletic, he makes up for it with physicality and energy. Carter stands at six-foot-three and tries to keep constant pressure as an on-ball defender. He’s also adept as a team defender chasing through screens for steals. He’s been seen as streaky on offense up to this point, but he’s had big scoring outings that may give teams confidence. Carter won’t be asked to run the show as much as he does at Providence, and a defined role could lead to a very productive rotation player.
