The 10 Greatest NBA Shooting Guards Of The 2010s

The 2010s ushered in a new era of basketball that many young fans embraced and older fans despised. This new era of basketball contained more three-point shots than ever before and ushered in the freedom of movement era that we still have in 2022-23. Players like Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and so many more turned into threats by unheard-of distances, and offenses featured more spacing than ever before, with every position on the court ready to let it fly from the perimeter. It was a different time but exciting time as we watched the Miami Heat take home two championships at the beginning of the decade and the Golden State Warriors make history both in the regular season and the playoffs. 

Just as we did with the point guards of the 2010s decade, we will be ranking the 10 greatest shooting guards of the 2010s as well. We will base our rankings on accolades, production, and impact on both success and the NBA itself as they welcomed a new generation of basketball fans with explosive offenses and unforgettable memories. These 10 shooting guards had some of those very moments we are speaking of and put together some of the more incredible performances in the NBA from 2010 thru 2019.

These are the 10 greatest shooting guards of the 2010s.

10. Ray Allen

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 1x All-Star

2009-10 to 2018-19 Stats: 13.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG

By the time the 2010s rolled around, it was pretty clear that Ray Allen was headed for the back end of his career. He had a decent 2010 season with the Celtics as he averaged over 16.0 PPG and shot 55.6% from the field as they advanced to the NBA Finals. In 2011, Allen would become an All-Star for the final time in his career with the Celtics as he averaged 16.5 PPG on 52.0% shooting overall and 44.4% shooting from three.

After one final season with the Celtics, Allen left to join LeBron James and the Miami Heat for the 2012-13 season. Allen would appear in 79 games off the bench for the Heat in 2013 but would make his biggest contributions in the NBA Finals that season. In Game Six, with their season hanging in the balance, Allen hoisted a three off a Chris Bosh offensive rebound and pass to force overtime as the clock ran down. The shot would spark a comeback for the Heat in the game and series as they went on to win their second straight NBA championship, the second of Allen’s career as well. Allen would give it one more season in Miami off the bench before retiring in 2014 at the age of 38.

9. Victor Oladipo

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 2x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection, 1x All-Defensive Team Selection

2009-10 to 2018-19 Stats: 17.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Taken with the second overall pick in 2013, the expectations for Victor Oladipo were extremely high to begin his career. He was clearly ready for the NBA level as he proved to be one of the better two-way guards in the league over the course of his first three seasons. In three seasons with Orlando, Oladipo would average 15.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.6 SPG. From Orlando, Oladipo would spend a season with the Thunder before being dealt to Indiana in the deal that sent Paul George to Oklahoma City. 

In Indiana, Oladipo would flourish and immediately become an All-Star for the Pacers in his first season. He would average 23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, and a league-leading 2.4 SPG. He would also be named to the All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA Third Team in the same season. He would have another All-Star year in 2019 before missing most of the season due to injury. That has been the story of Oladipo’s career since the 2010s. Injury and misfortune. Since 2020, he has appeared in just 90 games for the Rockets and Heat.

8. Bradley Beal

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 2x All-Star

2009-10 to 2018-19 Stats: 19.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG

After a somewhat slow start to his career with the Washington Wizards, Bradley Beal would develop into one of the more dangerous scorers in the NBA by the time the 2010s was over. Beal began his career as the third overall pick by the Wizards in 2012 out of Florida. He began his career sharing the backcourt with John Wall, and for the first four seasons of his career, he averaged just 16.0 PPG on 42.6% shooting from the field. 

In 2017, Beal would have the first 20.0 PPG season of his career when he averaged 23.1 PPG and shot 48.2% from the field and 40.4% from three. He would then have back-to-back All-Star seasons in 2018 and 2019 while leading the Wizards to the playoffs in 2018. Beal averaged 24.1 PPG on 46.8% shooting for the rest of the 2010s as rumors continuously swirled about him leaving Washington for greener pastures. In 2022-23, Beal is still with Washington and signed through the 2026-27 season.

7. Manu Ginobili

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection

2009-10 to 2018-19 Stats: 12.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Toward the end of the 2000s and for the rest of his career, Manu Ginobili took a much lesser role than in his prime when the Spurs were at their peak dynasty form. In coming off the bench, of course, Ginobili did it at an elite level, and the Spurs returned to their winning ways. Ginobili even made an All-Star team in this bench role in 2011 when he averaged 17.4 PPG in just over 30.0 minutes per game.

Ginobili’s numbers do not look great when compared with other shooting guards from the 2010s, and that is a fact. However, the numbers do not tell the whole story of his two-way impact, especially in 2014 when the Spurs won the NBA championship. Ginobili appeared in all 23 games for the Spurs on that playoff run and averaged 14.3 PPG, 4.1 APG, and 1.6 SPG, making his presence known on both ends of the court. The Hall of Famer would play through the 2018 season and go down as one of the great shooting guards to ever play the game.

6. DeMar DeRozan

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 4x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection

2009-10 to 2018-19 Stats: 19.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG

DeMar DeRozan made his NBA debut during the 2009-10 season as the ninth overall pick of the Toronto Raptors. DeRozan got off to a slow start in his rookie season before jumping up to 17.2 PPG in year two. It took DeRozan a bit of time to settle into his role with the Raptors as they underwent an adjustment period and built a team around their young star. In 2014, DeRozan would have his first All-Star season when he averaged 22.7 PPG and led Toronto to 48 wins.

In 2016, DeRozan would be an All-Satr once again, and the Raptors would win 56 games and finish second in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, but much like the rest of the 2010s for the team and DeRozan, they ran into Lebron James and the Cavaliers. DeRozan would have three straight All-Star seasons with the Raptors from 2016 thru 2018 before being sent to the Spurs in a trade for Kawhi Leonard. One season after being shipped out of town, the Raptors became NBA champions while DeRozan struggled to adjust to San Antonio.

5. Jimmy Butler

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 1x Most Improved Player, 4x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 4x All-Defensive Team Selection

For most of the 2010s, Jimmy Butler found himself being painted unfairly by the media and those not very close to his situation. Butler began his career with the Bulls in 2011-12 and, after a few years of struggling to find a role off the bench, was finally rewarded with a starting job and the keys to the kingdom. He would reward Chicago for their decision with three straight All-Star appearances from 2015 thru 2017 and two trips to the NBA playoffs.

Then, the drama began to unfold. Butler was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and was reportedly unhappy with the coaching, team, and front office and forced his way out of there. In Philadelphia in 2019, Butler helped the 76ers reach the second round of the playoffs but fell to the Raptors in a thrilling seven-game series. All in all, the 2010s were great for Butler, who was a four-time All-Defensive player and steals champion in 2015 as well as a four-time All-Star.

4. Klay Thompson

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 5x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, 1x All-Defensive Team Selection

The 2010s is when the birth of the Splash Bros. and the Golden State Warriors took place. Klay Thompson made his NBA debut in 2011-12 and quickly became a potent weapon on their offense. At first, Thompson and his teammate Stephen Curry had to find themselves under the direction of Mark Jackson, and as things unfolded, Thompson’s skills were unleashed under coach Steve Kerr in 2015. In 2015, the Warriors would win 67 games, with Thompson averaging 21.7 PPG and shooting 43.9% from three.

What followed was an NBA championship in 2015, a 73-9 season in 2016, and two more NBA championships in 2017 and 2018. The dynasty would not have been the same without the presence of Klay Thompson. In his five straight All-Star seasons, Klay averaged 21.6 PPG and shot 42.3% from three on 7.7 attempts. After suffering consecutive leg injuries in 2019 and 2020, Thompson and the Warriors won their fourth NBA championship in 2022 over the Boston Celtics.

3. Dwyane Wade

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 7x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 4x All-NBA Team Selection, 1x All-Defensive Team Selection

2009-10 to 2018-19 Stats: 20.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG

As we entered the 2010s in NBA history, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat were good but not great. Wade was still in peak form to begin the 2010s, but it was clear he needed help to compete with Cleveland and Boston. After a stellar 2010 season, Wade and the Heat were able to land both Chris Bosh and LeBron James in free agency, forming one of the greatest trios of all time. The Heat would advance to four straight NBA Finals and win two NBA champions led by James and Wade.

Wade would make seven straight All-Star teams from 2010 thru 2016 and was an All-NBA Team selection four times. He averaged 22.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 1.5 SPG during this time and was still among the best shooting guards in the game. As Wade battled age, he also battled knee injuries that would cut his career short after the 2019 season. He retired as the consensus third-greatest shooting guard of all-time and one of the best two-way players in NBA history.

2. Kobe Bryant

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 1x Finals MVP, 7x All-Star, 1x All-Star Game MVP, 4x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection

2009-10 to 2018-19 Stats: 24.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG

It is kind of hard to believe that Kobe Bryant isn’t number one on this list but think of the saying, “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” Bryant began the decade as the best player in the world. In 2010, he would lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their second straight NBA championship. Bryant would also claim his second straight Finals MVP award averaging 28.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 3.9 APG. Bryant would then only lead the Lakers to the playoffs two more times before his retirement in 2016.

In 2014, Bryant suffered a career-altering Achilles injury that would only see him play 107 games after that. Before the injury, Bryant was averaging 26.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 5.1 APG for the decade. After the injury occurred, he averaged just 18.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 3.9 APG. Bryant finished his career as a Top Five scorer of all-time with five NBA championships, two Finals MVP awards, and one MVP award in his 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

1. James Harden

2009-10 to 2018-19 Accolades: 1x MVP, 1x Sixth Man Of The Year, 7x All-Star, 6x All-NBA Team Selection

2009-10 to 2018-19 Stats: 24.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Over the course of the entire 2010s, we watched as James Harden went from one of the best bench players in the NBA to an MVP winner and scoring champion. He began his career in 2009-10 with the Thunder, and by 2012, he was the best in the NBA off the bench. He was named the 2012 Sixth Man of the Year averaging 16.8 PPG. He helped the Thunder reach the NBA Finals that season and was traded to Houston that summer to play for the Rockets.

In Houston, Harden would immediately become an All-Star and one of the most potent offensive weapons in the NBA. In 2017, Harden won an assists title averaging 29.1 PPG and 11.2 APG. In 2018, he would win his first scoring title averaging 30.4 PPG and 8.8 APG. He was also named MVP that season as well. In 2019, Harden would average a career-high 36.1 PPG and got Houston to the brink of the NBA Finals but fell short to the Golden State Warriors once again. Harden’s offensive dominance and overall play land him easily as the greatest shooting guard of the 2010s. 

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