Utah Jazz: Ranking Donovan Mitchell among top shooting guards in 2021-22

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards

In a tie for fifth place in these rankings, we have a sophomore on the upswing and a veteran in the midst of a somewhat down year.

Edwards’ 22.2 points per game ranked fifth out of all five players listed in this article. However, despite a reputation for inefficiency, his 53.5 TS% actually ranked third.

The recent number one overall pick could stand to improve his three-point efficiency, but his 35.6% accuracy does (barely) justify the 8.8 attempts he’s launching per contest. On the other hand, he’s already established himself as one of the best inside scorers among NBA guards. His combination of speed, strength and vertical leap make him an absolute terror as a primary ball handler.

If he can tick that three-point percentage up a few notches in the coming years, the rest of the NBA will need to take notice. He’ll be likely to occupy the number-one spot in this list.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal

Washington Wizards fans are probably not upset about Beal’s decreased production this season: at 11-6, they’ve been the Cinderella story of 2021-22.

Beal’s decreased production is probably a consequence of new head coach Wes Unseld Jr.’s egalitarian offensive system, as well as the Wizards’ newfound depth. It’s worth noting that Beal is averaging a career-best 6.1 assists per game, up from 4.4 last season. However, his scoring has taken a significant dive, from 31.3 points per game last season all the way down to 23.3.

Such a decreased volume would ideally be accompanied by increased efficiency, but that hasn’t been the case for Beal. His 51.8 TS% is significantly lower than last season’s 59.3%. All told, Beal has slipped from one of the most impressive offensive players in the NBA to something closer to an average All-Star.

As long as that shift continues to generate wins, Washington Wizards fans won’t complain. Heading into the 2021-22 season, nobody would have predicted them to have the same record as the Utah Jazz this far into the season. That’s probably worth every lost point per game to both Beal and his fans alike.