In part four of our series, we examine this season’s shooting guard performance.

Since playing with two playmakers is no exception anymore, this even more difficult to assign than the 2/3s and 4/5s. For example, if Diamantidis has the highest priority on point guard, Calathes second and Jasikevicius third, then Calathes has played 187 minutes on point guard but also 140 on shooting guard (alongside Diamantidis) and Saras has played only three of his 168 minutes on point guard, 157 on shooting guard (alongside Diamantidis or Calathes) and even eight on small forward (alongside Diamantidis and Calathes). I would still argue, though, given his role in the offense as one of two pick and roll ballhandlers, that he is still playing as one of two point guards on the floor. On the other hand, is that role vastly different from Navarro’s in the Xavi Pascual halfcourt offense? The limitations of traditional positions. I still have all three on point guard, and there are more borderline cases.

For more on the various statistical categories, read the opening post (centers) of this series.

The numbers do not include the recent 14th Euroleague gameday.

Jaycee Carroll had a ridiculously good regular season, gunning 30 for 52 from three point range and finishing first in the league in pace-adjusted per-minute-scoring. His ACB numbers never matched, and his Top16 shooting numbers are similar to what he’s been producing in the ACB all season.

Scoring efficiency is probably more vulnerable to sample size issues than assists, rebounds and other non-scoring stats.

Keith Langford is leading shooting guards in unassisted field goals per 28 minutes. He’s bottom in assisted field goals per 28 minutes. Optionss: 1) he’s either exclusively playing on the ball, or 2) he’s playing on and off the ball but tends to stop the ball on the catch and re-set with a dribble instead of making a quick decision. I think the latter is the case. He’s top-notch in creating for himself, scoring efficiency is very good considering the low Ast’d%, even his ball distribution in on-ball-situations is decent, but he tends to stop the offense.

Zamojski is a pure catch-and-shoot player, guys like Nicholas and Gecevicius can create off the dribble, but score the majority of their points on assisted shots.

Kecman, a two/three, had already been a top offensive rebounder last season. Apart from his rebounding ability, he also spends enough time off the ball to actually have the chance to go after the offensive rebound, which on-ball-players have less of. I think that is also the reason for the drop in Malik Hairston’s (SF) offensive rebounding numbers, now that he went from off-ball-wing player (Siena) to key scorer/ballhandler (Milano).

You’ll see great numbers in all three defensive categories (def reb, steals, blocks) from Galatasaray’s Jamon Lucas/Gordon.

Lucas ahead of the pack in both stealing and shotblocking.

Langford and Shved possess above average athleticism for their position, no surprise to see them at #2 and #3 in shotblocking.

Here we would probably be able to identify the on-ball-players. I guess Farmar, who is second in turnover percentage and fifth in assist percentage, is one of those cases. He spent 128 of his 218 minutes with either Ohayon or Papaloukas (both unquestionably playmakers) on the floor, serving as one of two key ballhandlers.

We see a quintet of shooting guards capable of creating shots for others on a high level: Shved, who leads in assist percentage, Basile, who’s having a phenomenal season at 37 years of age, both scoring and distributing the ball, Unics’ Terrell Lyday, Jamon Lucas and Juan Carlos Navarro.

Below’s the table with SC = shots created = (unassisted field goals + assists); ASST’D% = assisted field goals / field goals * 100.

[table id=32 /]

Minimum: 150 minutes

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¹ USG% = 100 * ((FGA + 0.47 * FTA + TO) * (Tm MP / 5)) / (MP * (Tm FGA + 0.47 * Tm FTA + Tm TO))
² PPP = Pts / ((FGA + 0.47 * FTA + TO)
³ ORB% = 100 * (ORB * (Tm MP / 5)) / (MP * (Tm ORB + Opp DRB)); DRB% = 100 * (DRB * (Tm MP / 5)) / (MP * (Tm DRB + Opp ORB))
⁴ STL% = 100 * (STL * (Tm MP / 5)) / (MP * Opp Poss)
⁵ BLK% = 100 * (BLK * (Tm MP / 5)) / (MP * (Opp FGA – Opp 3PA))
⁶ AST% = 100 * AST / (((MP / (Tm MP / 5)) * Tm FG) – FG)
⁷ TOV% = 100 * TO / (FGA + 0.47 * FTA + TO)