In this era of pace and space basketball, perimeter shooting is paramount, and no other position in basketball is most closely associated with that skill than the shooting guard spot. In the PBA, stars who've built their careers as top shelf shooting guards come and go. That is a testament to the depth and talent we have in this country, but it also underscores the volatility of the position. One day you're a rising star ruling the roost, and then the next you're warming the bench or out of the league. Let's see who's ruling the shooting guard roost this season so far.
5. Paul Lee (ROS) - 13.6ppg, 4.0rpg, 3.0apg, 1.9 triples per game.
- Seeing Lee in a Star uniform still takes some getting used to, but I have to admit, it looks like he has not had to go through a significant period of adjustment. He remains a superb scoring machine, a solid rebounder, and a capable playmaker, and he would have been amazing in Gilas Pilipinas. We all know, however, that that probably won't happen anymore. Oh well, he was able to inject new life into them Hotshots.
4. Scottie Thompson (GIN) - 8.5ppg, 9.3rpg, 4.5apg, 1.0spg.
- Thompson is shorter than about 80% of PBA players, but he grabs more rebounds than 90% of them. Crazy, right? Yep — that isn't hyperbolic at all. Scottie is far from being a typical two-guard — he's no knockdown shooter — but Tim Cone will take the good with the bad. Thompson can lock the opposing team's best offensive player down and be the Ginebra second unit's best player. What's not to love, right?
3. Marcio Lassiter (SMB) - 14.0ppg, 5.7rpg, 3.1apg, 2.2 triples per game.
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- There's probably nobody who'd love to see Lassiter strap on that Gilas jersey, but, alas, it just cannot happen right now. That doesn't diminish the Fil-American's marksmanship, of course. The 6'3 4th overall pick from 2011 continues to be San Miguel's best sniper and remains one of the league's deadliest three-point bombers. He was a big reason the Beermen won the Philippine Cup, and his shooting will be extremely important in the second conference, which will be dominated by hulking imports.
2. Matthew Wright (PHX) - 18.5ppg, 7.1rpg, 3.3apg, 1.3spg, 2.2 triples per game.
- Wright is a lot like Lassiter, though the 6'4 Gilas hopeful is a bit better on the defensive end. After just one conference, the Fil-Canadian has made his mark as one of the Fuel Masters' best players, and has lived up to the hype as one of the league's overall best guards. I suspect he will be a prime candidate to be one of the national team's go-to shooters, which means Phoenix will lose him for quite a number of games in the Commish Cup.
1. Terrence Romeo (GLO) - 28.2ppg, 4.2rpg, 6.1apg, 1.3spg, 4.1 triples per game.
- Romeo was the best player of the first conference for me — at least statistically speaking. I mean, he scored nearly 30 a game and hit upwards of 4 treys per outing. He is already maybe the best guard in the league right now, and I wouldn't be shocked at all if he becomes the top scoring option for Gilas outside of Andray Blatche. Sure, he still turns the ball over quite a bit, but any coach will find a way to live with that as long as Bro can score put up those monster numbers.
Honorable Mention:
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Jericho Cruz (ROS) - 11.4ppg, 5.4rpg, 2.5apg, 1.3 triples per game.
RR Pogoy (TNT) - 9.4ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, 1.3 triples per game.
James Yap (ROS) - 10.3ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.3apg, 1.8 triples per game.
