NBA: Ranking The Best Shooting Guards for 2016-17

7. Bradley Beal, Washington

As much as I love Beal and want to rank him higher, the injuries haven’t done much for him. The counter to that, however, is that he’s still played a decent amount of games for an injury prone player, and he’s showed the potential he has to become a star in this league. Coming out of Florida, he was nowhere near the shooter he is today, and that’s been huge in his development as a player. (He shot 33.9 percent as a freshman in college and is at 39.7 through four NBA seasons.)

His overall offensive game is rapidly improving, and, while I don’t believe he’s worth a max contract yet, he’s getting there. With an improved handle on the basketball, Beal has been able to create more for himself and isn’t relying so much on drive-and-kicks from John Wall, and his mid-range game has seen improvement as well. A better mid-range game just makes him a bigger threat overall because he can take defenders to the rack with his size and athleticism, and there’s no chance he’s being left open on the three point line.

If he’s able to stay healthy, Beal is on pace to become an excellent player in this league, and he’s crucial to Washington’s success, and it’ll be tough for them to contend for a playoff spot without him on the court.

Next: Nic Batum