3 best shooting guards aged 25 or under right now in NBA's Eastern Conference
Shooting the ball efficiently is an art, and only a few get very good at it throughout their NBA careers. That is one of the reasons it is so thrilling to see a youngster become adept at knocking down jumpers from any part of the court.
Experience counts for much in the NBA, as it is expected that you get better at a job you do consistently for an extended period of time. While that is a fact, a few players have turned out to be whiz-kids, excelling at shooting the ball.
Who are the three best shooting guards aged 25 or under in the NBA's Eastern Conference?
The list of shooting guards aged 25 or under in the NBA is not exactly long. Nonetheless, only a select few are performing at a very high level. With our focus on the Eastern Conference, many would agree on these selections, given how well they have performed throughout their relatively short career.
That said, here are the three best shooting guards aged 25 or under right now in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
#3 Tyler Herro
Tyler Herro joined the NBA in 2019 after he was selected with the 13th overall pick by the Miami Heat. The 21-year-old has continually improved and will be one of the big-time contributors for the Heat in the 2021-22 season.
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Herro put together sensational performances that earned him a slot in the NBA's All-Rookie Second Team. Although he had better numbers in his sophomore year, he did not make the leap many expected of him. He struggled to knock down three-pointers, averaging 36% on 5.5 attempts per game.
However, the Boy Wonder has tremendously improved his game as evidenced by his displays in the preseason and the Miami Heat's season opener. He came off the bench in their first game of the 2021-22 NBA season and recorded 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists while shooting 50% from beyond the arc.
#2 RJ Barrett
While Julius Randle was the principal facilitator of the New York Knicks' resurgence in the 2020-21 NBA season, RJ Barrett was the second-best scorer on the team. For a sophomore, he did a spectacular job helping an underrated Knicks team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
The Knicks selected Barrett with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, behind Zion Williamson and Ja Morant. His production has been an indicator that he was right to be selected as it can be argued that no other player outside of the top three is performing better than Barrett right now.
An area of improvement that is worthy of note is his three-point shooting. Barrett has been working with skills coach Drew Hanlen and significantly improved his three-point shooting in the 2020-21 NBA season. His 40.1% three-point percentage in his second season was a massive boost from his rookie year's 32%.
#1 Jaylen Brown
The Boston Celtics have a rare talent in Jaylen Brown, and they are well aware of his status. Being the oldest among the bunch, his game is more refined, and he is a certified scorer.
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Brown has spent five years in the NBA following his third overall selection by the Celtics in the 2016 draft. Despite not being a starter during his rookie season, he played a vital role in the team's deep run in the playoffs and has since been seen as one of the cornerstones of the franchise.
The All-Star has come a long way from averaging 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists (rookie numbers). He finished the 2020-21 season averaging 24.7 points, six rebounds, and 3.4 assists.