The point guard position is deep. Most know who’s making up the top 6 or 7, but when deciding who’s taking those last few spots, there’s going to be a lot of debate. The reigning MVP is a point guard, the reigning scoring champ is also a point guard. There are quite a few great superstars at this position. Who tops the list?
Honorable Mentions
-Tony Parker
-Goran Dragic
–Derrick Rose
Tony Parker remains to be an excellent point guard in the league. He can lead Coach Popovich’s offense and does it exceptionally well. Parker’s stats don’t jump off the page at you, but he takes advantage of the minutes he gets. He still has the sickest spin move in the league. Tony Parker is going to be key as the Spurs make a run for a 6th title.
Goran Dragic is entering his first full season in Miami after signing a massive contract. Goran Dragic is a very underrated point guard and he’s playing with the best roster he’s played with in his career. He’s phenomenal at getting to the rim and finishing. He hovered around 69% a season ago. Goran Dragic doesn’t have to be the go to guy. But he’s going to be a great passer, he’s going to have a great field goal percentage due to taking the right shot, and he’s going to be able to get his teammates involved. Dragic could be the X factor for the Heat as they try to make it to their first Finals post-Lebron.
Derrick Rose is trying to play in his first full season since his MVP season. He still plays with that explosiveness that could potentially be a weakness for him. Rose is a great athlete and knows how to get to the rim and score. He’ got a great back court mate in Jimmy Butler so the focus isn’t going to be mainly on him. Butler can handle the ball and Rose can become a shooter, something he’s very capable of. He and Butler are in the discussion for the best back court in the league. If Rose can return to MVP form, watch out for the Bulls.
10. Ty Lawson, Houston Rockets
Ty Lawson is now in Houston playing alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard to form a new big three. Last season, Lawson was a 16-10 player and there’s no reason to believe that won’t continue this season. He might not be the primary ball handler that he was in Denver. That role could very well be James Harden’s. Regardless, Lawson is ready to prove something. He’s ready to prove that he’s a major player in this league. Lawson has better weapons around him. He can free up Harden to move without the basketball and get a better look. If Houston is going to be successful, they’re going to need Lawson to produce like he did in Denver.
09. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Kyle Lowry has come out as a top point guard in the league in the last couple years. Last season he averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and shot the ball at 41.2%. Kyle Lowry is a very smart passer. He knows just where to put the ball for his teammates to score. Lowry isn’t the fastest guy, but he’s a very capable ball handler and makes very good decisions. He isn’t the best shooter, but at times, can get hot from the field. Kyle Lowry was rewarded for his play last year by being named to his first All Star team, and he has a good chance of making it back this season. Lowry has been in MVP talks before, but now he needs to be in the talks for a full season. Can he do that this year?
08. Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks
Jeff Teague was another first time all star last season, and for good reason. You might remember the Hawks going undefeated in January and the entire starting 5 being named Eastern Conference Player of the Month. Jeff Teague was a big part of that. Teague is just about as reliable as it gets, not having missed any more than 12 games a season. But it was last season that saw him emerge as a potential superstar. He averaged 17.6 points, 7 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals, shot the ball 46% and hit 86% of his free throws helping the Hawks win 60 games. He loves to drive the ball and get to the paint. Teague is one of the best finishers at the rim. He’s also one of the best at finding the open man. He’s so smart with his passes and makes them with purpose. If the Hawks look to duplicate and capitalize on their success from last season, they’re going to need the same play out of Jeff Teague
07. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
Some people have Irving as a top 5 point guard. He’s a hard one to understand. There’s no doubt that he knows how to score the ball and has crazy handles. Irving is a 3 time All Star, including winning the All Star MVP in 2014, a former rookie of the year, and last season was named to his first All NBA Team, as he was named to the third team. Last season was arguably his best in his young 4 year career as he averaged 21.7 points, 5.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals shot 46.8% from the field including a career high 41.5% from three in a career high 36.4 minutes a game. Now the assists were a career low, but one has to remember with Lebron James on your team, your point guard is not necessarily your primary ball handler. James brings the ball up the court quite a bit. Irving has one of the best crossovers in the league today. He can get in the paint and finish. He can shoot. He can do it all. The reason he’s this low however, is because he’s not doing quite as bit as the others ranked ahead of him.
06. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard is the lone starting member from a season ago. Damian Lillard is a former rookie of the year, and two time all star. He’s entering just his fourth season in the league. Lillard is a career 20-4-6 shooting 43% from the field and 37% from three. He also hits 86% of his free throws. The former rookie of the year was rewarded with a nice contract this off season. Damian Lillard is going to be asked to do a bit more this season with a new roster. He has no LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Robin Lopez or Wesley Matthews with him anymore. But Lillard is such a good all around player, that he’s going to have the chance to shine even more than he did when he was surrounded by arguably the most complete starting five in the league. Lillard has the ability to hit clutch shots. He’s a great passer, and he can rebound. Don’t be surprised to see Lillard eclipse the 25 points a game mark. Perhaps we may even see Westbrook-esque scoring like we did last season.
05. Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
Mike Conley is quite possibly the most underrated point guard in the league. He’s one of the main reasons the Grizzlies have been a staple in the playoffs for the last few seasons. Conley is a great point guard who can not only lead the offense, but play physical on the defensive side of the ball. Mike Conley has been with the Grizzlies since 2007, but has recently become one of the best point guards in the league. Last season saw him average 15.8 points, 5.4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1.3 steals. He also shot 44.6% from the field, 38.6% from three and 85.9% from the free throw line. Mike Conley knows how to play the point guard position. His assist numbers don’t jump out at you, but when you watch a Grizzlies game, you know that he’s the floor general. Because he’s such a good three point shooter, he gives Marc Gasol, a great passing big man, a weapon to pass to out of the post. Mike Conley deserves recognition, and that should come this season. He should make his first all star game appearance. More people need to recognize Mike Conley.
04. John Wall, Washington Wizards
John Wall is the best point guard in the East. He’s another explosive player and is arguably the quickest in the league. Last season saw him average 17.6 points, a career high 10 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals and shot a career high 44.5% from the field. Wall is a 2 time All Star and started one of them. Wall has quick hands and is always active on defense. Offensively, he’s one of the best point guards in the league. Due to his quickness, he can get in the paint almost at will, which is causing defenders to collapse on him. That frees up his teammates, and Wall recognizes that and always makes the smart pass. He was the only other player, besides Chris Paul, to average 10 assists. Wall gets up the floor extremely quick, so you don’t want to turn the ball over with him around. John Wall and the Wizards are a dark horse for the Eastern Conference Finals this season. Don’t be surprised to see Wall in the MVP discussion this season.
03. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry is your reigning MVP and leader of the defending champions. We are witnessing one of the best shooters of all time. He can join the 50-40-90 club every season, he’s that good of a shooter. There really isn’t any knock to his game. Last season he averaged 23.8 points, 7.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2 steals, shot 48.7% from the field, 44.3% from three and 91.4% from the line, which led the league. In the playoffs he stepped up to 28.3 points, 6.4 assists, 5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and shot 45.6% from the field and 42.2% from three. Stephen Curry does things with a basketball other players can only dream of doing. He’s got incredible handles, a killer crossover, can get to the rim with ease. And if he draws the foul, he’s pretty much automatic from the line. The Warriors remained intact from a season ago, with David Lee being the only loss. Golden State is once again a favorite for the title and it will be an absolute blast watching Stephen Curry play basketball this season.
02. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Wizards v/s Thunder 03/14/11 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Russell Westbrook had an unbelievable season in which he scored 28 points a game, grabbed over 7 rebounds a game, and dished out nearly 9 assists a game. He was arguably the best player in the game last season from a statistical standpoint. Westbrook plays like he’s the best player in the world. Sometimes he takes ill advised shots, but he believes the shot is going in every time. Now he’s back with Kevin Durant and the roster is healthy. Westbrook knows how to get his teammates involved and is an underrated passer due to his high volume of shots. This might be the season we see the Thunder go from Kevin Durant’s team to Russell Westbrook’s team. Westbrook is so explosive and can get to the rim quicker than just about anyone else. Westbrook can compete for the scoring title again, but should be in consideration for MVP as the Thunder chase a championship.
01. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
The gap between 4 and 1 is closer than people realize, but Chris Paul remains the best point guard in the league. Yes, Stephen Curry won MVP. Yes, Russell Westbrook won the scoring title. But no point guard in the league is like Chris Paul. Chris Paul is a pass first point guard. He’s always looking for ways to get his teammates involved. Now, his teammates make that easy for him, but we can’t fault him for taking advantage of that. Chris Paul knows how to take care of the basketball. He seldom turns it over. Last season he had an insane assist to turnover ratio of over 4. He’s averaged over 10 assists multiple times in his career, but he’s also capable of putting up 18-20 points. Now this season he has even more weapons around him. Chris Paul will remain the best point guard in this league, but the gap is getting more and more narrow as each season passes by. He’s an MVP candidate every season, and this season shouldn’t be any different.
