The 10 Best Point Guards in the NBA
By Jason McIntyre
The most loaded position in the NBA is at point guard, where three players have been named MVP of the league – assuming Harden wins it this year. How do we rank them?
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
He’s not a traditional point guard, but his ability to shoot from distance has had the same impact Magic Johnson did in the 80s with his 6-foot-9 frame. His 6.7 assists per game for his career ranks 30th all-time, ahead of traditional point guards like Gary Payton, Mark Price, Andre Miller, and Mookie Blaylock.
10. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Surely some will quibble with Lowry’s inclusion, given his 16.2 ppg were his lowest in five years, and his shooting from the field (42) and deep (39) were down from 2017. But his 5.6 apg were the best of his career.
Just missed: Mike Conley, Kemba Walker, Goran Dragic, Jeff Teague, Ricky Rubio.
2. James Harden, Houston Rockets
The lock to win the 2017-2018 NBA MVP has morphed from being a prolific scorer (NBA-high 30.4 ppg) into a great all-around point guard. Harden averaged a career-high 11.2 apg the year before Chris Paul arrived; Harden still averaged 8.8 apg last season.
3. Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers
The first team All-NBA star is Curry-lite: Incredible range, scoring machine, and also a very good passer (6.6 assists). If Player Efficiency Rating is your thing, Lillard is 7th in the NBA (25.19).
4. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics
Perhaps the best finishing point guard in the NBA, and he’s virtually unstoppable 1-on-1. Had another season end prematurely by injuries, but still averaged 24.4 ppg, 5.1 apg and shot a 40 percent from three.
5. Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
The oldest point guard on this list (33), but he’s better than everyone ahead of him defensively. Averaged a career-low 7.9 assists playing alongside James Harden, but he’s an underrated shooter (46/38/91) who could score more (18.6 ppg) if he needed too.
6. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
Only a rookie, but was 9th among all point guards in PER. He’s the primary reason the 76ers went from 28 wins to 52 (yes, Joel Embiid was secondary). One of the NBA’s biggest mysteries: How does a point guard who didn’t make a 3-pointer all season still average 15.8 ppg and 8.2 apg?
7. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
How does the 2017 MVP fall this far? Well, since losing Kevin Durant, Westbrook has the two worst turnover seasons of his career. He shot 29 percent on 3-pointers this past season, and although he led the NBA in assists, if he made anyone better, they would have gotten out of the 1st round one of these two years.
8. John Wall, Washington Wizards
After a career-best season in 2017, he got hurt in 2018 and the Wizards actually got a little better. Biggest positive? He shot a career-high 37 percent from deep last season. I’m not sure if there’s a case he should be above anyone higher on this list.
9. Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans
Solidified his spot on this list by playing Lillard to a standstill (or slightly better than) in the first round of the playoffs (27.8 ppg, 6.5 apg, 56 percent shooting). Ranked 4th among all point guards last season in defensive plus/minus (2.10). Spent the first eight years of his career as a pure point guard, but actually spent more time at shooting guard than point in 2017-2018.