Something remarkable has happened over the past couple of seasons. After a solid decade of the point guard ranks being dominated by the same faces, a new generation is beginning to break through. While Chris Paul and Stephen Curry are still at the top of their game, a collection of guards on their rookie deals are demanding attention.
Darius Garland is one such player, breaking out in his third season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Eight point guards since 2000 have made an All-Star Game in their age-22 season or sooner; Garland could become the ninth. So could LaMelo Ball or Ja Morant. This is an exciting time for fans of the court’s smallest players.
Darius Garland is having a breakout season in his third year. Where does the potential All-Star rank among the NBA’s point guards?
How quickly is Garland rising up the ranks of the league’s point guards? Where does he stand among his peers? This may just seem like a fun exercise, and it certainly is, but it is also a necessary one for front office personnel to do regularly. Knowing where a player stands against his peers determines contract offers, trade requests and roster priorities.
Garland will be eligible for a rookie extension this offseason; whether or not he deserves the max is influenced by whether he is the 10th-best point guard or the 25th. Any such list is a prisoner of the moment, subject to change based on each new game of data. That being the case, let’s take a snapshot right now of where things stand.
This list will attempt to identify how each point guard ranks according to helping his team win; we will try to strip away team context or injuries, but both obviously have an influence. Looking at the top 20 or so point guards in the league, we’ve divided them into five tiers. Where does Darius Garland fall? Who else could be pushing him as they climb the ladder? Let’s dig in!
Ranking the NBA’s point guards: Tier 1 – Perennial MVP candidate
This tier will be the smallest tier, unless we decide to make a special one for “perennial All-Star point guards whose inability to adapt his game lowers the ceiling of any team he joins” for Russell Westbrook. There is only one point guard in the league who is a Top-5 player and a perennial MVP candidate.
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
The only point guard to win multiple MVP awards since Steve Nash, Wardell Stephen Curry is an incredible basketball player. It may pain fans of the Cavs to see Curry this high, but his track record speaks for himself. He has won three titles, is in contention for another this season, and is the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA.
At 33 years old he may start to see some decline soon, but as certain athletic gifts have ebbed the skill and strength have only increased. This season is his least efficient in some time, yet he is still leading the league in made 3-pointers by the approximate distance from Cleveland to San Francisco.
Curry’s gravity and willingness to put in the work off-ball open up countless opportunities for his teammates. He is a uniquely gifted player who doesn’t lug his ego around the court, making him a ceiling raiser to the highest degree. Sorry Cavs fans, but your all-time great played forward; Golden State’s plays point guard.
Ranking the NBA’s point guards: Tier 2 – Top 20 Players
A handful of other point guards would fall somewhere in the 10-20 range leaguewide. This tier and all subsequent ones are loosely in order but inside of each tier there are reasonable arguments to move any player up or down. Here we have three established veterans and one newcomer blazing his way into Tier 2.
2. Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns
The senior member of the point guard class, Paul’s game of crafty moves and smooth jumpers has aged as well as anyone could have dreamed. At 36 years old he is still an All-NBA candidate who is being mentioned in the MVP conversation, leading the team with the league’s best record. He will surely drop off at some point, but that hasn’t happened yet.
3. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Bursting onto the scene we have a third-year player in Ja Morant establishing himself as one of the league’s most dynamic offensive forces. The Memphis Grizzlies have leapt up to third in the Western Conference as of this writing, and Morant is behind just Stephen Curry and Trae Young in scoring among point guards. His arrow is pointed straight up.
4. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
It’s difficult to place Lillard on this list; was his poor play this season simply a result of the abdominal injury he eventually had surgery for, or was it an indication that he is leaving his prime? This is a hedge between the two; prior to this season, he was inside the Top 10 NBA players due to his floor-stretching, shotmaking and team culture setting. If he returns at the end of this season or next year back to his old ways he jumps to the top of this tier.
5. Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks
Jrue Holiday is the best guard defender in the league, with the size, strength and length to guard up-and-down the lineup. His ability to essentially erase opposing guards was essential to Milwaukee winning the title last season, On offense he is a solid scoring threat who is a plus playmaker, so add it all up and he is right around 20th in the league, and the last entrant in Tier 2.
Ranking the NBA’s point guards: Tier 3 – All-NBA Level Players
This group of players elevate their teams towards winning in an excellent way, more consistently than Tier 4 but not quite to the level of Tier 3. These are the players who can get into the All-NBA conversation but likely won’t make it. Young and Murray are elite offensive players offset by defensive woes, while Lowry and SGA are well-rounded players, with all four landing around the same place.
6. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
There are few players as good offensively as Trae Young, with his scoring, shooting and truly elite playmaking elevating an Atlanta offense that ranks second in the league in offensive rating. The Hawks run their offense entirely through Young and he delivers. Yet on defense he nearly gives it all back. Point guard is the least important position defensively, which saves Young to an extent, but it keeps him out of Tier 2.
7. Kyle Lowry, Miami Heat
Lowry was a key piece of the Toronto Raptors’ title team in 2019, and now on the Miami Heat he is both fitting right into their system perfectly, while also injecting a bit of Lowry into them: the Heat are scoring more in transition than last year, and they lead the league in charges drawn by in impossible amount; the Heat draw more than twice as many charges as the second-place team, which is closer to 30th than to the Heat. That’s the impact Lowry has, bringing defense, passing and shooting without needing a ton of shots. He’s the perfect third banana.
8. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
It’s hard to tell given that he has played on a tanking team the last two seasons, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has grown into a really good player. His 3-point shooting has dropped this year, but his impact while on the court shines through even so. It will be necessary to see his play on a more talented roster to truly evaluate his growth, but assuming the shooting comes back around he doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses. He’s one of the better tough-shot makers at the point guard position.
9. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray has missed this entire season recovering from an ACL tear, and he has never actually made an All-Star Game, but he has proven in multiple postseason series that he is the real deal offensively. Some of the greatest scoring outbursts in modern postseason history have come from Murray, and given the state of modern sports medicine there is no reason to think he will have lost that shotmaking when he returns.
Ranking the NBA’s point guards: Tier 4 – All-Star Candidates
This group of players are those who should be mentioned in the All-Star conversation this season and every year. They include some young up-and-comers, one old-timer, and one much-maligned guard who is actually having a really solid season.
10. Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
Darius Garland leads the way, checking in at 10th for those keeping track at home. He has really elevated his scoring game this season, including that deadly floater that can easily turn into a lob. His shooting is a weapon that is desperately needed on the Cavs, and as a playmaker he is adding advanced reads and defense manipulations. He deserves to be an All-Star this year.
11. Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs
The heir apparent to Russell Westbrook’s triple-double crown, Dejounte Murray is one of the league’s best rebounding point guards. He has grown as a passer as well, perhaps in part because of the departure of DeMar DeRozan, and has taken on the mantle of the Spurs’ best player. Have we mentioned he is an All-Defense candidate?
12. Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
This is one of the bigger surprises of the season, but Fred VanVleet is perpetually on fire this year, hitting shots from everywhere. Through games played January 23rd, VanVleet was hitting 3.9 triples per game (second only to Stephen Curry) on 39.3 percent shooting from deep, even more impressive given that VanVleet is creating nearly all of his own shots.
13. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Rising up the ranks along with Darius Garland is LaMelo Ball, who likewise brings an exciting and impactful combination of shooting and passing. The Charlotte Hornets are on track to be a playoff team this season and while they have plenty of contributors, LaMelo is the straw that stirs the drink.
14. Mike Conley, Utah Jazz
The elder statesman of this tier, Mike Conley has continued to have an elite per-minute impact on the Utah Jazz. His scoring is down but his efficiency is way up; he leads all point guards on this list in effective field goal percentage and 3-point shooting and the Jazz are pummeling opponents when he is on the court.
15. Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls
Perhaps the surprising entrant to this tier, Lonzo Ball’s impact is consistently that of an above-average starting point guard. He is incredibly versatile on defense, guarding anyone from Darius Garland to Kevin Love for the Bulls, all while shooting 42.3 percent from deep and fitting into his lower-usage role. Lonzo can’t be the top guy for an offense, but he’s perfect as a scaleable running mate.
16. D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves
Wait, isn’t D’Angelo Russell supposed to be a vastly overrated guard who sucks up shots and doesn’t help his team win? That’s the rap on Russell, and at times it has fit. This season, however, he has shown that he can fit in alongside other high-usage players and do the little stuff that helps teams win. He is averaging 19 points per game, 7.1 assists and playing vocal defense.
Ranking the NBA’s point guards: Tier 5 – Above-average Starters
This is the remainder of the list of point guards who would certainly be above-average starters for their teams. There are other players worth mentioning – up-and-comers like Cole Anthony and Anfernee Simons, solid veterans like Patrick Beverly and Seth Curry, or plus backups like Tyus Jones or Patty Mills. Markelle Fultz could play his way back into this list once he returns from injury.
17. Malcolm Brogdon, Indiana Pacers
A solid, do-it-all guard who isn’t elevating teams himself but fits in well alongside other offensive options. He shoots, he defends, he passes – nothing at an elite level, but he has no weaknesses either.
18. Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks
Another breakout star of this season, Jalen Brunson has gone from second-round pick to top backup to solid starter. A pending free agent, he could be in line for a big payday this summer. His change-of-direction is nasty, allowing him to find space while driving inside or get clearance to shoot from outside.
19. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
Even a season ago Fox would have ranked higher on this list, but right now it’s hard to place Fox given his inconsistent shooting and lackadaisical approach to defense. He can be a plus defender, but all too often he chooses not to be.
20. Ricky Rubio, Cleveland Cavaliers
Another player experiencing a career renaissance this season, Ricky Rubio found his place in Cleveland playing off of Darius Garland and old friend Kevin Love. He is a wizard passing the ball and an intelligent defender, but this season showed he has grown as a shooter too. After tearing his ACL, the Cavs will have a difficult decision to make with Rubio both at the trade deadline and this summer.
21. Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers
Russell Westbrook is still a physical force, juicing his teams in transition and putting stress on defenses with his rim attacks. He is also a terribly inefficient shooter that continues to chuck, a sieve on defense who simply hunts for steals, and overall seems to be a floor raiser who does very little to raise ceilings. He was a reasonable piece on a team like the Wizards last year to help them make the Play-In Tournament, but on a team trying to win a title, he is a huge deadweight even before considering his expensive contract.
22. Spencer Dinwiddie, Washington Wizards
Spencer Dinwiddie looked like a great signing by the Wizards this past offseason, but he has been off to an inconsistent start in the nation’s capital. Of the players above him on this list, Fox and Westbrook are the other two to net out as negative players by some metrics. He has been ice-cold shooting and stiff on defense; the hope in Washington is that he gets his form back and makes good on the contract he signed.
There you are — the top 22 point guards in the NBA. Darius Garland checked in at 10th, although reasonable arguments can be made for him anywhere from 8th to 15th. The bottom line is that he has gone from a young player with potential to a player driving winning on one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. It’s not unreasonable to think Garland places even higher on this list next season.