Ranking Garland and the 30 best point guards in the NBA

It’s unclear which position on an NBA team is the most important. Since the goal is to put an orange sphere through an orange ring, the player closest to it might be vital – that’s the center. In less simplistic terms, an elite rim protector has been proven to have the biggest impact on a team’s defense.

One may also say that big wings are the most important position, as they are the most versatile. Most centers can only be centers, and most point guards can only be point guards. A 6’7″ player who can shoot and play defense in space can play all over the lineup, and teams have recently found success stacking their rosters with as many wings as possible.

Yet the common wisdom has been that a team needs a point guard to run the show, to orchestrate the offense and keep everyone in the right place. There is something to be said for that, even if things like size still matter at the position. Having a lead ball-handler who can generate high-level offense is important to a successful team.

Point guard is a crucial position on an NBA roster. Who are the Top 30 point guards in the NBA, and where does Darius Garland rank on the list?

Let’s go through and rank them, then. Who are the best 30 point guards in the NBA right now? For the sake of this exercise we will assume every player is healthy, and that we want such a player for an entire season and postseason starting from now. Players were included if they primarily play point guard, but obviously a few decisions had to be made (Luka Doncic and Patrick Beverley are point guards, Jordan Clarkson and Ben Simmons are not).

This is a Cleveland Cavaliers website, so we obviously care about where Darius Garland lands. Yet this list will work for all NBA fans, as it’s an attempt at an unbiased ranking of every point guard in the league. Let’s start with the two superstars at the position, both of which made it to the Western Conference Finals this year.