Ranking Garland and the 30 best point guards in the NBA
30 best point guards in the NBA: Comfortable starters
For all of the teams employing the below guards, they are comfortable with these players as their point guards. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t look for an upgrade, but the odds of getting a player better at that position are slim. These are all talented players that teams are happy to have in the starting lineup.
No. 14: Kyle Lowry, Miami Heat
No. 15: LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
No. 16: Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls
Even as he gets long in the tooth Kyle Lowry finds ways to contribute to winning basketball, helping to rejuvenate the Miami Heat transition game and yet again proving himself to be an excellent teammate with nearly any lineup because of his shooting, passing and defense.
The Ball brothers are next and are very different players in many ways. LaMelo Ball averaged 20.1 points per game in just his second season and made the All-Star Game, and is the do-it-all engine for the Charlotte Hornets. Lonzo Ball has settled in as a complementary offensive player, bombing away from 3-point land, but defensively he is one of the best guards in the league. On-ball creation is a touch more valuable for a guard than defense, so the younger brother gets the advantage on the list.
No. 17: Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
No. 18: Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks
No. 19: Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
No. 20: Mike Conley, Utah Jazz
Tyrese Haliburton has cleared every hurdle since entering the league; he’s a dynamic scoring threat, an awesome playmaker and a long defender (even if he still needs work there). The Indiana Pacers can build around him for the next decade. The Dallas Mavericks already have their franchise point guard in Luka Doncic; how much will they pay Jalen Brunson to remain when he plays the same position?
Finally, we have a pair of veterans. Marcus Smart is a defensive maestro with the strength to defend multiple positions and a hot-or-cold offensive game; winning Defensive Player of the Year and then starting for an NBA FInals team is quite the combination. Mike Conley is clearly slowing down as he gets older, but his impact metrics are still strong (eighth in EPM and BPM) and his shooting ability will age well.