Examining where Cavs’ Garland, Mitchell were slotted in B/R’s guard rank

#15-8

15th and 14th have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and LaMelo Ball. I think Shai is a bit too high on this list, and LaMelo is a tad bit high. My biased self thinks Garland is higher than SGA, but maybe not LaMelo. LaMelo Ball might have a really good season, but with his roster surrounding him, I’m not sure how far his team will go.

Chris Paul and Zach LaVine are the next two players. Don’t hate me, please, but I think Zach LaVine is one of the NBA’s most overrated players. He’s a poor defender, and his +/- last season was in the negative, which theoretically, shouldn’t be true, since he was an All-Star. Chris Paul might be a bit high, but that’s just because he’s 37 years old, and I’m not sure how much he has left in the tank.

At 11, we have Anthony Edwards, who is in line for a big year. I think he’ll be an All-Star next season, and lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a solid playoff spot. I like this ranking, personally. I have no complaints.

At 10, we have Bradley Beal, who I think is a bit high, just because of his injury history. Personally, I didn’t think it was a good idea to extend Beal for a supermax contract, as I think that might harm the Washington Wizards in the long run.

9th, we have Kyrie Irving, who is one of the league’s most mysterious players. I think this is a bit low for Irving, personally, as I think he should be 1 or 2 spots higher. However, his game is still one of the league’s best, and his handles haven’t dropped off, either.

In 8th, we have Donovan Mitchell, who I think should be swapped with Kyrie. In a vacuum, I’d rather have Irving than Mitchell, but it’s close.