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NBA point guard tier list: Where does Cavaliers’ Darius Garland rank?

By Josh Cornelissen

Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)
Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports) /
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D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers and Jordan Poole, Golden State Warriors. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images /

NBA Point Guard Tiers: Tier 8 – Up-and-comers

  • 35. Jordan Poole, Washington Wizards
  • 34. Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers
  • 33. Tre Jones, San Antonio Spurs
  • 32. Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks
  • 31. Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder

The most difficult type of player to rank on this list was the young point guard. Where each of these players left off last season was probably just below the level of a solid starting point guard, but they have the potential to come in this season having taken the next step, in which case they could move up this list quickly.

Tre Jones will get the chance to start again in San Antonio and has a chance to grow into a long-term starter if his shot comes around. Scoot Henderson is a special point guard prospect and will probably take a year to get his footing but should feature near the top of this list in a few years. Josh Giddey is currently breaking out at the FIBA World Cup and could be poised for another step forward this year.

Tier 7 – Proven vets and aging former stars

  • 30. D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
  • 29. Russell Westbrook, LA Clippers
  • 28. Kyle Lowry, Miami Heat
  • 27. Markelle Fultz, Orlando Magic
  • 26. Malcolm Brogdon, Boston Celtics
  • 25. Tyus Jones, Washington Wizards
  • 24. Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
  • 23. Mike Conley, Minnesota Timberwolves

If one of these players is starting for your team you don’t need to immediately be seeking an upgrade, but this group of point guards are lineup finishers, not the players you can rely on to win at a high level. Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley once did drive winning, but they are aging into a different season of their careers; Lowry is already there, while Westbrook is slowly being convinced that he is not the player he once was.

Players like Markelle Fultz and Tyus Jones raise your team’s floor while limiting the ceiling. Both could be elite as backup point guards, but for now both project as starters for their respective teams. Spencer Dinwiddie is the perfect test case for this “replacement line” as the Nets would love to upgrade at point guard, but they can still push for the playoffs with Dinwiddie as the starter.