The NBA has changed. It doesn’t make sense to pigeon-hole players in narrow, positional constraints at this stage and a lot of basketball-related discussions group players in entirely different fashion than in previous decades. However, the point guard position is relatively easy to pin down and, in some ways, a different discussion — pitting “shoot-first” point guards against “pure” point guards — takes precedent over whether a certain athlete is actually a point guard or not.
With that in mind, it is easier to construct the player pool for a list of the best point guards in the NBA but that doesn’t necessarily simplify the task in an overall sense. The athletes in question can be very different in the way they approach the game but, if nothing else, there is a tremendous group at the top of the NBA and our task is to find the 10 best and rank them in order.
10. Mike Conley
Conley famously hasn’t landed in the NBA All-Star Game during his impressive career and that is a shame. It is fair to point out that the former Ohio State standout probably hasn’t been an uber-elite player at the position at any point but, in year 12 of an impressive career, Conley still operates at a high level.
Since making something of a leap in the middle of his career, Conley has averaged 18 points and six assists per game over a six-season sample with high-end defense. Beyond that, Conley’s efficiency has always been solid and he takes very little (if anything) off the table on a nightly basis. You probably don’t want Conley to be your best player if you are making a title run but, at the very least, he would be a welcome addition to virtually any team and he is a good fit on this list.
9. Jrue Holiday
Holiday doesn’t always play point guard but, in a vacuum, it’s the position he is best suited for. With that in mind, it may be a surprise to some that he would crash the party in this space but, quite honestly, Holiday might be higher when accounting for recent performance. He is enjoying the most productive offensive season of his career (21 points and eight assists per game) and Holiday might be the best defensive player on this entire list.
It’s worth noting that Holiday isn’t necessarily best when asked to engineer an offense in the way that some players on this list would be, but that also adds to his versatility and overall value in certain situations. Holiday isn’t the most dominant offensive player at the position but, when accounting for his stellar defense and ability to knock down shots, his inclusion is a no-brainer.
8. Chris Paul
By any measure, Chris Paul is one of the best point guards in the history of the NBA. He is already in the top 15 all-time in both steals and assists, with off-the-charts efficiency (seventh all-time in PER) and nine selections to the NBA’s All-Defensive team. In short, there are no weaknesses in Paul’s overall career resume and, even if he remains underrated in a historical sense because of his team-based playoff profile, there are no arguments against him as a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.
That isn’t what this list is, though, and that complicates matters. Paul is now a supporting piece for the Rockets in that Houston is James Harden’s team. The veteran point guard was tremendous in helping the Rockets reach the Western Conference Finals a year ago but, in limited action during the 2018-19 season, Paul simply hasn’t been the same player. The sample is small enough where it shouldn’t cloud all judgment but, at this age, the possibility exists that Paul will never return to his All-Star ways.
This ranking is something of a hedge as a result. If he bounces back to 2017-18 levels, he should be higher on the list. If this “new” version is accurate moving forward, Paul shouldn’t be on the list at all. Time will tell.
7. Kyle Lowry
On the heels of a three-year sample in which Lowry was a 40 percent shooter from beyond the three-point arc, he has struggled in the first half of the 2018-19 season. In the big picture, however, it is probably wise to overlook that hiccup in search of the big picture and Lowry is a terrific two-way player that acts as the centerpiece of a title contender.
Obviously, Kawhi Leonard is the best player on the Raptors roster but Lowry might be the most important. Toronto routinely loses its way when he leaves the floor and, while the shooting has regressed lately, Lowry boasts career-best assist numbers (more than nine per game) to act as a fantastic facilitator. Defensively, he probably isn’t quite the same player at the age of 32 but Lowry is still a better two-way option than most at the position and the four-time All-Star lands safely in our top ten.
6. Ben Simmons
Simmons is anything but a typical point guard. After all, he stands at 6’10, defends virtually every position and averages more than nine rebounds per game in his second season. However, the former No. 1 overall pick absolutely serves as the lead ball-handler for the Sixers and he qualifies for this particular list as a result of that role allocation.
Defensively, Simmons is a terror in a way that few “point guards” can match, using his size, length and quickness to make a significant impact. His inability (and unwillingness) to stretch opposing defenses as a shooter always looms and, well, it is always the lead national story with regard to Simmons. What that drawback doesn’t do, though, is keep Simmons from playing at an All-Star level and his strengths are overwhelmingly impressive.
5. Kemba Walker
The sun, moon and stars of the Charlotte Hornets leads off the top five. Walker was voted as an All-Star starter for the first time in his career and, in fitting fashion, the 2019 All-Star Game will take place in Charlotte. While that storyline is convenient and fun, Walker also earned the trip, operating at a high level and leading the Hornets to a chance at a playoff berth.
Of course, the bar is lower for playoff inclusion in the East but Walker doesn’t exactly have a lot of help. Walker maintains a very solid level of efficiency, posting four straight seasons with 55 percent true shooting or better, and his flashes of offensive brilliance often keep Charlotte engaged in games against more talented opponents. The former UConn standout isn’t a lock-down defender in the mold of Simmons but he is better on that end than you might think and Walker deserves more shine.
4. Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is preposterously good at basketball, to the point where he is closer to No. 3 on this list than he is to No. 5. The 24-year-old is the key cog for a playoff-bound team in the Western Conference and, during the 2018-19 campaign, Lillard has been by far the best player for Portland.
Over a four-year sample, Lillard is averaging 26 points, six assists and five rebounds per game, putting together high-end production while not sacrificing efficiency. He can create his own shot, facilitate for others and present enough defensive resistance to avoid being a liability on that end of the floor. If anything, he is enjoying a better season than the No. 3 player on this list and, if those two players were flipped, it wouldn’t feel wrong.
3. Russell Westbrook
Let’s get the ugly bit out of the way. Westbrook’s shooting during the 2018-19 season has been abominable. His usage rate is more moderate than in previous years (though it is still quite high in the grand scheme), but Westbrook’s true shooting percentage has dipped below 48 percent and that kind of inefficiency has a sharp negative effect on Oklahoma City’s offense. As a result, the push-back has been swift but, while Westbrook has “earned” some of that, he still brings an insane package of skills to the table.
Westbrook is the best rebounder at the position and leads the NBA in assists for good measure. It would probably be accurate to say that Westbrook isn’t the best pure passer in the league but, at the very least, he makes a major impact in that category and does so while being an ever-present threat as a rim attacker. For good measure, Westbrook is playing his best defense in years and that should also be noted when considering his impact.
It has always been difficult to evaluate Westbrook, as his combination of inefficiency and wild production virtually breaks the traditional mold. Still, he is a terrific player and that has to be remembered.
2. Kyrie Irving
In the eighth season of his career, Kyrie Irving reached a new level. He was always an utterly dynamic offensive player with a legendary handle and the ability to take over games with his shot-making. In 2018-19, however, Irving is operated at the highest level of his life on the defensive end of the floor and, since joining the Celtics prior to the 2017-18 season, his offensive efficiency has jumped exponentially.
Irving boasts a true shooting percentage north of 60 percent in a Celtics uniform and that, combined with an uptick in his facilitation and defense, paints the picture of a superior player than during his run with the Cavaliers. It remains to be seen as to whether Irving can be the guy on a title-winning club but he has the playoff resume to go along with a wildly impressive level of play in the recent past.
1. Steph Curry
If James Harden was eligible in this space (he leads the pack on our list of the NBA’s best shooting guards), this might be debatable. Without Harden in the mix, this becomes an even easier decision, as Curry remains the league’s best player at the position.
First and foremost, Curry is the best shooter on the planet and the best shooter in the history of the NBA. At this point, that tidbit shouldn’t be controversial and he is working on a quartet of seasons in which his true shooting is north of 65 percent. That is utterly preposterous for a perimeter player and Curry essentially breaks the game on a nightly basis. He isn’t an overwhelming defender but he holds his own in a general sense, and Curry is a solid passer to the point where he fits in snugly with the offense he helped to engineer.
Steph Curry isn’t the “purest” of point guards when looking back through decades of NBA basketball but he’s the best in the business right now.
