3. Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets
New threads shouldn’t cut into Kyrie Irving’s productivity. A turbulent season overshadowed another effective campaign in 2018-19, as he led Boston with 23.8 points and 6.9 assists per game. For a slender 6-foot-3 guard, his 48.7 percent conversion rate is impressive.
Irving’s interior finishing as a well-known gift, but he’s also a proficient deep threat and has one of the league’s best in-between games. His passing has grown quite a bit in Boston, while his defense has gone from bad to average. He will, of course, operate as Brooklyn’s bell cow in Kevin Durant‘s absence.
2. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
*insert watch emoji here* It’s Dame Time. Damian Lillard has been steadfast in his production over the past few seasons. Similar to Irving, he has elevated his defensive reputation without sacrificing offensive production. He deserves serious credit for the Blazers’ run to the conference finals last season.
Lillard is the most dangerous shooter outside Golden State. His range is endless, not to mention the variety. He’s also efficient, connecting on 36.9 percent of his whopping 8.0 attempts per game — a number that could creep back up in 2019-20. Lillard and Irving are tough to choose between.
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
There’s no doubt here. Stephen Curry is the best NBA player outside LeBron James, and could overtake James as soon as this season. As Golden State overcomes Kevin Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson‘s injury, expect Steph to go nuclear in a loud reminder of his talent.
Last season was a quiet one for Curry, spent in the relative shadows considering his stature. He averaged 27.3 points and 5.2 assists per game, hitting 47.3 percent of his field goals and 43.7 percent of his 11.7 deep attempts (!!!) each night. There’s zero debate here.
You can read last season’s version here. Stay tuned in the coming days for our shooting guard rankings.