Sixers: Ranking Tyrese Maxey and every starting point guard in the NBA

Ranking NBA starting point guards — 3. James Harden, Nets

James Harden has — for the first time in a long time — truly struggled, for an extended period of time. This season has not been easy on the 32-year-old, with clear carryover from last season’s hamstring injury. The constant flux of COVID has not made things any easier. Harden doesn’t have quite the same rhythm, quite the same level of control we’re used to seeing from him.

Even so, Harden is still averaging 22.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 9.7 assists on .417/.331/.869 splits — pretty impressive, if you ask me. Even the worst version of Harden is a great deal better than most players, and recent weeks have given Brooklyn fans reason for optimism. Harden seems to be getting things slowly back in gear, and the Nets are title favorites because of it.

Ranking NBA starting point guards — 2. Luka Doncic, Mavericks

Luka Doncic was the preseason favorite to win MVP. He has not delivered on that hype, but the Mavs are still a top-5 seed despite roster deficiencies and a historically inept coach. Doncic fills the stat sheet as much as any player in the league, and we have seen in consecutive postseasons just how far Doncic can carry a team with his production alone.

For the season, the 22-year-old (!!!) is averaging 24.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 9.0 assists on .438/.318/.721 splits. If he can really master that 3-point shot, beyond the great many step-backs we see every night, NBA teams are dead in the water.

Ranking NBA starting point guards — 1. Stephen Curry, Warriors

Stephen Curry will probably win MVP, and the Warriors have a real chance to add ring No. 4 to his collection. He’s not even having a particularly standout season on paper — his 38.4 percent success rate from 3-point range is the lowest mark of his career if you discount the five games he played in 2019-20. Curry has never been below 40 percent from 3 before, and it doesn’t particularly seem to matter. He’s taking more than ever, winning games, and defenses still have no clue how to guard him.

Curry is averaging 26.8 points and 6.1 assists, doing most of his damage per-usual without even touching the ball. Golden State has built a highly complex and productive system around Curry’s off-ball movement and generational shooting touch. He can impact winning as much as any player in the game, and he does so without great size or great athleticism. He’s the ultimate skill player, and he’s No. 1 on this list without any shred of doubt.