Ranking 76ers’ James Harden and the top 30 NBA point guards

Kyrie Irving will start in the All-Star game on the strength of his unique concoction of popularity, as well as his singular and undeniable ability to score the basketball. Very few players can claim to match Irving’s skill level. His illusive handles, boundless ingenuity, and feather-soft touch make Irving perhaps the premier iso guard in the NBA. He doesn’t always elevate teammates — and his off-court distractions are hard to ignore completely — but the talent is overwhelming.

Jalen Brunson has really popped in his first season with the Knicks, proving his star power and living up to the contract Dallas was unwilling to give him. A heady playmaker with impressive strength and footwork, Brunson is a master of carving out space against even the staunchest defenders. He’s a legitimate post-up threat at 6-foot-1, as well as a prolific pull-up shooter and razor-sharp thinker.

De’Aaron Fox has finally entered the next stage of stardom, helping lead Sacramento to legitimate contention in the West. He’s still an absolute blur moving downhill, one of the NBA’s most efficient and prolific slashers. In transition, very few teams can stop him. Polishing his perimeter game and forming one of the NBA’s most dynamic two-man actions with Domantas Sabonis, however, has transformed Fox from starter to potential All-Star.