When rubber meets the road, you would be hard-pressed to name a definitively better guard stopper than Jrue Holiday. He’s the cream of the crop defensively, and he has time and time again proven that he can significantly influence winning on the biggest stage, even when his offense wavers from time to time in the postseason.
Chris Paul’s placement is tricky. Few players have earned the benefit of the doubt more than Chris Paul, but at the same time, he’s 37 years old, only six feet tall, and showing unmistakable signs of regression. His numbers are down, injuries will never leave him alone, and the Suns aren’t winning games like we’re used to. Maybe he will drop even further down the list by season’s end. For now, however, it’s hard not to hold out hope of another improbable resurgence from the Point God.
LaMelo Ball has been tasked with the unenviable task of leading the depleted, remarkably uninspiring Hornets this season — all while dealing with multiple ankle maladies, for good measure. It’s hard to blame you if you’ve completely ignored the Hornets this season, but Ball is once again putting up gaudy numbers in his usual show-stopping fashion.