We’re halfway through another NBA season. With the trade deadline looming, teams are evaluating their ability to contend and the quality of their players. So, let’s rank them — starting with the point guard position.
Naturally for the Philadelphia 76ers, the conversation starts with James Harden. A unique case, that of a former top-shelf star adjusting to life as the No. 2, Harden’s place among the league’s great lead guards can be tricky to decipher. He doesn’t score like he once did, but his efficiency numbers are up and he’s leading the NBA in assists per game.
The Sixers, meanwhile, are 32-16, good for the No. 2 seed in the East and only one game behind 1-seed Boston in the loss column. Harden’s a big reason behind the Sixers’ success. Does he crack the top five?
Ranking James Harden and the top 30 NBA point guards
A model of efficiency over the course of his NBA career, Monte Morris has done well with his new team in Washington. Now full-time starter — rather than injury stopgap — Morris continues to bomb 3s and play set-up man with remarkable precision, averaging 5.4 assists to 0.9 turnovers per game.
Still wrecking defenses with explosive drives to the rim, Russell Westbrook has settled nicely into his sixth man role with the Lakers. He is embracing different parts of the game, sacrificing for the supposed greater good, and still impacting winning as a result. He’s not the MVP-level offensive fulcrum the NBA world once grew to love, but despite his myriad flaws, Westbrook’s productivity remains somewhat undeniable.
Markelle Fultz returned from his ACL tear and quickly took control of the starting point guard role for the very promising Orlando Magic. He’s still not shooting outside shots at a high volume, but Fultz’s body control and arrhythmic handles still dazzle. He’s great at juking his defender out of position and taking advantage with A-plus court vision, the ability to extend for finishes at the rim, or his pleasantly solid mid-range jumper.
Tyus Jones has been excellent and severely underrated for the Grizzlies, a team defined by its abundance of riches. Ja Morant soaks up a lot of the spotlight — especially when it comes to the point guard position — but Jones’ high basketball I.Q., mistake-free approach, and sustained 3-point efficiency make him impossible to ignore in this capacity. He’s a starter for some teams.
D’Angelo Russell has gracefully transitioned into a more balanced offensive approach as Anthony Edwards cranks up his star-power wattage. Spending more time off the ball and striking a more balanced pass-to-shot ratio, Russell has seen his efficiency improve. He still oozes talent offensively and he’s being weaponized more effectively than ever before in Minnesota.
We might be approaching the end of Kyle Lowry’s days as everyday starter and borderline All-Star. The Heat have managed to find some measure of stability after starting the season on the sourest of notes, but Lowry — ever-plagued by injuries — can’t seem to locate his standard consistency on offense. The juice and pop has gradually seeped away, leaving him with enough spunk and smarts to get by, but not enough firepower to take over games.
We may still be months away from Lonzo Ball’s return to NBA action. While his recovery from a knee injury has taken much longer than expected, the Bulls — and NBA evaluators at large — should still bank on Lonzo’s unique blend of size, I.Q., and deep-range shooting. He’s a game-changing defender at 100 percent and one of the NBA’s great connective-tissue guys.
Jordan Poole oozes talent in the scoring department. He’s a blur handling the ball, possessing quick-twitch athleticism and elite stop-start ability. Few players can create space and generate points from scratch as effectively as Poole. He has also learned quite a lot from Stephen Curry over the years, becoming quite good at moving with the ball. That said, he’s still prone to bouts of infuriating tunnel vision and maddeningly undisciplined decision-making.
Still rock-solid at the controls, Mike Conley has held doubters at bay with another strong season for the plucky Jazz. He’s no longer the All-Star two-way force who exerted a massive influence over games in Memphis, but Conley consistently elevates teammates and still profiles as one of the best set-up men in basketball.
Fred VanVleet has seen his efficiency plummet this season. Still, the scrappy and ultra-composed veteran can still bomb 3s and provide a steady hand at the helm of an offense. His on-ball defense is not as unreliable as it once was, but he competes hard and he brings every intangible to the court.
Probably the best sixth man in basketball right now, Malcolm Brogdon has settled comfortably into his new role for the 1-seed Celtics. A hyper-efficient shooter and turnover-averse facilitator, Brogdon has proven that he can oscillate between elite role player and genuine offensive centerpience based on need.
CJ McCollum continues to shine offensively as one of the NBA’s best pure shot-makers. He can operate without the ball as floor-spacer and play connector, or he can take over possessions in isolation. The lack of defense continues to hold McCollum back, but he’s quite the No. 3 star for a very good Pelicans team.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart is the rare guard who can competently check 4-5 positions depending on the matchup. His brute strength at the point of attack, combined with ceaseless effort and preternatural instincts, make Smart a nightly game-changer on that side of the ball. He’s also a timely shot-maker and effective set-up man.
The former No. 1 pick has been plagued by injuries and inefficiency to start his NBA career, but the talent is obvious. At 6-foot-7, he has tremendous size for his position. Cunningham’s penchant for pull-up jumpers and his passing wizardry all suggest future stardom if he’s ever able to stay on the court and build up rhythm over time.
Jamal Murray hasn’t returned to the level of production he achieved prior to tearing his ACL. Not that long ago, Bubble Murray looked like the NBA’s next superstar guard, on the same level as Donovan Mitchell and (pause for a reminiscent chuckle) Ben Simmons. He may yet reach that level again, but even in his currently diminished form, Murray is a consistent, efficient 20-point scorer who can oscillate roles depending on the personnel on the floor.
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.
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.
Darius Garland has thrived despite the ever-large shadow of Donovan Mitchell, who has undeniably been the focal point of Cleveland’s recent ascent. Garland has adjusted well to sharing ball-handling duties and spending time off-ball, where he can still leverage his shooting gravity and movement skills. He’s certainly exploitable on defense, but very few point guards can operate as prolifically and efficiently as Garland.
Tyrese Haliburton has made the star leap — to the point where, on my personal ballot, he was an Eastern Conference All-Star starter. He’s one of the smartest players in the game, a mega-watt game processor who can pass teammates open instead of simply passing to open teammates. He’s going to be near the top of the league is assists for the next decade while bombing 3s at a supremely efficient rate and playing quality defense.
Trae Young’s reputation has been hotly debated this season with the Hawks struggling to maintain relevancy in the East. But, at the end of the day, we’re talking about a 24-year-old who has already made two All-Star appearances and led his team to the conference finals. Young’s limitless range, twitchy handles, and playmaking wizardry combine to make him one of the NBA’s most productive — and effective — offensive engines.
James Harden has settled nicely into phase two of his NBA stardom. He’s no longer the one-man elite offense who dominated every aspect of the game in Houston, but he’s still a master manipulator who consistently elevates teammates and who can still score in bunches when called upon. His pick-and-roll chemistry with Joel Embiid has developed to the point of comical effectiveness and he’s still a nightly triple-double threat. He’s an old master at work.
Damian Lillard has returned to superstar form after genuine longevity concerns tied to his core muscle ailment. The Blazers haven’t built a contender around him unfortunately, but Lillard’s talent for pull-up shooting and creating for others is still plainly evident in the box score and on film.
The abnormally high volume of top-notch MVP candidates has pushed Ja Morant’s spectacular season to the periphery for some, but it’s hard to overstate the difficulty of winning with a young team. The Grizzlies deploy very few true veterans, and it is Morant’s leadership that keeps the ship on such a promising course. He can get to the rim at will, his 3-point shot improves every season, and his talent for collapsing the defense naturally leads to opportunities for teammates.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has dragged OKC back to relevancy with his spectacular two-way play. He’s one of the best iso scorers in the NBA, eluding defenders with slippery handles and a special understanding of how to change speeds on the fly. He’s herky-jerky to the extreme, forcing defenders off balance with long, expertly timed strides and sudden shifts in momentum. He can finish at unorthodox angles in the paint or bury the defense with his pull-up jumper. Not many guards are playing at SGA’s level right now. The Thunder are, at long last, on the precipice of contention.
It’s pretty difficult to knock Luka Doncic at this point. The numbers speak for themselves: no team relies more heavily on a lead creator than Dallas on Doncic, and he’s near the top of the league in scoring and assists to prove it. Stealing a page out of prime James Harden’s book, Doncic can just bludgeon defenses out of the pick-and-roll or in isolation. He’s a strong-bodied finisher in the paint, with a filthy step-back and laser-sharp passing vision to keep the defense guessing.
Stephen Curry has a legitimate claim to the title of best offensive player ever. He’s still refreshingly unique, despite almost single-handedly ushering in the latest era of NBA offense. He can bend defenses to the breaking point without even touching the ball. There isn’t a deadlier off-ball mover in the sport. Hand Curry the ball and ask him to create, and he’s just as dominant. We’re talking about much more than the greatest shooter we’ve ever seen.