Coming up with a Top 5 list of the best current NBA point guards is always a challenging task. Aside from talent, point guards are now stuffing the stat sheet in today’s positionless basketball. It’s safe to say that the production among point guards in this NBA era is at an all-time high.
Then there is also the dilemma of who qualifies as a point guard. The 6-foot-8 LeBron James just racked up a career-high 10.2 assists last season. Nikola Jokic, a legit seven-footer center, is the Denver Nuggets’ primary playmaker. So as not to overcrowd the rankings, I took the liberty of using the conventional approach in defining who categorizes as a point guard.
Having said that, let’s take a look at the Top 5 point guards entering the upcoming 2020-21 season.
5. Trae Young
It’s absurd to think that a player who averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists per game is not considered the best in his position. Those are the stellar numbers that Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young put in during his sophomore year. He also recorded a decent 36% clip from the three-point line, a solid percentage for someone who almost always launches off the dribble.
With Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari moving to the Hawks’ nest this season, Trae’s scoring may take a dip. But with a stronger supporting cast, we should expect an uptick in the young All-Star’s efficiency and assists.
4. Chris Paul
This was a toss-up between Chris Paul and the new Milwaukee Buck, Jrue Holiday. Holiday’s elite versatility on both ends of the floor shouldn’t be overlooked. But wherever Paul goes, he just makes that team better. The fact that the Phoenix Suns front office opted to let go of a budding star in Kelly Oubre to nab the 35-year old Paul is a testament to the latter’s high value as a leader.
Paul averaged 6.7 dimes last season, but I see him increasing that number in a Suns uniform.
3. Kyrie Irving
Even with the back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo running it back with the Bucks next season, it’s still a championship-or-bust year for the Brooklyn Nets. Getting two superstars in a single offseason is how you chase for a championship ring. Kevin Durant will be coming back fully-healthy, as well as the scoring guard dynamo Kyrie Irving.
It’s still unsure if the current make-up of the Nets’ roster will stay the way it is until the playoffs. But with KD missing more than a year of NBA basketball, I see Kyrie spearheading Brooklyn’s offense next season.
2. Dame Lillard
It has been long overdue, but Damian Lillard finally gets the credit that he deserves. The Portland Trail Blazers superstar just had a historic year that will go down as one of the best scoring seasons in league history. Aside from his average of 30 points per game, his 40% clip from beyond the arc indicates how efficient his offense was for the Blazers.
The addition of Robert Covington makes this Blazers squad a more complete group, but they will still rely on Lillard’s able shoulders to get them through the more favored teams in the West.
1. Steph Curry
With Klay Thompson sustaining a season-ending injury, we just might see Stephen Curry go on an all-time high production for the Golden State Warriors this year. After dwelling at the bottom of the standings last season, Curry and the rest of the Warriors are extremely hungry for team success.
Getting Oubre and Kent Bazemore was the Warriors’ way to preserve Curry on defense, paving the way for the two-time MVP to possibly put up another historic performance on offense.
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