There are lots of elite level guards within the NBA.
The league boasts veterans similar to Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard. Nevertheless it additionally has younger superstars similar to Luka Doncic from Dallas and OKC. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
It is a stacked place, and it will likely be totally displayed when the 2024-25 NBA season recommendation. Listed below are the highest 10 level guards coming into the marketing campaign:
Extra: OKC Thunder schedule for 2024-25 NBA season begins at Denver Nuggets: See each sport, date
The ten greatest level guards coming into the 2024-25 NBA season
Extra: What to recollect from Thunder vs Rockets: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander efficient in preseason debut
Honorable mentions
The primary participant to overlook the minimize was Jrue Vacation, an elite defender who performed a key position in Boston’s championship run final season. Jamal Murray is one other championship chief who deserves recognition regardless of a troublesome efficiency with Canada in Paris Olympic Video games.
Dejounte Murray and James Harden also needs to thrive with extra level guard tasks. And whereas accidents are a priority, LaMelo Ball and former Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham are two younger gamers who may transfer up the rankings.
Few gamers on this checklist are as harmful offensively as Younger. The 26-year-old who performed at OU and Norman North Excessive College averaged 25.7 factors and 10.8 assists final season on 37.3 p.c taking pictures from deep.
Younger was within the one centesimal percentile in offensive charging and creating open pictures for his teammates, based on CraftedNBA. And whereas he’ll nonetheless be restricted defensively, he is made marginal enhancements on that facet of the ball as effectively.
Younger’s future in Atlanta is unsure. However, no less than early this season, he ought to have each alternative to shine after Murray leaves.
Lillard’s resume speaks for itself. He’s an eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA and a member of the NBA’s seventy fifth Anniversary Group.
However Lillard took a half step again final season, averaging 24.3 factors and 7 assists. The veteran sharpshooter additionally noticed a decline in his taking pictures numbers, similar to 3-point share (37.1% to 35.4%) and true taking pictures share (64.5% to 59%). .
A few of that regression may be attributed to the adjustment in Milwaukee, however a few of it additionally comes with age. The 34-year-old guard nonetheless deserves his respect, even when it will likely be troublesome for him to climb a degree guard roster that is stuffed with younger expertise.
The one cause Morant is not increased on this checklist is as a result of he solely performed in 9 video games final season attributable to a suspension and a season-ending shoulder harm.
Placing that apart, Morant is an elite expertise at 25 years previous. He averaged 26.2 factors and eight.1 assists throughout the 2022-23 season, and he led Memphis to the second seed within the Western Convention.
Even and not using a nice 3-point shot, Morant is a rocking guard who may crack the highest 5 on this checklist by the top of the season. However first he should ship an entire marketing campaign.
Extra: OKC Thunder proclaims 2024-25 NBA preseason schedule
Maxey was given a much bigger position final season and he made probably the most of it.
The 23-year-old guard averaged 25.9 factors and 6.2 assists on 37.3 p.c taking pictures from deep. He earned his first All-Star choice and received the NBA’s Most Improved Participant award.
Maxey additionally saved Philadelphia afloat as the highest choice when Joel Embiid missed 29 video games with a knee harm. And whereas his numbers may drop this season with Paul George now within the combine, Maxey continues to be a dynamic scorer.
Fox may simply be probably the most underrated star within the NBA.
The 26-year-old guard averaged 26.6 factors final season on 36.9 p.c taking pictures from deep. He ranked fifth within the NBA in whole clutch factors scored (122), based on Pivot Fade. He even thrived on protection and tied for a league-leading two steals per sport.
Fox’s greatest criticism is that his robust play hasn’t resulted in a lot group success for Sacramento, which missed the playoffs after incomes third place in 2022-23. However that is one of many few complaints you’ll be able to have with this well-balanced guard.
Haliburton thrived final season with Indiana, which posted its greatest common season file (47-35) since 2018-19 and reached the Jap Convention finals.
The 24-year-old guard earned a third-team All-NBA choice with averages of 20.1 factors and 10.9 assists on 36.4 p.c taking pictures from deep. He was an elite common, rating within the 91st percentile for shot high quality and the 99th percentile for creating open pictures from his teammates.
Haliburton nonetheless wants to enhance on protection, the place a scarcity of constant effort overshadows its dimension and size benefit. However his potential to fill the stat sheet on offense makes him a top-five level guard.
After averaging 28.7 factors and 6.7 assists within the common season, Brunson took his sport to a different degree within the postseason.
The 28-year-old guard averaged 32.4 factors and seven.5 assists and led New York to the Jap Convention semifinals. He was later chosen for the All-NBA Second Group for his excellent play.
Brunson was so good that there is an argument for him to be #3 on this checklist. I will not go that far as a result of I am going to should see how his numbers are affected by the acquisition of Karl-Anthony Cities and Mikal Bridges, however he’s unquestionably one of the vital elite level guards within the NBA.
What can we are saying about Curry that hasn’t already been stated?
The 36-year-old guard is the best shooter of all time, which he demonstrated final season when he averaged 26.4 factors on 40.8 p.c taking pictures from deep. And after struggling on protection earlier in his profession, he wasn’t as a lot of a legal responsibility on that facet of the ball.
Curry was additionally within the 91st percentile for CraftedNBA Portability Metricwhich estimates how effectively a participant would match right into a choice of 4 random gamers. It is an eye-opening stat for Curry, who might want to enhance his scoring manufacturing much more this season following the departure of Klay Thompson.
Gilgeous-Alexander is among the most uncontrollable scorers within the NBA.
The 26-year-old guard averaged 30.1 factors and 6.2 assists final season on 35.3 p.c taking pictures from deep. He posted a career-high 63.6% true taking pictures share, which is the very best of anybody on this checklist, and he completed second within the NBA in free throw makes an attempt per sport (8.7 ).
Gilgeous-Alexander can also be tied for a league-best common of two steals per sport, and he acquired 15 votes to make an NBA All-Defensive group. It is no surprise he earned a second straight All-NBA First Group choice and completed second in MVP voting.
Extra: OKC Thunder 2024 Media Day: What Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co. needed to say
Doncic earned a fifth straight first-team All-NBA choice final season, which was beforehand a feat achieved solely by Tim Duncan and Kevin Durant. Doncic averaged 33.9 factors, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds.
Along with being an excellent passer and rebounder, Doncic added to his sport by taking pictures a career-high 38.2 p.c from deep. He did so with a career-high 10.6 makes an attempt per sport.
However the greatest deciding think about placing Doncic within the No. 1 spot was playoff success. He helped Dallas knock off Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC within the Western Convention semifinals, and the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals for the primary time since 2010-11.
This playoff run sealed it for Doncic, who enters the upcoming season as the very best level guard within the NBA.
This text was initially revealed on Oklahoman: NBA level guard rankings for the 2024-25 season: Is Luka Doncic the very best?
