PG Rankings 4

Starting Point Guards Countdown (12-7)

12.Deron Williams

Deron Williams had more talent surrounding him last season in Brooklyn with the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. However, Williams continued to struggle with injuries and had his worst season since he entered the NBA. He seemed to struggle with finding rhythm as he was in and out of the lineup. The biggest thing to me was his complete lack of confidence in his offensive game. Williams did not attack the basket or shoot with the efficiency that once made him a top five point guard. In addition, his assists per game dropped to 6.1, but this was a result of him not having the ball in his hands as much. In Utah, Williams would complain about not being able to freestyle and do his own thing on offense. In Brooklyn, he was given the chance to do those things and now he seeks a consistent system. With a new head coach in Lionel Hollins and the departures of Shaun Livingston and Paul Pierce, Williams’s points and assists should take considerable leaps. When Williams is healthy, he is a top 10 point guard and makes Brooklyn an Eastern Conference threat.

11.Kyle Lowry

The growth of Kyle Lowry helped the Toronto Raptors reach the playoffs for the first time since Chris Bosh left. He averaged 17.9 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds that almost landed him on the list of All-Stars. Lowry was once looked at as nothing more than a solid backup early in his career. Early in his career, he lacked a consistent jump shot, but always played tough, hard-nosed defense despite his stature. Over the years, Lowry has managed to develop a respectable offensive repertoire, which consists of many different floaters, a streaky jumper, and the ability to finish in the lane. Lowry is underrated when it comes to running an offense, finding open teammates, and rebounding. In fact, he has often been compared to Chris Paul because of his feel on how to run a team. With the return of Derrick Rose, many have written the Raptors off as a contender in the East. Being from Philadelphia, Lowry will make sure the Raptors fight every night.

10.Goran Dragic

 10.Goran Dragic
Having Goran Dragic in this spot may come as a surprise, but he quietly put together one of the better seasons for a point guard. It was definitely the year of the dragon as Dragic almost willed the Phoenix Suns into the postseason as he captured the Most Improved Player award. It was incumbent upon him to assume more of a scoring role as the Suns ran a two-guard system that included Eric Bledsoe. While Dragic's assists dipped to just under six a game, he averaged 20.3 points per game. In addition, Dragic scored at an efficient rate from beyond the arc at 40 percent while shooting 50 percent from the field overall. The Suns seem to believe in Dragic more than Bledsoe and rightfully so because Bledsoe missed a huge chunk of the season. The Slovenian point guard plays a lot like a younger Steve Nash who was his mentor. He is at his best when he attacks the basket because he has the uncanny ability to finish in the lane. Dragic is a wizard with finding his teammates as well. Heading into a contract year, I expect Dragic stellar season to spill over into this upcoming season.

9.Derrick Rose

I may be very generous having Derrick Rose still sitting in the top 10, but the guy is a former MVP. When Rose is healthy, he is easily a top five player because of his desire to be great. Sometimes that desire to be great can be his biggest downfall. Rose has a bad tendency to press when the Bulls need a basket and it makes me wonder how much he trusts his teammates. On the other hand, he could be dealing with insurmountable pressure no one besides Lebron James could understand. That pressure is being a hometown kid trying to win a championship for his city. Another reason Rose is still in the top 10 is because the previous players on this list are up-and-comers, past their prime, or system-oriented. Rose would be an elite athlete in just about every setting. He has a wicked first step, unreal speed, a pretty floater, freaky athleticism, oh and he has a consistent jumper. Rose has to learn to trust his team more and pick his spots to attack defenses more carefully. If he finds his groove, Chicago is an instant title contender.

8.John Wall

In Washington, Bradley Beal is the lightning and John Wall is the thunder. Wall propelled himself into the second tier of elite point guards as he made the All-Star team. He averaged career highs in points and assists with 19.3 and 8.8. I love the jump in assists because that let's me know he is a willing passer and knows when to hit his teammates. I think Wall has a tendency to be a bit erratic at times and it showed in the playoffs as he committed ill-advised turnovers and took bad shots. There is no way a player of Wall's caliber, including his cat-like speed and athleticism, should be settling for jumpers. Since his arrival from Kentucky, I have seen little improvement in a shot that needs fine-tuning. However, Beal compliments Wall's game because what he lacks Beal compensates for. The valuable experience Wall gathered in the playoffs and the rejection from Team USA should be the fire burning within him this season. 

7.Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving had a big year regarding individual achievements. He was an All-Star game MVP, FIBA World Cup MVP, and a gold medallist. Irving might have given spectators a taste of what's to come this upcoming season as he played the role of "Captain America" during Sunday's gold medal rout. Irving played the way I expected as he took his fair share of shots on offense. The surprise came on the defensive end as he played inspired D throughout the tournament, as did majority of the key contributors on Team USA. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain that intensity or bring it when it counts the most without Coach K there. Irving has a tremendous handle as he can put defenders on skates. Also, he possesses a scorer's mentality and with the arrival of King James he will likely be relieved of playmaking duties. The only problems I have with Irving are his ability to find the open man, his leadership, and his health.
 

PG Rankings 3

Starting Point Guards Countdown (18-13)

18.Brandon Jennings 

Brandon Jennings is a shooting guard stuck in a point guard's body. He would much rather attack the basket and shoot jumpers than set his teammates up and run set plays. This has been the underlying problem for Jennings in his young career as he seems to be content with being a turnover machine as well as a volume scorer. He did boost his assists up to a career high 7.6 per game, but he has to reduce his turnovers. Hopefully, Stan Van Gundy can help him continue to develop as a point guard with three big men capable of finishing inside. The additions of DJ Augustin and Jodie Meeks should help his assists total increase and spread the floor. Jennings brings scrappiness on defense as he likes to strip defenders attempting crossovers. On offense, he provides speed and good one on one skills. Jennings will probably never lead the league in assists, but he can learn to make smarter passes. His shooting ability is like night and day, but on a Detroit team with no real go to scorer Jennings can be that guy. If Jennings can take better shots and commit fewer turnovers, he can help Detroit return to the playoffs. 
    

17.Kemba Walker

Kemba Walker was able to produce career highs in rebounds and assists in his third year in the NBA as he and Al Jefferson led Charlotte to the playoffs. He seems to have full control of this team and is showing the same confidence he displayed at Connecticut. Walker plays like the New Yorker he is as he can score, rebound, pass the ball, and play tough defense. He never backs down from a challenge and this characteristic rubs off on his teammates as they imitate his confidence. Walker used to dance as a child growing up, which explains his scintillating crossovers. He is second to no one in that regard. Walker seems to have almost reached his ceiling because at 6'1 scoring 17.7 points per game is as good as it gets at his size. His 6.1 assists might not jump any higher as well because the signing of Lance Stephenson could spell less ball handling duties for Walker. Nevertheless, Walker and Stephenson should form a top three backcourt in the NBA and make Charlotte a conference contender in the East.

16.Jrue Holiday

After missing over 40 games after being traded to New Orleans, Jrue Holiday is probably itching to get back on the court and prove he was worth trading for. Holiday plays with a laid back demeanor and a silky smooth approach. As a result, he never seems to be rattled. At 6'4, he can occasionally go inside and finish amongst post defenders and his jumper continues to improve as he gets further into his career. Good offensive talent on the Pelicans surrounds Holiday, which includes Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, and Ryan Anderson. His 7.9 assists should definitely take a hike provided that he gets out in the open court more often. Also, more pick and rolls with Davis, the newly acquired Omer Asik, and pick and pops with Anderson should help. Holiday seems to be stuck in point guard purgatory as he is in between All-Star and elite caliber status. A healthy season should help truly identify how good Holiday is.

15.Jeff Teague

Jeff Teague almost seemed to will the Atlanta Hawks past the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs, but the experience of Indiana showed as the series wore on. Teague showed his worth to the Hawks fan base as he averaged a career high 16.7 points in the absence of Al Horford. Teague seems to be really smart with the ball, as he does not force shots; he knows how to draw fouls and looks comfortable in transition. He has sneaky athleticism as he can rise over defenders and dunk on them. Teague has to improve his jumper and get a better feel for finding his open teammates. The lack of television time for the Hawks makes it hard for fans to know how good he is, but the playoffs helped him gain exposure. In a bad Eastern Conference, Teague could end up being an All-Star. Of course, the Hawks would need a winning record. The Hawks are a team that is under the radar in the East, but if Teague, Horford, and Millsap can play at All-Star levels they can upset a team in the playoffs.  

14.Mike Conley

Mike Conley had a slow start to his career after dealing with injuries coming out of Ohio State. Also, being a top 10 pick in his draft class certainly did not help his case. After averaging a career high 17.2 points along with his 6 assists, Conley has managed to jump into the tier of elite-esque point guards. Many viewed him as an All-Star a year ago, but he might be a victim of playing in a system with two of the best big men in Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Conley always seems to play well against some of the best point guards as he takes pride in his defense. In fact, Conley is considered one of the best on ball defenders at point guard. On offense, he can finish with either hand with his signature floaters, shoots the ball well, and runs the Grizzlies offense with efficiency. Conley is certainly the glue that holds Memphis together for 40 minutes, but late in games he seems to fade away and let others take big shots. Tony Allen should not have the ball in his hands late in the game. Gasol and Randolph is what makes the Grizzlies tough, but Conley has to step up and ease their duties late in games.  

13.Ty Lawson

It was a disaster in Denver following a magical 53-win season, but Ty Lawson was the lone bright spot for a team that sorely underachieved. Lawson seemed to be the only player comfortable under new head coach Brian Shaw and it showed in his play on the court. He averaged career bests in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, and minutes. However, his team lacked a consistent Robin to his Batman heroics. The Nuggets were without JaVale McGee, Nate Robinson, and Danilo Gallinari. The rest of the players seemed to be lost. It seemed like coach Shaw did not know how to use his players or did not assign them proper roles. This hurt Lawson, as he was another player on the list of All-Star snubs. Lawson excels in the open court, he can finish in traffic despite his size, and he has a reliable jumper. Overall, I must say I never expected him to develop into the player that he is because of his stature. Early in his career I viewed him as a solid backup. Lawson has certainly put himself in a position to receive a large contract as a viable first or second option. If he continues to improve, Lawson can derail one of the next guards on this list and be a part of the second tier of point guards.