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.