NBA All-Star Game 2019: All-Star caliber Guards, Part 1

The 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend is just about five weekends away from today. 14 teams in the Western Conference are fighting spiritedly for only eight playoff berths, while the Eastern Conference basement is itself in a state of flux due to the competitiveness of the Nets, Hornets and the Orlando Magic.

All of this means that there are a number of deserving players with the talent and ability to match the actual All-Star selections toe for toe on any given day, but won't be playing at that stage. That much has been obvious given how many breakout seasons we're having from emerging players in a variety of roster situations in 2018-19.

Let's take a look at some of the spectacular Western Conference guards whose chances of making it to the 18th February festivities in Charlotte are slim only because of external factors, not their own play:

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#1 Jrue Holiday

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Injuries derailed a number of his prime athletic years, but a healthy Jrue Holiday is a true dawg who gives it his all on both ends of the court and excels at it. Over the past couple of seasons, the Pelicans' combo, do-it-all guard has filled in for a variety of Swiss-Knife like tactical roles in All-Star-worthy fashion. Look at his stats from 2017-18 as a case in point:

2017-18 stats: 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks per game

2017-18 shooting splits: 49.5 field goal percentage, 33.7 3-point percentage, 78.6 free throw percentage

Accolades: NBA All-Defensive First Team for the season

41 games into the season, Holiday has averaged 36.5 minutes per game - good for 2nd on his team behind Anthony Davis, 3rd in the league among guards and 4th overall. The Pelicans have missed key role players at various junctures, and their wafer-thin perimeter depth chart has forced Holiday into point guard roles for more than half of his minutes every game.

With him as the engine room of the offense, the Pelicans' offense has not missed a beat despite Rondo's departure and Payton's unavailability. Their high-paced offense charts at 4th in the league in offensive rating and 6th in pace this season, and Holiday is usually good to guard the opposing team's best perimeter player for the length of his time on the floor.

His performances this season have once again been worthy of All-Defensive attention, but it remains to be seen whether the Pelicans' poor record allows him to notch up his first selection to the Western Conference's 12-man All Star roster.

#2 Devin Booker

Booker has the potential to be the best scorer in the world one day

One of the biggest examples of a tanking team in recent times, the Phoenix Suns have struggled to get any kind of momentum going this season. Despite that, the prospect of their young duo of Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton finally being able to play with a true point guard looms large at the trade deadline.

Booker hasn't had the opportunity to play alongside an average NBA caliber point guard up until this juncture in his career, but he's used this to improve his playmaking skill and round out his overall offensive game. Always tipped as a promising perimeter scorer, Booker has grown physically and mentally since his debut season and has now broken out as a true combo guard capable of running a good offense. His improvements from 2017-18 speak for themselves:

2017-18 stats: 24.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 43.2% from the field

2018-19 stats: 24.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 45.2% from the field

Opportunities for that need to be explored by newly appointed Phoenix Suns GM James Jones, who inexplicably waived Austin Rivers. Nevertheless, you need to watch out for the 22-year-old Devin Booker as one of the premier upcoming players in the NBA.

#3 CJ McCollum

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Immortalized on NBA Twitter this summer due to a series of events including a scripted feud with Kevin Durant as well as the 'I'm trying, Jennifer' event, the combo guard for the Trail Blazers has maintained his play from the past couple of seasons. Emerging from the bench following LaMarcus Aldridge's departure in free agency and thrust into a secondary scoring role, McCollum's unique slashing has proved to be a trustworthy sidekick to Lillard's bombs from deep.

One of the best movers off the ball in the league, McCollum has also improved on his finishing during iso situations over the past 3 seasons. His trademark mid-range floater from 9 to 14 feet out from the basket is one of the most trustworthy and efficient shots from that zone across the league.

McCollum has been the subject of trade talks in the past, but he's currently balling on the Blazers and can give All-Stars a run for their money on any given day.

#4 Mike Conley Jr

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Unofficially recognized in basketball circles as the best NBA player never to be named to an All Star lineup, Mike Conley Jr has been carrying the Memphis Grizzlies to postseason success over the majority of his career - now in its 13th season.

Eyebrows were raised when the front office offered and Conley accepted a 5-year, $153 million contract, but the 6'1" point guard has now matured into a fine half-court playmaker. Alongside the likes of Marc Gasol and rookie Jaren Jackson Jr, Conley has some interesting options for pick-and-pop or pick-and-roll situations given the duo's all-around offensive ability.

If only the Grizzlies could snag a top-4 seed, their stars would get more recognition for their stellar efforts. As things stand, they're the 11th seed today and look unlikely to get to a playoff spot by the end of this month, so Conley will go snubbed once again.

#5 DeAaron Fox

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The rise of De'Aaron Fox as the best player of the 2017 NBA draft from the dormant state that he was in as a rookie is not surprising for fans who followed him from his high school days.

Always projected as one of the best athletes of his class, Fox's speed and ability to make things happen on the break was misused during the 17-18 season, when the Kings played at the league's slowest pace and lined up the likes of Zach Randolph and Vince Carter with regularity. Contrast them for yourself:

2017-18 stats: 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists per game on 41.2% shooting from the field, 30.7% on 3-pointers,

2018-19 stats: 18.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists per game on 47.4% shooting from the field, 37.9% on 3-pointers

They're playing at the NBA's second-fastest pace this season (104.95 possessions per game), and their backcourt duo of Fox and Buddy Hield has excelled at pushing the pace on a per-possession basis. The sophomore has also developed significantly at attacking the basket in the half-court set, using his spectacular lateral agility to great effect off the dribble and blowing past slower defenders.

Definitely one of the top 3 fastest on-ball players in the NBA alongside John Wall and Westbrook, Fox is already shooting at a better clip than the aforementioned superstars. With a couple of years more under his development, Fox will start playing at perennial All Star levels, make no mistake.