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We have already begun our countdown to the 2021-22 NBA season by doing a series of rankings of the best NBA players. From ranking the top 10 players in the league, to ranking the top 10 by position, we are also now ranking the top five players at every position in each conference. We started with the Eastern Conference, but are now moving to the Western Conference to rank the five best point guards in that half of the NBA.
#5 Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns)
A first NBA title at age 36 would have definitely catapulted CP3 higher on this list, but that did not happen. Paul must therefore contend with his position as he heads into what is probably the final phase of his NBA career, having signed a four-year extension with Phoenix in August 2021.
Paul undoubtedly remains a solid point guard. He finished fifth in MVP voting for the 2020-21 season as he averaged 16.4 ppg, 8.9 apg while leading the league in free throw shooting efficiency (93.4%). However, Paul has had a history of injury or poor performances in the postseason. This was visible in the 2021 NBA Finals too, where Paul had a couple of ordinary games and turned the ball over a whopping 21 times (including a costly one in Game 4) in the six-game series. Whether he can correct his postseason record over the remainder of his NBA career remains to be seen.
#4 Russell Westbrook (LA Lakers)
A fourth NBA team in four seasons. Having played 11 seasons for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook spent 2019-20 in Houston and 2020-21 with the Washington Wizards. Whether a change of jersey, now that he is with the LA Lakers, will change his championship fortunes remains to be seen.
But Westbrook is a winner. He is the NBA’s ‘Mr. Triple Double’, having averaged a TD in four of his last five NBA seasons, including last season. He is one of the best rebounding point-guards and has a high winning percentage for his team whenever he stacks up a triple-double. The downside to his game is his shot selection, particularly his liking for shots from downtown in clutch situations. Playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, one will hope that he can play more as a spot-up shooter, who can relieve James of some of his playmaking responsibilities during the course of the game.
#3 Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
Chris Paul may be the better ball-handler, and Russell Westbrook may have the more glitzy stats against his name. However, Damian Lillard certainly has the bigger playoff performances, while never quite having the talent that either of the other two players has had alongside them. Whether it was his big shot against Houston in 2014 or his 37-foot goodbye shot against the OKC Thunder two years ago, Lillard has always delivered for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lillard averaged 28.0 ppg and 7.5 apg last season, which burgeoned to 34.3 ppg and 10.2 apg in the postseason. However, the improved performance couldn’t stop Portland from crashing out of the first round of the 2021 playoffs against Denver. The key for Lillard is whether Portland can surround him with the right talent while he is still in his prime. Otherwise this may just be another case of a very talented player wasting his best years with one franchise.
#2 Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
The NBA’s future Mr. Triple Double. It is difficult to place Luka Doncic purely among the shooting guards because he does so much playmaking for the Dallas Mavericks. He is already averaging 25.7 ppg over his three-year NBA career and has 36 triple-doubles to his credit. His court vision and foot movement are so good that he can beat the best of defenses and the toughest of defenders by either making a slick pass or by scoring over them.
The one area that Doncic, though, needs improvement in is that he needs to cut down on his turnovers. While he clocked 8.6 assists per game, he also averaged 4.3 turnovers last season, which meant he had the highest assist-to-turnover ratio for any of the players who finished in the top 10 in assists averages. He also had the second most turnovers (281) for 2020-21 just after Russell Westbrook (312).
#1 Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Still pretty much the king among point guards. Stephen Curry finished 2020-21 with his second scoring title (32.0 ppg) and third in MVP voting. He once again led the NBA in total long range splashes (337) while dishing out 5.8 apg and gathering 5.5 rpg. Over the last 24 games of 2020-21, the two-time league MVP averaged 36.9 points nightly and shot 42.1 percent overall from three-point territory.
With Klay Thompson expected to be back for Golden State at some point in 2021-22, Curry will have more firepower alongside him in addition to Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins. At age 33, Curry still has a few more years left in his prime. The all-time career three-pointers made record is within touching distance for him as he trails Ray Allen by only 141 threes. By the time Curry finally calls it quits on his career, he is sure to add many other glittering milestones to his NBA resume.
