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A traditional NBA Point Guard would be the smallest guy on the floor; somebody who can manipulate plays set the tempo and get the ball in the right places. Point Guards were seen as distributors and facilitators but NOT scorers.
Fast Forward - 2018. If you cannot create your own shot as a Point Guard, you're probably wasting a spot in the roster. If you're NOT crossing someone up or NOT making a three from the logo or NOT posterizing a 7 ft tall Center, you're just an average Point Guard in today's NBA.
The game has evolved and here the Top 5 point guards who are capable of winning games on their own.
#5 Damian Lillard
2017-18 Per Game Stats : 25.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks
Damian Lillard is an explosive point guard who keeps impressing with his high-scoring performances. When he's locked in, you can almost expect him to score every time he gets the ball. He does struggle from beyond the arc sometimes but remains to be an offensive threat with his inside scoring and clutch plays. After a great regular season, Portland Trail Blazers were eliminated in the First Round in the Playoffs.
Will 2018-19 be Dame's redemption season? ( in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform?)
#4 Kyrie Irving
2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 24.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.3 blocks
Uncle Drew cemented his place as one of the top pg's in the league after an unforgettable run in the 2016 Finals and making THAT 3 pointer in Game 7 against the Golden State Warriors. The stuff of Champions. Now in a Celtics jersey, he's still making big plays. Considered as one of the best ball-handlers ever to have played the sport, Kyrie Irving is a permanent part of NBA's Top Weekly Plays.
With flashy passes and ankle-breaking crossovers, he is a modern-day point guard in the truest sense. He does not have the best off-scoring game but he's still an offensive juggernaut. He missed the entire Playoffs after a knee injury and a chance to beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Boston Celtics look like they're going to be the new Kings Of The East. But will Kyrie Irving be THE MAN and carry his team to win it all next season?
#3 Chris Paul
2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.4 blocks
CP3 is the perfect combination of a traditional and a modern-day Point Guard. From Lob City to Houston, he has managed to be the floor-general making the right calls and setting up crucial plays. Chris Paul is as efficient as a Point Guard can get. He does not average 20+ points a night but he definitely makes his teammates better. Playing alongside MVP James Harden, he hasn't let Harden steal all the limelight. Not as athletic as the other point guards, Chris Paul has mastered the (lost?) art of mid-range shooting.
After a heartbreaking loss in Game 7 in the WCF against the Warriors, Chris Paul and James Harden would love to dethrone the Warriors this season.
#2 Russell Westbrook
2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 24.0 points, 10 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.2 blocks
The Brodie has taken his game to another level after Kevin Durant left OKC. He has averaged a triple-double for a second consecutive season and won MVP in 2017. He is widely considered one of the best in-game dunkers of all time. Westbrook is fast, powerful and relentless. He has a passion that you cannot teach. Westbrook stuffs the stat-sheet every night. He is a brilliant all-around player and can come up really BIG when the occasion demands.
The Oklahoma City Thunder crashed out in the First Round of the Playoffs last season. Get ready for a peak-pissed Russell Westbrook next season!
#1 Stephen Curry
2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 26.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.2 blocks
Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history. If that wasn't good enough, he also has smooth handles and a great off the ball game. GSW last year had 4 all-star starters but the offense still runs through him. Stephen Curry has revolutionized the game of basketball. He has officially made the NBA his own playground with his ridiculous ability to make the 3 point shot. Don't be surprised if you see this Baby Faced Assassin pull up a 3 from the logo. (That's 13-plus feet behind the 23-foot, 3 point line). If he works on his defense, we could be seeing a top 3 Point Guard of all time.
Steph Curry will be eyeing a 3 peat this season with the Warriors but will he win the ever so elusive Finals MVP Award?
