He has also proven himself to be one of the best shooting point guards in these so-called clutch moments. And since the Sacramento Kings point guard was passed over for the All-Star Game, it looks like he will remain underrated. With 21 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists a game, Fox is not only one of the most special parts of his struggling Kings lineup, he's one of the most exciting young players on the entire west coast. James suffered the injury against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday but was able to return as the Lakers completed a 27-point comeback. In a recent interview to GQ magazine, the Oklahoma City Thunder player called himself the Black Steve Nash. Booker didn't slow down from there, averaging 25.3 points per game to sweep the Denver Nuggets and advance to the Conference Finals. The 2021 NBA All-Star starters, comprised of two guards and three frontcourt players per conference, are set. The west is loaded to say the least and these are the best players on each team in the conference. Many fans hoped Russell Westbrooks numbers would be crazy with Kevin Durant out of Oklahoma City. The Rockets look rudderless and disheveled, and execute sets with the organization of a church league team. Anyone following it has seen huge returns. The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a whisper of his pre-injury self and he never developed a shot or a style that could survive what a ruptured Achilles took from him athletically. He earned his fifth-consecutive All-Star bid, was namedSecond Team All-Defense and helped lead the Warriors to their fifthNBA Finals in as many seasons. His scoring is up to what would be a career high 28 PPG. Another amazing fact about Thompson is that ever since the NBA started tracking the data eight seasons ago (since 2013-14), Thompson has accounted for six of the ten highest scoring seasons (including playoffs) on catch-and-shoot three-pointers. LeVert is dealing with a stress fracture in his back and could very easily impact his standing on this list, but when he's at full strength, there's no denying the 27-year-old's talent as a scorer and playmaker. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves. From Nov. 9-22, Fox led Sacramento on a seven-game win streak, dropping 28 points or more in four of those contests. But after missing the past two full seasons recovering from an ACL injury and an Achilles injury, respectively, what version of the 31-year-old will we see? Whether its effort, low basketball IQ, rigidness, or the passage of time, these Anti-All Stars, the All-Nosebleeds, All-Asteroid team, or whatever you prefer to refer to them is populated with the NBAs least popular players. For that reason, he's not included. RPG. Youd think hed have more energy to expend on defense considering his limited usage on the offensive end, but that hasnt been the case. They are 13-2 and have had numerous blowout wins. Odds to win NBA title: +900 (Fifth-best) First-round opponent: NuggetsLost season series, 1-3 Golden State opened up the season 18-2 with Klay Thompson still sidelined and Steph Curry looking. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Ja Morant had 23 points and seven rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies raced to an early lead and coasted to a 112-94 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night in a matchup of the Western Conference's top teams. Russell, Walker and Dinwiddie all come into the 2021-22 season as "something to prove" guys. Harden is one of the premier playmakers in NBA history. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Oklahoma Citys Shain Gilgeous-Alexander and Klay Thompson rounded out the top-five in the Western Conference backcourt. Coming off his first All-Star nod, Morant likely earns a second trip in 2022-23. Get viral NBA graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter. Somehow, Curry is having his best shooting season to date, and his numbers can only be put up in video games. Morant was just the second Memphis Grizzlies player named an All-Star starter when he got the nod for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Bryant was a stretchy big, who put up flashy numbers in Anthony Davis absence. Also Read: All About Stephen Currys Net Worth? An All-Star for the 2nd time in his career, the 23-year-old is among the best guards in the league. This is all definitely a concern for Ja Morant going forward. And even with that being said, the Celtics' captain posted career-highs with 13.1 points and 5.7 assists per game last season,coming into his own as a playmaker. Suggs figures to be a major part of the Rookie of the Year discussion. Updated: 2:18 PM CST January 5, 2023 MEMPHIS, Tenn. Grizzlies superstar point guard Ja Morant ranks third among all Western Conference guards in the NBA's first All-Star Game fan vote,. The Warriors are 19-11-1 ATS at home, not to mention 24-7 straight up. Hes been more wince-inducing than the time Giannis Antetokounmpo leapfrog dunked over him. It seems safe to say he will continue to improve, but progression is not always linear. Top 10 Point Guards in the Western Conference By Isaac Harris Oct 22, 2016 Apr 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Deron Williams (8) looks for a teammate to pass off to. The Magic won't be very good, but there will be some entertaining Suggs highlights. But even though Thompson has missed the last two seasons, there is no denying his genius and greatness. Sure, we can go back-and-forth about his role and talk about his playmaking and yada yada yada but don't lose sight of the forest though the trees: Harden scores at a higher volume and more efficiently than any guard in the league. He rises to the occasion when the game is on the line, as he led the league in clutch points last seasonwhile shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc in clutch time. But, the Western Conference point guards are ridiculous. No doubt one of the leagues premier playmakers, if he continues his current play then he can become more than that. Overall, Doncic scored 41 to go with 12 rebounds, 12 assists and four steals in the win. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs 12. The key for Booker is to stay consistent as he seeks greatness. He is followed by Zion Williamson in second place, while Jaylen Brown is third. Your Golden State Warriors kept the momentum going strong and are one step closer to the title after becoming the 2022 Western Conference Champions! Use of this website (including any and all parts and components) constitutes your acceptance of these. The 23-year-old has a crafty floater and finishing package, a quick trigger from the outside and elite court vision. Top NBA point guards for 2021-22: Ranking all 30 starters, Ranking the best NBA players entering the 2021-22 season, led the league in clutch points last season. MORE:Ranking the best NBA players entering the 2021-22 season. Dort has become one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA but still has a ways to go in fine-tuning his offensive skills. Few players can be said to have influenced the NBA like Curry. The Western Conference has ruled over the Eastern Conference for the better part of the last three decades. Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. The Denver Nuggets new bespectacled point guard might have the most fly eyewear in the league, but it begs the question: How well can he see the rim with those bifocals? FIFA World Cup - Best Goals from Every Angle, Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, FOX SPORTS, SPEED, SPEED.COM & 2023 Fox Media LLC and Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. MORE: McCollum looms large in potential Ben Simmons trades. Stare into this dark void with me and commemorate the NBA players whove been generating negative plays for their respective (or former) squads all season. He displayed his enduring class as he led the Wizards' charge in the playoffs, averaging 23.7 points, 13.3 rebounds, 13.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 36 matches from March to the close of the league year. Damian Lillard comes second on our list of the point guards, and it should be of no surprise that Dame Time appears in second place on our list. Hes been misfiring away as recklessly as his dad when he opens his mouth this season, cant finish on drives, building a dream home with his bricks, and fallen on hard times. Defensive lineups featuring Nowell are basically at a 4-on-5 disadvantage. He is annoyingly awesome at drawing charges. Accordingly, he is currently first in the league in time possessing the basketball. In terms of performance, Tatum is currently averaging 24.9 points per game which is a career-high for him. Of course "The Point God" belongs in this tier. DJ Dunson. In a new report that dropped on Wednesday, Morant is facing multiple allegations of violent behavior, according to Molly Hensley-Clancy of The Washington Post. As the Golden State faltered in their run to the playoffs, Curry was unable to inspire a turnaround. Unlike other positions in basketball, point guards are usually specialists on the court, saddled with playmaking affairs on the court. He joined Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only players in league history to post those stats. He delivered theindisputableDunk of the Yearand also began to step up as "the guy" for his team late in games. The Spurs are showcasing the importance of Black culture in their community for the month of February. He and Steph Curry are the first two players in NBA history to have seven straight seasons (between 2012-2019) of 200 plus made three-point shots each season. In the 12 games prior to theinjury that sidelined McCollum for two full months, he averaged 27.6points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Hayes is the Pistons' point guard on the depth chart, but Cade Cunningham will obviously be a huge part of the offense. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers. As a result, nearly every team has a franchise floor general; only the 76ers, Bucks, and Kings havent invested highly into one. With high expectations set in Year 1 for Cunningham and Green, it was nearly impossible to place thefuture superstars. Top NBA shooting guards for 2021-22: Ranking all 30 starters, Irving will not play or practice until he can participate full-time, Ranking the best NBA players entering the 2021-22 season, McCollum looms large in potential Ben Simmons trades. If Irving misses an extended period of time while navigating his decision on whether or not to comply with COVID vaccination mandates, chances are we'll see some version of the Harden that dropped 30 or more points in 32 consecutive games with the Rockets. He finished atop the league with a career-high 32 points, whilst providing 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. That'sthe difference between a top-10 offense and the worst offense in the NBA. The 26-year-old proved himself as a secondary playmaker in addition to his high-level scoring ability and if all goes to plan, we'll finally see that translate to wins in 2021-22. The reigning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player edged out Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic for the top spot for Western Conference guards. In January, meanwhile, the Sixers torpedoed to 24th in that category (118 points allowed per 100 possessions) but went 11-3 . NBA Players By Position - Point Guards. The Western Conferenceis one of two conferencesthat make up the National Basketball Association(NBA), the other being the Eastern Conference. They received guard Spencer Dinwiddie, frontcourt player Dorian Finney-Smith, a future first-round draft pick and two second-round picks in return for Irving. Morant has more than 915,000 votes as of Thursday, trailing only Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic. Hes a negative defender who gets tunnel vision pounding leather, which leads to an assist-turnover ratio thats 333rd in the league and a FiveThirtyEight RAPTOR score that ranks 229th in the Association. Through the first wave of voting, Curry was voted. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) - 2NDXFKN from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Below is the list of 6'3 Players sorted by 2K Rating from highest to lowest on NBA 2K23. That's what makes this position group both incredibly intriguing and incredibly difficult to evaluate. The 20-year-old took things up a notch once he got settled into the NBA, taking over as the Timberwolves' full-time starting shooting guard 18 games into the season. Rozier averaged 20.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting a career-best 45.0 percent from the field. Simply put, Curry is one of the most impressive offensive forces in the history of the game. Depending on how much time he misses, Bane is probably one of the frontrunners to win Kia NBA Most Improved Player (he finished fifthin last seasons voting for the award). Bouyea's best game came against the Western Conference leader Denver Nuggets. Their time will come. Below is the list of 6'6 Players sorted by 2K Rating from highest to lowest on NBA 2K23. 5 Los Angeles Clippers and a four-game lead over the No. His shooting hand can get hot, but hell always be remembered as the reserve with the Bryant last name who always demanded the ball even when LeBron was about to make history If you could DH NBA players on defense, hed be a fringe all-star. Is he the shooting guard? Antetokounmpo Williams Randle Harris Wainright Noel Hernangomez Saric Nurkic Capela Payne LeVert Robinson Watanabe White York Siakam Arcidiacono Prince Rozier Dunn Embiid. He was one of the best finishers around the basket, shooting over 76 percenton shots within three feet of the rim. At this point the season is still young, but Harden will probably eclipse those statistics. The Blazers are 4-6 this season without Lillard and 19-44 under those circumstances going back to the start of 2021-22. Curry is a good enough player where his struggling is still All-Star level play. Walker in particular could be a difference maker for a Knicks offense that sputtered in the playoffs. But then again, most players arent Chris Paul. But other than a historic night against the Pelicans, Curry just hasnt been as electric. Point guards in the NBA assume the number 1 position on the court and are usually the offensive anchors on a team. The division consists of five teams: the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz.The Northwest Division is by far the most geographically expansive of the six divisions; the Nuggets, Trail . However, Portland has struggled without power forward Al Farouq Aminu and have had their issues so far. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder. However, the NBA . 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