Top 5 Guards Pre-All-Star Break

The midway point of the season is upon us. The season is beginning to take shape and the players are starting to separate themselves. I decided to combine & rank the best overall seasons for the point & shooting guards. Here are the five best guards pre-all-star break.

1. Luka Doncic

Talk about an incredible start to a young player career. From winning Rookie of the Year to having a superstar breakout season in his second year in the NBA. The type of production that Doncic is having at his age is better than the names of LeBron James & Magic Johnson. Being mentioned with these legends, alone tells you how impressive Doncic has been early on in his career. So far this season, Doncic has been doing everything for Dallas. As he is filled with primary ball-handling and point guard duties for Dallas, along with being the team’s most proficient & best scorer, plus their closer. What is even more impressive is the fact that Dallas is currently a top five seed in the West, while a lot of people (including myself) thought that Dallas would be fighting for the seventh-eighth seed at best. There’s no question that Luka Doncic is a top five candidate for MVP and will be for a long time. Doncic is averaging a near triple-double at 28.9 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and 9 APG.

2. James Harden

The story of James Harden is incredible, as he has evolved from being a sixth man to one of the best players in the league and one of the better scorers the NBA has seen. I have Harden at the two-spot due to his consistent production since the beginning of the season as he is leading the NBA in scoring for a third straight and once again putting up historic numbers. When it comes to offensive impact on a game, there’s no one you’ll rather have than Harden. Harden is currently averaging an absurd 37.1 PPG, 7.5 APG, 6.2 RPG, while getting to the free throw line at a crazy rate at 12.4 a game. Even though, Houston has slipped a bit since Christmas. They are still a top six seed in the West and due to Harden’s play so far this season, he’s once again in the MVP discussion for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

3. Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard is quietly having his best season. Unfortunately; injuries have derailed this year’s Portland team. Due to injuries, the Portland Trailblazers have been faltering, as they currently are 18-26, which is 11th in the West. Damian Lillard has carried the Portland Trailblazers and has them in the playoff hunt, even with all of the injuries this team has suffered. Damian Lillard has a very impressive true shooting percentage at 60.8%. If the Portland Trailblazers roster wasn’t so depleted by injuries, then Lillard would most likely be in the MVP conversation. Many would say, that Portland is wasting Lillard’s MVP caliber season as he is averaging a career best of 27.9 PPG & 7.6 APG, while shooting 88% from the free throw line.

4. Devin Booker

The Phoenix Suns are have taken a step forward this season. The Phoenix was the early season surprise team and has continued to stay competitive even if they have faltered a bit in the standings. Despite Phoenix adding a floor general and more scorers around him, Booker is still managing to average 26 points and 6 assists per game. What’s even more impressive is the fact that Booker is doing this with historic efficiency. Booker is averaging the fewest field goals attempted since his rookie season, yet is still one of the league’s leading scorers. Booker is shooting 50.8% from the field & 91.5% from the free throw line with a 62.9 true shooting percentage. If Booker continues his incredible play, he has an opportunity to join the names of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West as the only players in NBA history to average 25+ PPG, 6 APG on 50% shooting from the field.

5. Donovan Mitchell

I have Donovan Mitchell at the fifth-spot but there’s honestly a couple players you can argue for this spot. That’s what makes these types of list fun and challenging. I give the edge to Mitchell due to well him and his team are currently playing. There are noticeable improvements in Mitchell’s third-year in the NBA and it’s how he is getting these points, and just about every other facets of his game have improved this season which in my opinion puts him on an All-Star level this year. Mitchell’s efficiency & playmaking skills have certainly improved this season as he is shooting 46% from the field and is averaging over 4 assists a game. With the off-season additions, I stated that Utah could be contenders in the West. While Utah started the season slow, over the last twenty games, Utah is 17-3 and certainly looks like contenders. Mitchell is averaging 24.7 PPG and has Utah tied for second in the West.