With young faces set to rise, newly established stars, and proven vets, the point guard position is undoubtedly one of the most competitive in the league. Below is a ranking of the league's top-20 point guards heading into the 2024-25 season:
Tier 1
Doncic is coming off a career-best season where he led the league with 33.9 points per game, including a season-high 73-point performance against the Hawks on Jan. 26. He also had 49 double-doubles and 21 triple-doubles.
Gilgeous-Alexander was a 30-point machine last season, reaching the mark 57 times between the regular season and playoffs. Additionally, he thrived on the defensive end, leading the league with two steals per game and logging at least two blocks in 23 appearances.
Tier 2
Haliburton was such a great distributor last season, averaging a league-best 10.9 assists per game, that it almost overshadowed the fact he scored 20.1 points a night on 47.7 percent shooting. He is one of the best in the league at pushing the pace and has strong pieces around him, who also excel in transition.
Curry is still one of the most dangerous scorers in the league, averaging 26.4 points per game last season, including 28 games with at least 30 points and a season-high 60 against Atlanta on Feb. 3. He should continue to shine as the offensive leader for the Warriors.
Fox is coming off another fantastic season, setting career highs with 26.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He also averaged 5.6 assists and a league-high two steals per game. Fox should benefit from the Kings' addition of DeMar DeRozan, who can create space in the offense and provide opportunities for assists.
Maxey reached the 30-point mark 25 times last season, including three games with 50 or more. He displayed a major leap forward in all-around development and has proven himself a core leader for the Sixers.
With the departure of Dejounte Murray, Young will have the opportunity to maximize his usage in the backcourt. He averaged an impressive 25.7 points and 10.8 assists in 54 games played last season.
Tier 3
Brunson was one of the league's most impressive players last season and was largely responsible for willing the hobbled Knicks to the playoffs. During the regular season and postseason combined, Brunson reached the 30-point mark 43 times, including 16 games with more than 40, and a season-high 61 against the Spurs on March 29.
Lillard averaged at least seven assists per game for a fifth consecutive season and delivered 12 double-doubles with points and assists in 2023-24. He also shot just 42.4 percent from the field but is likely to have a better rhythm in his second season with the Bucks.
Harden will likely take on more responsibility as a scoring leader for the Clippers due to the departure of Paul George in the offseason. Harden also remains one of the league's best distributors, averaging 9.6 assists per game over the last five seasons.
Heading into his fourth NBA campaign, Cunningham has demonstrated a consistent ability to stuff the stat sheet, including a season-high 43 points and 14 double-doubles in 2023-24. He does a great job using his size advantage at point guard and is set to continue leading the charge for a Pistons squad looking to climb the standings.
Although there was not much to be seen of Morant last season, he was on track to continue building on the impressive progress shown over his first four seasons in the league. After completing shoulder surgery in January, he was cleared for basketball activities in early July. Morant is one of the most talented scorers and passers at the position and will look to prove that notion true after a lost 2023-24 campaign.
Tier 4
Irving became a master in his role alongside Luka Doncic, showing impressive efficiency and the ability to step up when needed most. Irving shot 41.1 percent from deep last season, the third-highest mark of his career. He has also knocked down over 90 percent from the foul line in five straight seasons.
Dejounte Murray
Murray averaged 21.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.4 steals over two seasons with the Hawks but enters a new situation in what should be a more well-defined role as the Pelicans' point guard. He has a great opportunity to thrive among an established group primed to knock on the door of the West's top tier.
Quickley averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 0.9 steals across 38 games after joining the Raptors in January 2024. He showed flashes of stellar play in that time, including three games with at least 20 points and 10 assists. He has a great opportunity to emerge as one of the top producers at the position, thanks to a leading role alongside a talented young core that can be expected to play at a high tempo.
Despite being limited to a total of just 58 games over the last two seasons, Ball has proven himself as a major scoring threat in transition and from beyond the arc, as well as one of the league's top passers. Additionally, he is likely to benefit from the development of his offensive-minded teammates, as Brandon Miller heads into his second season and Miles Bridges enters the campaign with confidence after signing a three-year deal in the offseason.
Tier 5
After a solid debut season, VanVleet heads into his second year with the up-and-coming Rockets. He reached the 20-point mark on 30 occasions last season and had 24 games with at least 10 assists. He remains a top offensive option for the squad, but his proven ability to distribute the ball will not go to waste with plenty of finishers around him.
Murray reached a high of 37 points twice while averaging 21.2 points per game last season. He shot an efficient 48.1 percent from the field, including 42.5 percent from deep to help lead the Nuggets to second place in the West. Murray is set for another opportunity to shine in his role, as the team retains most of their 2022-23 championship core.
Rozier averaged 16.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and one steal over 31 games since joining the Heat in January 2024. He provided a much-needed scoring punch and is likely to build on that role heading into the new season.
Garland averaged 1.3 steals and played a key role in helping the Cavs limit opposing point guards to the second-fewest points per game last season. Garland is a capable scorer and selfless passer who will continue to benefit from playing alongside Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs' bigs, who do a great job of clearing space with screens and finishing plays at the basket.
Tier 6 - Honorable mentions
Jrue Holiday, D'Angelo Russell, Chris Paul, Scoot Henderson, Mike Conley
