A team is only as good as its point guard. The point guard is pretty much an extension of the coach in the hardwood, the guy responsible for pulling the strings of the offense, leading the rest of the squad, and making sure everyone follows the plan.
There are plenty of great point guards in the league. However, just a handful of them has been consistently good for a long period of time. I mean, we’ve seen plenty of players like Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo or Deron Williams, that fell off a cliff after some great years in the league.
That’s why today, we’re going to honor the league’s top-five best point guards of the last decade with our ultimate ranking. We’ll take into consideration their accolades, awards, team success, and above all: consistency. Note: we’ll only count the accomplishments from this decade:
5. Kyle Lowry
Accolades:
– NBA Champion
– 6x All-Star
– All-NBA
We’ve been pretty tough to Kyle Lowry in the past but we have to give credit where it’s due. Lowry has been consistently great for the Toronto Raptors since taking over as the team’s starting point guard, constantly being among the league’s leaders in steals and assists.
Lowry has played a huge part in turning the Raptors franchise around. He’s been through thick and thin with them and it finally paid off with his first-ever NBA Championship. They’ll still be contenders for as long as he’s leading the way.
4. Kyrie Irving
Accolades:
– NBA Champion
– All-Rookie Team
– Rookie of the Year
– 2x All-NBA Team
– 6x All-Star
– All-Star MVP
You may not like Kyrie Irving as a person or a leader but there’s no denying that he’s one of the most talented players in the history of basketball. He’s got arguably the best handles ever and is a cold-blooded assassin, especially in the clutch.
There wouldn’t be an NBA Championship without Irving’s contributions, including that great shot over Stephen Curry. It seems like the only one who could slow him down is himself. Hopefully, we’ll see him at his best next to Kevin Durant for many more years to come.
3. Chris Paul
Accolades:
– 7x All-Star
– 6x All-Defensive Teams
– 6x All-NBA Teams
– 3x Steals leader
– 2x Assists leader
– All-Star MVP
Chris Paul has to be a top-5 player never to win a Championship in NBA history. He’s set the standard for the rest of the point guards in the league thanks to his playmaking ability and top-tier backcourt defense. He’s the ultimate leader on the court.
Despite his age, CP3 has stayed as durable as ever throughout the years. He’s still playing at the highest level and has plenty left in the tank. Hopefully, he’ll find a contending team to finish his career with a much-deserved NBA Championship.
2. Russell Westbrook
Accolades:
– 9x All-Star
– 8x All-NBA
– 2x All-Star MVP
– 2x Assists leader
– 2x Scoring champion
– MVP
Russell Westbrook is a dog. He’s the most competitive guy you’ll find in the league and the kind of player that’ll always make it personal. He wants to outwork, outhustle, and outplay every single other player in the hardwood. That’s his biggest strength and sometimes his curse.
Westbrook is the fastest and most athletic point guard in the world. He’s the only player to average a triple-double on multiple seasons and you know he’s never afraid of a challenge. It’s only a matter of time before he wins his first Championship.
1. Stephen Curry
Accolades:
– 3x NBA Champion
– 6x All-Star
– 6x All-NBA Teams
– Scoring champion
– Steals leader
– 2x MVP
Like it or not, Stephen Curry is not only the greatest point guard of the decade but also the most influential player of the past twenty years. He’s changed basketball for good and revolutionized the way offense is played, even if old-school fans don’t like ‘jump-shooting teams’.
Curry is the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. He’s also the greatest shooter ever and has been in 5 of the last 10 NBA Finals. You can’t write the history of basketball without bringing his name in multiple times and once’s all said and done, he has a strong shot at being a top-3 (even top-2) point guard ever.
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