Fadeaway World’s Ultimate 1-On-1 Point Guard Tournament 2023-24

The start of the 2023-24 season has brought us some exciting action and elite play, especially from the point guard position. Taking a look around the NBA this season, there are plenty of point guards who can be considered among the top overall players in the league as well. This got us thinking. Let’s create a 1-on-1 tournament similar to the way we did earlier this season but this time using only the top point guards in the NBA in 2023-24. 

Thus, Fadeaway World’s Ultimate 1-on-1 Point Guard Tournament was born. Using the top 16 point guards from this season, we created a bracket with our rankings to ensure the best matchups possible as the tournament progresses. First there are some rules we would like to lay out before we gets started:

– Unlimited dribbles

– 16 Second Shot Clock

– Winner takes out (retains possession)

 Below, you will see the bracket and the first-round matchups we have in store for you in our bracket.

Now that our matchups are set, let the 2023-24 Fadeaway World Ultimate 1-on-1 Point Guard Tournament commence.

Luka Doncic vs. Darius Garland

Our first matchup features the No. 1 seed Luka Doncic taking on our No. 16 seed Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both guards are not particularly adept at excelling on the defensive side of the ball which will be highlighted throughout any 1-on-1 tournament.

Using his distinct size advantage over Garland, Doncic begins to bully his way into the paint. He uses a perfect blend of strength to find his positions and his finesse to finish softly around the rim. When Garland does eventually get a stop, he uses his speed and quick change of direction to start to gain a bit of ground on Doncic.

Eventually, Doncic’s size and strength are just too much for Garland. Doncic ends things with his patented stepback triple with Garland on his back heels expecting the drive at this point. While he fought valiantly, Garland is no match for Luka and is sent home packing.

Result: Luka Doncic vs. Darius Garland 21-14

Kyrie Irving vs. Trae Young

Our next matchup features a point guard whose style was meant for 1-on-1 play going up against a talented young point guard whose game relies a lot upon his teammates doing their jobs. Kyrie Irving and Trae Young pose two different threats offensively but are both defensively lacking in several areas which should mean a high-scoring affair.

Kyrie is one of the most skilled point guards to ever touch a basketball and bringing that to the table against Young has him salivating. Kyrie makes it look too easy on offense, blowing by Young on nearly every possession and finishing gracefully with his patented finger-roll and complete layup package.

Young is able to compete for a while as well, knocking down some outside shots and mixing in his floater which is his best offensive weapon in this scenario. Unfortunately, Irving’s offensive arsenal is just too much for him as Irving advances to take on his teammate in the next round.

Result: Kyrie Irving vs. Trae Young 21-14

De’Aaron Fox vs. Jamal Murray

Our third matchup is between two of the best young point guards in the game today. De’Aaron Fox brings speed and the ability to stay cool under pressure which will be a huge advantage in this 1-on-1 setting. Jamal Murray brings a diverse repertoire of step-back jumpers and change-of-direction handles that will give Fox fits over a drawn-out matchup.

Starting with the ball, Fox builds an early lead over Murray, mixing in an accurate output with his mid-range shot and an explosive first step that earns him some easy shots at the rim. Murray counters Fox’s attack with his quick release on his outside shot, knocking down a few threes to make it a close contest down the stretch.

In the end, Fox’s speed wears down Murray as he is unable to keep up with Fox for multiple possessions in a row. Jamal Murray sees an early exit from the tournament at the hands of a top-five point guard in the game today.

Result: De’Aaron Fox vs. Jamal Murray 21-18

Damian Lillard vs. LaMelo Ball

The fourth matchup of the first round is easily one of the most intriguing ones so far. Damian Lillard, an aging yet still elite talent takes on a rising star with a complete offensive game in LaMelo Ball.

Lillard is going to rely on his ability to create separation and knock down shots from the perimeter. Ball is going to combat this with his slick handles, floater game, and willingness to take risks most other guards wouldn’t care to in one-on-one scenarios. Lillard starts red-hot from beyond the arc, shifting and getting his shots off at will against Ball. LaMelo shows a little bit of a fight with his ball control and ability to gain access to the lane fairly easily.

With such a lead to overcome for Ball from Lillard’s precise three-point shooting, Ball becomes desperate and starts putting up shots from three he usually wouldn’t force in a team situation. This allows Lillard to capitalize and take home the W, ending the matchup with you guessed it, a deep logo three.

Result: Damian Lillard vs. LaMelo Ball 21-15

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. James Harden

Fans get a real treat in our fifth matchup as rising superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets set to take on savvy veteran James Harden. Shai is an explosive guard whose change of speed and direction is absolutely devastating in 1-on-1 situations. Harden’s size, handles, and craftiness with his shot creation will be issues for his opponent to overcome.

Harden starts out bullying his way into the paint, moving side-to-side fairly easily. Unfortunately, he gets caught up with trying to draw way too many fouls and turns over the ball to end his first possessions far too early. Gilgeous-Alexander then goes to work, combatting Harden’s size advantage with speed and agility to blow right by him for some easy layups.

Once Harden begins to lay back on his opponent, Gilgeous-Alexander begins to use his outside shooting ability to his advantage, losing Harden on multiple occasions. In the end, the veteran is dominantly outdueled by the youngster and sent home in the first round of the tournament.

Result: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. James Harden 21-13

Tyrese Maxey vs. Jalen Brunson

Honestly, the sixth matchup of the first round is the most intriguing matchup of the entire round. Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson are about as evenly matched as it gets in our No. 7 seed versus No. 10 seed game. Both guards use a slick combination of speed, handles, and finishing to get their way on offense, making for an electric first-round contest.

Maxey’s 1-on-1 game is going to rely on his ridiculous explosion to the rim which in turn sets up his mid-range game for success when a defender like Brunson tries to back off a bit. With a much more fundamental 1-on-1 game, Brunson will do his best to slow down the game and pick his spots, using his handle to set up short jumpers and floaters.

Maxey’s speed and explosiveness will prove to be far too much for Brunson to handle in a matchup of this magnitude. He will no doubt put up a decent fight but Maxey is too fast and too agile for Brunson to keep up.

Result: Tyrese Maxey vs. Jalen Brunson 21-16

Stephen Curry vs. Bradley Beal

With the first round nearly at an end, we get possibly the biggest mismatch of the tournament. Stephen Curry and his ridiculous range take on Bradley Beal with his three-level scoring ability. Curry is the superior offensive player by a landslide while Beal, although a good scorer, has not been at the elite level he was at his peak in quite some time.

Curry is far too talented to let this matchup slip away and starts things off by going on a run highlighted by deep threes and blowing by Beal when he begins to creep out further and further. Beal does take advantage of the size advantage though and goes on a bit of an offensive run himself, highlighting Curry’s subpar defensive ability.

Curry’s propensity to go on long runs with his shooting and change of speed proved to be far too difficult for Beal to defend. Curry makes easy and fast work of Beal to advance while Beal gets to ice up and prepare for his return to the Suns lineup.

Result: Stephen Curry vs. Bradley Beal 21-16

Tyrese Haliburton vs. Ja Morant

The final matchup of our point guard tournament’s first round features two of the most polarizing point guards in the game today. While Tyrese Haliburton has been praised for his playmaking and vision, his scoring and efficiency have skyrocketed as well, relying on finesse and creativity to find his scoring. Meanwhile, Ja Morant is a much more explosive guard who has used his quick first step and athletic ability to gain an advantage over defenders.

This matchup goes back and forth with Haliburton and Morant trading buckets. Each player utilizes their strengths to perfection with Haliburton creating many easy opportunities for himself and Morant playing bully ball with his athletic ability. In this matchup, style and finesse prevail just barely over speed and athleticism as Haliburton’s efficiency allows him to earn a hard-fought win over Morant.

Result: Tyrese Haliburton vs. Ja Morant 21-19

Quarterfinals

Luka Doncic vs. Kyrie Irving

Our first quarterfinal matchup features a battle between current teammates with the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. While they may share the court right now, their playstyles could not be more different, leading to a matchup for the ages between the two.

At first, this looks like an easy win for Irving as he slices his way through and around Doncic for easy finishes at the rim. Irving’s speed and change of direction are far too much for Doncic and his relaxed defensive play. On the contrary, Doncic’s size and ability to get to his spots prove to be far too much for Irving as well as he wears Kyrie down to near exhaustion trying to stand Doncic up in the paint.

In an absolute shocker, Doncic begins to pull away from Irving, abandoning penetration into the paint and beginning to knock down some perimeter shots. When the dust settles, it is Doncic, not Irving left standing in this matchup giving us our first real upset of the tournament so far. Irving is left flabbergasted by the results, knowing he missed far too many chances by settling for mid-range and outside shots.

Result: Luka Doncic vs. Kyrie Irving 21-19

De’Aaron Fox vs. Damian Lillard

The next matchup of our tournament’s quarterfinals is another clash of playstyles sure to entertain fans from start to finish. De’Aaron Fox takes the court against Damian Lillard as we get spoiled with another young star trying to dethrone and take the reins from a seasoned NBA veteran.

Fox begins play utilizing his speed and taking advantage of Lillard’s concrete shoes on defense. With his explosive first step, Fox makes it look too easy to blow by Lillard for short jumpers and easy finishes at the rim. No lead is safe in this format against a shooter like Lillard, however, who can climb back into the action by knocking down consecutive shots from the outside.

This matchup would come down to the player who capitalized more on lost possessions with their style of play. In the end, it would be De’Aaron Fox prevailing as the winner thanks to the more efficient shot selection and preventing Lillard from consistently getting to the basket.

Result: De’Aaron Fox vs. Damian Lillard 21-15

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Tyrese Maxey

Our third quarterfinal matchup is the most highly-anticipated one of the round with two young and rising stars facing off for a chance to advance and play the winner of our fourth and final matchup. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Maxey are set to battle in a fight for a berth in the semifinals.

Both of these guards have similar play styles in that their explosiveness and craftsmanship are their two greatest assets. This matchup will come down to which point guard outlasts the other as they trade buckets with their creativity and showmanship taking centerstage. Maxey gets the ball rolling with plenty of scoring from the mid-range and at the rim. Gilgeous-Alexander combats that with his agile side-to-side explosion and efficient scoring from within the arc.

In the end, Maxey and Gilgeous-Alexander battled to the very end but it would be Gilgeous-Alexander’s slightly advanced isolation game that carried him through to the semifinals.

Result: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Tyrese Maxey 21-18

Stephen Curry vs. Tyrese Haliburton

In a matchup that the entire world would love to see at this point in their careers, veteran Stephen Curry is set to take on one of the players ready to take the torch from him moving into the future, Tyrese Haliburton.

Curry and Haliburton are going to be locked into a heated battle with both players looking to create open opportunities from every spot imaginable on the floor. Curry finds his groove from the outside as he often does while Haliburton takes advantage of his length and height advantage to shoot over and get by Curry.

As much as we would all like to see the torch passed in this matchup, it isn’t quite in the cards yet for Haliburton who has no answer for Curry’s torrid shooting from the outside and his unbelievable stamina, seemingly never getting tired and hardly breaking a sweat. For now, the veteran superstar is safe and moving on to the semifinals.

Result: Stephen Curry vs. Tyrese Haliburton 21-17

Semifinals

Luka Doncic vs. De’Aaron Fox

Two of the top young point guards in the Western Conference in 2023-24 make up our first semifinal matchup. Luka Doncic and De’Aaron Fox offer up another clash of playstyles in which one has proven throughout this tournament is far more effective than the other.

De’Aaron Fox kicks things off with some explosive maneuvers to get around Doncic on the perimeter and finishes them off with a soft touch around the basket. Doncic combats that with his unique combination of size, skill, and precision to wear down his opponents just as he did in his first two matchups. While Fox keeps it competitive, Doncic proves to have too much for him as the game wears on.

As the matchup continues, Doncic punishes the exhausted Fox by penetrating the paint and getting to the basket at will. Combined with his stepback three-pointer that feels automatic this season, Doncic cruised into the Finals of this tournament over Fox.

Result: Luka Doncic vs. De’Aaron Fox 21-16

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Stephen Curry

Next up, we have another exciting matchup between Western Conference standout point guards. The young and rising All-NBA First Team selection Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets set to take on four-time NBA champion and MVP Stephen Curry to see who will face off with Luka Doncic in the Finals.

Things start bleak for Curry as Gilgeous-Alexander makes things look far too easy in getting past Curry for easy drives and clear paths to the rim. As stated before, no lead is safe with an elite three-point shooter and Curry gets himself back into the game with multiple consecutive shots from the outside. As Gilgeous-Alexander begins to cheat and press Curry, he forgets Curry has some decent handles himself and gives up too many easy opportunities.

In the end, Curry is victorious once again as his championship DNA and savvy adaptability fuel another win and the most exciting possible conclusion to our tournament.

Finals

Luka Doncic vs. Stephen Curry

After a long and grueling 1-on-1 tournament of the most elite point guards in the NBA in 2023-24, we have arrived at the final matchup to determine our champion. Luka Doncic bullied his way through Darius Garland, Kyrie Irving, and De’Aaron Fox while Curry shot the lights out to take down Bradley Beal, Tyrese Haliburton, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Curry gets things started just as he did in each of his previous three matchups. When Doncic gives him any space, Curry creates and knocks down easy three-pointers which are only easy through the lens of the greatest shooter ever. When Doncic presses, Curry is able to get by him for attempts at shots near the rim. Unfortunately for Curry, Doncic’s size prevents him from getting anything easy inside the arc, opening the door for Doncic to punish Curry physically.

Using his bully-ball style and soft touch, Doncic pulls away from Curry at a rapid pace. Curry tries to get back into it but the physical toll Doncic has taken on his body overcomes him and allows Doncic to cruise the rest of the way to a win and the title of the first-ever Fadeaway World’s Ultimate 1-on-1 point guard champion.

Result: Luka Doncic vs. Stephen Curry 21-18