#10 Dejounte Murray – San Antonio Spurs
At 25-years-old, Dejounte Murray has been having a breakout season and is drawing comparisons to a young Russell Westbrook. The Spurs guard is averaging 20.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.4 assists, 2.0 steals (league-high), and is shooting 46.1% from the floor.
San Antonio is not going to be in the playoffs this season, but Murray has them jst 1.5 games back from a play-in spot this year and as a result of his play, he was named a first-time All-Star. The future is extremely bright for Dejounte Murray in this league and he is now the face of the Spurs’ franchise.
#9 Fred VanVleet – Toronto Raptors
Another first-time All-Star, Fred VanVleet has been the epitome of a consistent player his entire career. Now in his 6th NBA season, VanVleet has gone from being a slept-on, undrafted prospect to being one of the best two-way guards in the entire league.
He currently leads the league in minutes per game (38.2) and is averaging 21.4 points while shooting 39.8% from the three-point range. Once 23-23 and looking like they would not make the playoffs, Fred VanVleet has helped the Raptors move to 33-27 on the year and looking very comfortable for a play-in tournament spot at the very least.
#8 LaMelo Ball – Charlotte Hornets
From Rookie of the Year last year to first-time All-Star this season, LaMelo Ball continues to get better and better not just as a primary playmaker and facilitator, but a primary scoring option for the Hornets as well.
One of the biggest question marks about Ball coming into the NBA was if he could be a scorer/shooter and the young guard has proven that he can be an elite-level perimeter threat, as he is shooting 36.9% from long-range this season and has made a total of 151 three-pointers, ranking him 19th in the league in made threes.
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A true triple-double threat at the point guard position, LaMelo Ball is the most talented player on the Charlotte Hornets roster and could take them to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 this season.
#7 Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets
Kyrie Irving has drawn a lot of criticism this season for being unvaccinated and he has only played in 15 games as a result for the Nets, but Irving truly is one of the best overall guards in the entire league. He is undoubtedly the best ball-handler in the league and Irving makes everything look so effortless at times.
Assuming he will be able to play in both road and home games moving forward due to New York City changing their vaccine mandate, Kyrie Irving will be key in the Nets possibly contending for a title this season. Time and time again, the seven-time All-Star is proving that he is a clutch-time performer and as a result, he still reigns as one of the best point guards in the league.
