Ranking: The Top 20 point guards in 2023-24 (2024)

2023-24 stats: 32.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 9.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.5 bpg, 47.7 FG%, 36.9 3P% in 92 games
Salary ranking: No. 16 ($40,064,220)

Being able to vanquish three 50-win teams without home-court advantage while not being 100 percent physically tells you all you need to know about Luka Doncic. We even named him Playoff MVP despite losing in the Finals four games to one.

Doncic did have some Finals shortcomings, though injuries are easy to blame for that, as it was clear his conditioning and defense simply weren’t up to par to cap off a championship run. Even so, Doncic was the best player in the 2024 postseason and it might not have been all that close.

Doncic enjoyed his fifth All-NBA selection in a row this season, Western Conference Finals MVP and is now moving up real fast in the list of best players ever to never win a title. But what else can he do besides maybe improve conditioning so he’s not getting hunted down in defense by some teams?

He’s still got plenty of time to do that, as Doncic is still just 25 years old.

2023-24 stats: 30.1 ppg, 6.2 apg, 5.7 rpg, 1.9 spg, 1.0 bpg, 53.0 FG%, 36.3 3P% in 85 games
Salary ranking: No. 34 ($33,386,850)

As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander developed as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, many wondered just how high his ceiling might be and whether or not he could reach that MVP-level strata of NBA greats. The Canadian superstar answered those questions resoundingly this year, finishing second in the 2023-24 MVP vote, even receiving 15 first-place votes in the process, as he led the Thunder to the No. 1 seed in the West with a 57-25 record and to the second round of the playoffs. The former Kentucky standout ranked Top 5 this season in VORP, BPM, WS/48 and Global Rating, finishing as high as No. 2 overall in WS/48.

Not only was Gilgeous-Alexander an elite scorer, he also got enough votes for All-Defensive Team that he would have been on 3rd Team All-Defense if such a thing existed, speaking to his two-way value, too.

And although Oklahoma City wasted a golden chance to make an even deeper playoff run this season, as their inexperience showed in the six-game defeat against the Dallas Mavericks in the second round, with Gilgeous-Alexander having to carry so much of the load, there’s no question they’re way ahead of schedule and should be a force in the West for years to come.

Sure, that has been said about teams before who ultimately weren’t able to take that next step, but with Gilgeous-Alexander, a proven MVP-level player, leading the way, this Thunder team should be different than the promising teams of yesteryear.

2023-24 stats: 29.3 ppg, 6.8 apg, 3.6 rpg, 0.9 spg, 0.2 bpg, 47.3 FG%, 38.9 3P% in 90 games
Salary ranking: No. 53 ($26,346,666)

Jalen Brunson fully dispelled the notion that he, as a small guy, can’t be the leader of a playoff juggernaut by leading the New York Knicks to the second round of the postseason while putting up huge numbers. In the playoffs, Brunson averaged 32.4 points on 44.4 percent shooting to go with 7.5 assists over 13 games before New York ultimately fell in seven games vs. the Indiana Pacers in Round 2.

Don’t be mistaken, though: The Knicks went down because of injuries, not due to Brunson coming up short. Brunson, clearly the best American player not on the Olympic team for this summer, finished Top 5 in MVP voting this year as he led New York to a 50-win regular season while ranking Top 8 league-wide in VORP and BPM, and he’ll now head into 2024-25 with huge expectations as the Knicks will be healthy and proven to kick off the campaign.

2023-24 stats: 26.2 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.0 spg, 0.5 bpg, 45.2 FG%, 37.5 3P% in 76 games
Salary ranking: No. 263 ($4,343,920)

2023-24 stats: 26.2 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.0 spg, 0.5 bpg, 45.2 FG%, 37.5 3P% in 76 games
Salary ranking: No. 263 ($4,343,920)

One of the big high risers from preseason aggregate rankings, Philadelphia 76ers guardTyrese Maxey was downright excellent this season, playing his way into a well-earned max deal and winning Most Improved Player as well as earning All-Star honors.

And if such a thing existed, Maxey could have won Most Improved Playoff Player, too, for his 2023-24 postseason run where he averaged 29.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists on 40.0 percent shooting from three.

Maxey has fantastic speed, the ability to stop on a dime and launch a three, great lateral quickness that helps him get by defenders and can score at a high rate from all three levels while also being a good playmaker. All-NBA just eluded Maxey this season but with another campaign like the one he just had, that distinction should be the next one he picks up.

2023-24 stats: 26.4 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.5 rpg, 0.7 spg, 0.4 bpg, 45.0 FG%, 40.8 3P% in 74 games
Salary ranking: No. 1 ($51,915,615)

The highest-paid player in the league this season and the preseason ranked No. 4 overall player according to the aggregate ranking, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry had a nice season individually, putting up a 26/5/4 stat line while shooting nearly 41 percent from three, but Golden State missed the playoffs and struggled all season to string together consistent wins.

Hence, we knocked Curry a bit in our player ranking for 2023-24, where he finished No. 17 overall, still an elite spot but not as elite as we’re used to seeing out of the two-time league MVP.

Even so, Curry finished with 3rd Team All-NBA honors and Won Clutch of the Year, so even in a slightly down year by his illustrious standards, he remained one of the game’s best offensive players.

2023-24 stats: 19.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 10.4 apg, 0.7 bpg, 1.2 spg, 47.9 FG%, 36.8 3P% in 84 games
Salary ranking: No. 226 ($5,808,435)

Pacers star point guardTyrese Haliburton was performing like arguably a Top 10 player prior to injury this season, one affecting his hamstring, and once he returned, he wasn’t quite at the same level, clearly hampered and playing through a tricky muscle strain.

With that said, Haliburton was still an All-Star in 2023-24, a 3rd Team All-NBAer and led the league in nightly assists at 10.9, likewise helping lead the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Haliburton is a quick top-of-the-line playmaker who can sink threes at a healthy rate (though his jumper did abandon him for stretches this season for the first time in his career) while using his agility to create havoc on defense jumping passing lanes.

2023-24 stats: 26.6 ppg, 5.6 apg, 4.6 rpg, 2.0 spg, 0.4 bpg, 46.5 FG%, 36.9 3P% in 74 games
Salary ranking: No. 37 ($32,600,060)

After All-Star, 3rd Team All-NBA and Clutch Player of the Year honors in 2022-23, Kings point guardDe’Aaron Fox didn’t take a step back this season but he didn’t manage to improve on the impressive campaign either. And the fact that the Kings missed the playoffs in 2023-24 despite having two Top 20 players (according to us) on their roster also didn’t help the former Kentucky Wildcat’s placing on this ranking.

Regardless, despite the ever-so-slightly disappointing 2023-24 for Fox, he remains one of the top point guards in the league, possessing lightning-speed, elite finishing around the paint and a solid pull-up jumper to keep defenses honest.

What’s more, Fox just had the second-best three-point shooting season of his career, a potential future game-changer for a player as explosive as the 26-year-old southpaw.

2023-24 stats: 24.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.2 apg, 0.4 bpg, 1.2 spg, 48.9 FG%, 40.6 3P% in 80 games
Salary ranking: No. 22 ($37,037,037)

Another postseason, another round of iconic playoff baskets for Kyrie Irving, who’s been on his best behavior in Dallas after tumultuous endings to his Brooklyn and Boston stints.

The season ended on a down note for Irving, however, as the enigmatic point guard, who has not beaten Boston since April 23, 2021, when he was a member of the Nets, averaged just 19.8 points and 5.0 assists on 41.4 percent shooting (27.6 percent shooting from three) in the five Finals games against his former team. That came after various brilliant postseason performances for Irving prior to the Finals, including a 40-point Game 4 in Round 1 against the Clippers and a 36-point closeout Game 5 performance over Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals, both wins for his Mavericks.

Ultimately, Irving’s place in this ranking was also hampered by the fact he missed a lot of games during the season (he last played 70-plus games in 2016-17!).

Despite not achieving All-Star or All-NBA honors in 2023-24, it was all in all a very successful season for the former Duke standout in 2023-24.

2023-24 stats: 24.7 ppg, 6.9 apg, 4.3 rpg, 1.0 spg, 0.2 bpg, 42.3 FG%, 35.8 3P% in 77 games
Salary ranking: No. 7 ($45,640,084)

Given the change of scenery, health issues and personal matters that clearly affected him, the season – at least individually – went decently for Damian Lillard. It just doesn’t really feel that way given the expectations were sky-high after his trade to the Milwaukee Bucks that paired him with Antetotokounmpo.

Nonetheless, a lot of turmoil on the team, including a midseason firing of Adrian Griffin and the replacement situation with Doc Rivers, as well as injuries, sidetracked the Bucks’ season, culminating with a first-round playoff defeat in which Antetokounmpo wasn’t able to see any action due to – you guessed it – injury.

Lillard was still able to show his level as a player in the postseason despite only appearing in four games in the 2024 playoffs, putting up 31.3 points on 41.7 percent shooting from three to go with 5.0 assists. If his body holds up, 2024-25 could be a stronger season for Lillard, too, with less drama surrounding him.

2023-24 stats: 21.1 ppg, 6.4 apg, 4.1 rpg, 0.9 spg, 0.6 bpg, 46.5 FG%, 40.6 3P% in 71 games
Salary ranking: No. 32 ($33,833,400)

Despite having yet to receive All-Star honors in his career (he might be on his way to becoming the best player to never make an All-Star appearance at this rate), Canadian point guard Jamal Murray is a big-time playoff riser, averaging 24.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in his postseason career in comparison to 17.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his regular-season career, a stretch that includes a championship run in 2022-23.

Murray wasn’t quite able to reach those illustrious playoff highs this season, as the former Kentucky standout averaged a career-playoff-low 20.6 points in 2024 while shooting a paltry 31.5 percent from three, which in part explains why Denver wasn’t able to repeat.

Still, Murray is a very good scorer, especially from three and the midrange, and he’s as clutch as they come in the postseason, a perfect counterpart for Jokic in the playoffs.

2023-24 stats: 16.9 ppg, 8.5 apg, 5.1 rpg, 1.1 spg, 0.8 bpg, 43.0 FG%, 38.1 3P% in 78 games
Salary ranking: No. 28 ($35,680,595)

A notorious playoff underperformer, former league MVPJames Harden bucked that narrative a bit in 2023-24 when he averaged 21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists on 44.9 percent shooting, 38.3 percent shooting from three, improved marks from his regular season as he was able to have more of the ball with Leonard missing games.

The most likely outcome of Harden’s upcoming free agency is a return to the Clippers, as both parties reportedly want, but maybe the bearded superstar’s playoff run could earn him even more money on his next deal.

Either way, Harden remains an excellent scorer and playmaker when he gets his touches, one who is even shooting midrange jumpers to complement his inside-outside game making him a well-rounded bucket-getting lead guard.

2023-24 stats: 25.7 ppg, 10.8 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 spg, 0.2 bpg, 43.0 FG%, 37.3 3P% in 54 games
Salary ranking: No. 16 ($40,064,220)

One of the best playmakers and deep-level scorers in the NBA,Trae Young doesn’t just have elite three-point range – he’s able to score from much deeper than that on a consistent enough basis that defenses need to adjust for it.

Young’s also got fantastic quickness to get to the rim and a rare foul-drawing instinct that helps him rack up points from the free-throw line, making him a load to defend nightly.

Even if 2023-24 wasn’t Young’s best season, he still put up solid raw numbers he put up and was named an All-Star. The Atlanta Hawks did miss a lot of games and the playoffs, however, leading to questions surrounding Young’s future in Atlanta but whether Young is moved or not, he’s still one of the better point guards in the NBA.

2023-24 stats: 12.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.7 apg, 0.7 bpg, 0.9 spg, 48.5 FG%, 42.3 3P% in 88 games
Salary ranking: No. 23 ($36,861,707)

Just what Boston asked for when it acquired him, Celtics guardJrue Holiday had a slightly quieter campaign, at least scoring-wise, than we’re used to but he was still named 2nd Team All-Defense and finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting on the year while helping Boston win No. 18.

Holiday remains an elite guard defender, forming a ridiculously stingy duo alongside his backcourt mate White, one potent enough to make opponents look like light work all playoffs long this year for the Celtics. An excellent pickup forBrad Stevens, Holiday helped turn Boston into a juggernaut in 2023-24.

What was particularly impressive by Holiday this year besides his otherworldly defense is the fact that, knowing he’d have to take more of a backseat on offense playing alongside the two Jays, White and the player coming up in two spots, he – rather than sulk and force his own shot attempts – instead accepted his role and put up the best three-point percentage of his career playing off the ball, hitting 42.9 percent of his regular-season threes and 40.2 percent in the playoffs.

Talk about a player knowing what role he had to play to win at the highest level and fully buying in without worrying about individual numbers.

2023-24 stats: 17.8 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.1 rpg, 0.9 spg, 0.5 bpg, 45.1 FG%, 40.7 3P% in 81 games
Salary ranking: No. 94 ($17,307,693)

2023-24 was sort of a tale of two seasons for Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell. The former Ohio State standout was excellent in the regular season in putting up 18 points and over six assists per game. However, he then once again failed to match that level of play in the postseason, where he averaged just 14.2 points and 4.2 assists on 38.4 percent shooting from the floor and 31.8 percent shooting from three in a five-game loss to the Nuggets.

Even so, no one can take away how good Russell was in 2023-24 overall. It’ll be interesting to see what Russell’s upcoming free agency looks like. Will teams trust the larger sample size or will they be scared off by his third straight poor playoff showing?

2023-24 stats: 19.1 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.5 rpg, 0.7 spg, 0.2 bpg, 44.7 FG%, 37.6 3P% in 79 games
Salary ranking: No. 140 ($11,111,111)

One of the players who made the biggest leaps in 2023-24 was Chicago Bulls guard Cody White, the second-highest-ranked player from Chicago who finished second in the Most Improved Player vote.

White’s got great quickness and stop-on-a-dime ability that causes defenders to blow right by him as he pulls up for deep threes, which made him a terror to defend on the year. White also hit shots from deep at a healthy rate this season as his 37.6 percent accuracy from beyond the arc was the second-best mark of his time in the NBA.

White is also a solid rebounder and playmaker, making him the type of lead combo guard Chicago can build around over the coming seasons.

2023-24 stats: 17.4 ppg, 8.1 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.4 spg, 0.8 bpg, 41.6 FG%, 38.7 3P% in 73 games
Salary ranking: No. 14 ($40,806,300)

Enormous salary aside, Houston floor generalFred VanVleet enjoyed a strong first campaign for the Rockets, putting up over 17 points and eight assists per contest while providing nearly a takeaway-and-a-half nightly. He also helped the team enjoy a 19-game improvement, nearly enough to sneak them into the Play-In Tournament.

About that salary, the Rockets did have to overpay to nab VanVleet away from Toronto but the contract only has two more years on it, the latter of which has a team option on it, so if VanVleet remains performing at this level, the deal won’t be any sort of detriment to the Rockets.

2023-24 stats: 17.6 ppg, 6.4 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 spg, 0.1 bpg, 44.3 FG%, 36.8 3P% in 69 games
Salary ranking: No. 29 ($34,005,250)

One-time All-StarDarius Garland had a bit of a down year in 2023-24, with his numbers dropping in his second season playing alongside Mitchell. Injuries didn’t help matters for Garland, who missed 25 regular-season games on the year, but even so, when he was out there, he just wasn’t as effective as in seasons prior.

Even more concerning regarding Garland was his playoff output, as the former Vanderbilt Commodore averaged just 15.7 points in the 2024 postseason on 42.7 percent shooting. Cleveland was 13.8 points per 100 possessions worse with Garland on the floor in the playoffs, too.

There are questions regarding Garland’s future with the Cavs, with the latest reporting on the matter indicating that if Mitchell agrees to an extension with Cleveland, Garland could ask for a trade. We’ll see what the future holds for the talented playmaking, bucket-getting lead guard.

2023-24 stats: 11.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.5 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.5 bpg, 47.3 FG%, 33.9 3P% in 90 games
Salary ranking: No. 210 ($6,587,040)

A playmaking, high-rebounding player with some serious flair and creativity as a passer, Australian guard Josh Giddey took a step back in 2023-24, particularly in the playoffs where he even lost his starting job and saw his playing time dwindle due to his lack of effectiveness.

Giddey is still a solid player but he’ll need to continue working on his outside stroke to reach that next level. For now, he’s the type of player who needs to have the right mix around him to be truly effective; he’s not a super effective just plug-and-he’ll-produce-at-a-high-level option.

2023-24 stats: 22.7 ppg, 7.5 apg, 4.3 rpg, 0.9 spg, 0.4 bpg, 44.9 FG%, 35.5 3P% in 62 games
Salary ranking: No. 141 ($11,055,360)

Former No. 1 overall pickCade Cunningham has struggled mightily in the wins department so far early on in his career but in fairness, the roster around him on the Detroit Pistons has been a thoughtless mess and his numbers have improved every single season so far.

If he makes another similar jump to the one he made from Year 2 to Year 3, for example, he’d be 25 points and eight assists per game in 2024-25, which would put him in rare company even in the high-scoring modern NBA.

With a new shot-caller running Detroit’s front office, perhaps some thoughtful planning will take place around Cunningham on the Pistons roster and he’ll be able to take the next step in his career – to win some games. Cunningham still has a lot of upside for Detroit, a guard with great size, good ball-handling and the ability to make tough shots off the dribble, as well as create for others.

2023-24 stats: 11.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.2 bpg, 45.1 FG%, 43.6 3P% in 91 games
Salary ranking: No. 58 ($24,360,000)

Veteran floor generalMike Conley was an integral part of Minnesota’s Western Conference Finals run, as his shot-making from beyond the arc was crucial in Minnesota taking down Denver in the second round of the playoffs.

The likes of Nikola Jokic and Nuggets head coachMichael Malone had high praise for Conley during and after the series and with good reason considering Conley shot 44.8 percent from three and averaged nearly seven assists against Denver.

With a deadly pull-up three-point jumper out of the pick-and-roll and good vision as a passer, Conley was one of the most underrated players of 2023-24, something he’s used to as he’s historically been quite undervalued.