As the Golden State faltered in their run to the playoffs, Curry was unable to inspire a turnaround. Hyland might be the first player in years who couldnt fit in with Jokic since Jusuf Nurkic. Take a closer look at how Luka Doncic has been dominating this season. His defense improved and he notched a career-high in assists. James Harden, Brooklyn Nets With or without Kyrie Irving in the fold, Harden figured to have the ball in his hands more than anyone in Brooklyn. For instance, his shooting form in the 2021 postseason dipped to 43.9% (45.8% in the regular season) from the field and only 33.3% from long range in Portlands six-game, first round series versus Denver. Donovan Mitchell also made his second NBA All-Star appearance as Utah clinched the top spot in the West only to fall to the Los Angeles Clippers in six games in the Western Conference Semis. Best NBA Players 33 Years Old | StatMuse best NBA players 33 years old Thompson Dieng Ibaka Morris Butler DeRozan Morris Bogdanovic Dedmon Harden Holiday Griffin Thomas Gordon Batum Westbrook Gallinari Marjanovic Beverley Young Love Rose Explore What is the highest PPG in a season by a rookie? In the Eastern Conference, former Warrior Kevin Durant is sitting in the No. 6. Best Odds. Thats not to say that earning a trip to the All-Star Game as an East guard wont be difficult, considering the fact two 2022 All-Star guards from the West Donovan Mitchell and Dejounte Murray went East in the offseason, thus bolstering the pool of talent in that conferences backcourt. Trent had an inconsistent role because of injuries and, to be frank, tanking, after being traded to Toronto and it will be interesting to see what he's capable of as a probable full-time starter. When Bryant was on the floor, opposing teams averaged 126.7 points per 100 possessions. He delivered theindisputableDunk of the Yearand also began to step up as "the guy" for his team late in games. Westbrook has taken over a larger role on the Thunder and become a better player at the same time. The key for Booker is to stay consistent as he seeks greatness. Paul's impact goes beyond the numbers, though. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Ja Morant had 23 points and seven rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies raced to an early lead and coasted to a 112-94 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night in a matchup of the Western Conference's top teams. The Thunder are 15-19 in Western Conference games. You never have to doubt his effort or commitment level. PRL (Position Replacement Level) = 11.5 for power forwards, 11.0 for point guards, 10.6 for centers, 10.5 for shooting guards and small forwards; EWA: Estimated Wins Added . He had those two incredible 40-point outings in Games 4 and 5 of the Finals, but he also had a couple of underwhelming performances in the series (10 points in Game 3; 19 points, six turnovers in Game 6). Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has made plenty of headlines recently. 1. But the Lakers made a splash of their own and are 3-1 since acquiring D'Angelo . Denver tried converting Hyland into a point guard. Your login session has expired. Taking stock of the biggest surprises and developments of the 2022-23 season so far. Four days later, a teenager told police Morant punched him repeatedly.. The NBA All-Star Game is an honor bestowed upon the most distinguished hoopers every season. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) - 2NE17RW from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Steph Curry is the best point guard in the Western Conference, and arguably in the NBA, ensuring his position at the top since his mid-twenties. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Wednesday night's slate. Only Steph Curry and Luka Doncic have more votes than the Grizzlies point guard. He hits open shots off the catch or off the dribble. The Clippers playing at this level are real NBA title contenders. With Klay Thompson expected to make his return some time around Christmas, where does the three-time NBA champion rank? Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. And yet, Angeleno basketball fans must be at least a little bit worried that Westbrook hasn't learned from his previous failures. Dort has become one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA but still has a ways to go in fine-tuning his offensive skills. 1 overall pick has the physical tools to be the ideal NBA2K 23 user player, but his feel for the actual pro game is non-existent. Top 10 Point Guards in the Western Conference By Isaac Harris Oct 22, 2016 Apr 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Deron Williams (8) looks for a teammate to pass off to. 1 spot for overall votes. The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams: the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz.The Northwest Division is by far the most geographically expansive of the six divisions; the Nuggets, Trail . Harden has become a point guard. They are ranked 20th in offense at a 113.0 rating, and the 12th ranked defense at a 113.0 rating. Odds to win NBA title: +900 (Fifth-best) First-round opponent: NuggetsLost season series, 1-3 Golden State opened up the season 18-2 with Klay Thompson still sidelined and Steph Curry looking. The 30-year-old bounced back strong upon his return, finishing with season-long averages of 23.1 points, 4.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game, playing Robin to Damian Lillard's Batman in another playoff berth for his Trail Blazers. People who viewed the 6'6 NBA Players List also viewed: He finished sixth in the league in assists last year and is leading the league with 12.5 assists per game this year. Devin Booker is the first player in Finals history to lose back-to-back games despite scoring 40+ points in both games. Feb 24, 2023, 05:46 PM EST. "Ja Morant has been accused of . The model enters Week 20 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 57-30 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. The Thunder travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns in Friday night NBA action. 2022-23 Hollinger Western Conference Player Statistics - Point Guards . The Nuggets' starting point guard has quieted all the critics who said that he was too small, forcing him to drop to No. Some are genuinely here due to their low basketball IQs, while others are just held in low regard by fans. When he rested, the Lakers allowed 114.4. However, Portland has struggled without power forward Al Farouq Aminu and have had their issues so far. Curry is a good enough player where his struggling is still All-Star level play. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs 12. Payout. Houston Rockets (13-48, Last week 29th) Houston is a disaster. He had a career-high 8.7 three-point attempts per game for the season, but Mitchell simply must get better at shooting the basketball from the 10-feet to three-point line area where he only managed a 42.4% shooting efficiency for 2020-21 (including the playoffs). In a recent interview to GQ magazine, the Oklahoma City Thunder player called himself the Black Steve Nash. MORE: Irving will not play or practice until he can participate full-time. His scoring is up to what would be a career high 28 PPG. Portland went all the way to the Western Conference finals, where they lost. You already know what time it is. The position is unique to evaluate with a handful of established stars, rising talents, skill specialists and rookies eager to make an immediate impact in the league. Point guards in the NBA assume the number 1 position on the court and are usually the offensive anchors on a team. And since the Sacramento Kings point guard was passed over for the All-Star Game, it looks like he will remain underrated. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Suns-Hornets prediction, pick, and . In 2018-19, the last season we saw Thompson, he averaged 21.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.2 percent from 3. Going 37-137 deserves something more recognition than a pink slip at the end of the season. Is he the. People who viewed the 6'3 NBA Players List also viewed: The Kings' speedy floor general also handed out 7.2 assists per game. 7. Through the first wave of voting, Curry was voted for 2,715,520 vote to take the top spot in the West for guards. The player with the highest 2K Rating among current players whose height is 6'3 on NBA 2K23 is Ja Morant. The season culminated with a Second Team All-NBA nod and the Trail Blazers won a surprising 51 games. "Miami valued my time and level of play," Bouyea said. Jayson Tatum is a power forward for the Celtics and is considered one of the best playmakers on the team. Winslow was one of the loose pieces of change New Orleans threw into the deal for Norman Powell and Robert Covington, which makes it even more unfathomable that Damian Lillard would want to stick around another minute. Unfortunately, that's not what we're doing here. Visit ESPN to view 2022-23 NBA player stats. Is Westbrook too low here? https://t.co/adp3wELT5y pic.twitter.com/DI89zzTPOR. It was another career-year for the Jazz superstar, who averaged 26.4 points, 5.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game while leading Utah to the best overall record in the NBA. https://warriorswire.usatoday.com/2023/01/05/warriors-steph-curry-leads-western-conference-guards-in-first-nba-all-star-voting-update/, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Fox and Domantas Sabonis have become a formidable duo that give the Kings a real shot at making the postseason for the first time since 2006. The 26-year-old proved himself as a secondary playmaker in addition to his high-level scoring ability and if all goes to plan, we'll finally see that translate to wins in 2021-22. MORE: McCollum looms large in potential Ben Simmons trades. Coming off his first All-Star nod, Morant likely earns a second trip in 2022-23. Another amazing fact about Thompson is that ever since the NBA started tracking the data eight seasons ago (since 2013-14), Thompson has accounted for six of the ten highest scoring seasons (including playoffs) on catch-and-shoot three-pointers. Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings 14. The best point guard in the NBA will be an All-Star starter again, and for good reason. Edwards' firstseason may have come up just short of Rookie of the Year honors, but the former No. The veteran guard was spectacular in his first season with the Bucks as they captured their first title in 50 years. What they've been up to: Iguodala, who is the lone Lute Olson-coached Wildcat still playing in the NBA, is the highest-earning ex-Cat, making just over $185 . Curry is posting ridiculous numbers across the board, averaging 31.4 PPG on 51.8% from the field, 43.6% from three, and 90.7% from the free-throw line. Seven guards from each conference played in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. The Magic won't be very good, but there will be some entertaining Suggs highlights. As we continue to countdown to the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, which gets underway on 19 October, we are ranking the five best players in each conference across positions. The east has finally pulled itself together and is deeper than the west. Having played 32.6 MPG, the reigning MIP has . An All-Star for the 2nd time in his career, the 23-year-old is among the best guards in the league. Placing the defending unanimous league MVP fourth in a power ranking of players at his position in his conference is ridiculous. Coming up shy of the Conference Finals will leave Mitchell hungry for more this upcoming season. He is also a reliable three-point threat, shooting 40.2% from downtown last season and 39.8% over his eight-year NBA career. In Year 7, the young star guard will face loftier expectations than ever before, but if his season is anything like that playoff run, he'll only shine brighter as the stakes get higher. However, McCollum needs to be better than steady to make it to the next level of shooting guards. Even without a scoring title, there is no denying the ease in which Beal scores the rock. Lawson is a . There's a case to be made that Mitchell could have been in MVP conversations last year, and yet, the 25-year-old didn't even crack an All-NBA Team. PPG. Westbrook was a grenade with a loose pin dangling out during his one-and-a-half seasons in Los Angeles. Ja is scoring at a rate of 27.1 points per game this season, just off his career-high 27.4 he set during 2021-2022. The six-time All-Star missed his fifth consecutive game (strained right calf) on Wednesday, but the 32-year-old appeared to be back in All-Star form through his first 11 games. His nightly averages right now stand at 28.7 points, 12.5 assists, and 7.8 rebounds a game. Download App. Every NBA player in the league, sortable by conference and position, and organized alphabetically for optimal searching. His play was a huge reason why Miami went toe-to-toe with the Nuggets and the Heat noticed. But other than a historic night against the Pelicans, Curry just hasnt been as electric. Trae Young and Stephen Curry ranked among the best point guards in the Eastern and Western Conferences while James Harden took pole position among the shooting guards in the East. This is all definitely a concern for Ja Morant going forward. Example video title will go here for this video. Fans can vote for NBA All-Stars via the NBA App and NBA.com. Complete listing of all NBA Players and team rosters. The NBA released its first All-Star Game fan vote Thursday. Second-year players like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton are looking to further cement their place in the league following a strong rookie year, but so are first-year future stars like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green. From Nov. 9-22, Fox led Sacramento on a seven-game win streak, dropping 28 points or more in four of those contests. But with so much talent, its not entirely clear who the best ones out West truly are. The first WEST returns for #NBAAllStar 2023! In a new report that dropped on Wednesday, Morant is being charged with two additional disturbing encounters, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Last season, he upped that scoring average again, shot even more efficiently and also became one of the best clutch scorers in the league. But Gilgeous-Alexander is not content. His influence and impact on the game has certified his stance as a future Hall of Famer, and he continues to grow his game despite his advancement in age. They are 13-2 and have had numerous blowout wins. We now turn our attention to the five best shooting guards in the West. The Western Conference has an unlimited amount of great players with the back-to-back MVP of the league in the west as well as LeBron James, and the 2022 NBA Finals MVP Steph Curry. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. With the Grizzlies chasing their quest of being the #1 team in the Western Conference, the availability of Morant will be extremely crucial. That total trails only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15) and Doncic (14). Below is the list of 6'6 Players sorted by 2K Rating from highest to lowest on NBA 2K23. 9 ranked shooting guard, but don't be surprised if new head coach Ime Udoka deploys Smart as the starting point guard to begin the season. Bouyea's best game came against the Western Conference leader Denver Nuggets. The 2023 All-Star Game is scheduled for Feb. 19 in Utah. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. He has averaged a minimum of 20.8 ppg since 2015-16, going for a career-best 23.1 ppg in the 2020-21 NBA season. Los Angeles is firing on all cylinders. Heres a quick look at eight guards from the Western Conference that should figure prominently in the mix for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, listed alphabetically. The 23-year-old has a crafty floater and finishing package, a quick trigger from the outside and elite court vision. Whether its effort, low basketball IQ, rigidness, or the passage of time, these Anti-All Stars, the All-Nosebleeds, All-Asteroid team, or whatever you prefer to refer to them is populated with the NBAs least popular players. In 2015-16, Harden became the third player in league history to average 29 points, 7.5 assists, and six rebounds per game. Gilgeous-Alexander is just the second player in league history to rack up 30 points or more on at least 50% from the field in 10 of his first 14 games of a season. Irving's status could change by the minute, but for now, he is not included in this exercise. We're taking his word for it that he's played in Philly for the last time. In fact, they never got to a seventh game in three tries there. As Allen Iverson put it, Lillard is a "certified killer." On Thursday, the NBA revealed the first update of votes for the 2023 All-Star Game in Utah. Accordingly, he is currently first in the league in time possessing the basketball. Harden came into this season in the shape of his life and has reaped the benefits. Therefined shooting stroke he displayed in New Orleans should allow him to be an off-ball threat when DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine is running things. Sign up for the Warriors Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Hes a negative defender who gets tunnel vision pounding leather, which leads to an assist-turnover ratio thats 333rd in the league and a FiveThirtyEight RAPTOR score that ranks 229th in the Association. Prior to last season, many expected the Portland Trail Blazers to miss the playoffs and rebuild after losing four starters in the offseason. Doncic has undoubtedly been spectacular in 13 career postseason games, but the Clippers have eliminated the Mavs in back-to-back first-round matchups. 6 Mavericks. They received guard Spencer Dinwiddie, frontcourt player Dorian Finney-Smith, a future first-round draft pick and two second-round picks in return for Irving. Bane hasnt played since Nov. 11 as he continues to recover from a Grade 2 sprain of his right big toe suffered in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kyle Irving is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver Nuggets 13. APG. Their point differential is best in the league by three points. > 8 candidates to be All-Star guards in the East. The Blazers are 4-6 this season without Lillard and 19-44 under those circumstances going back to the start of 2021-22. But after missing the past two full seasons recovering from an ACL injury and an Achilles injury, respectively, what version of the 31-year-old will we see? The point differential is just five points on that list. Thompson has also never shot less than 40% from downtown. It's also worth mentioning three big names that do NOT appear below: Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray. With more weapons for opposing defenses to worry about, LaVine should be in line for a monster season and potentially, the first playoff berth of his career. Hes the Grizzlies player who initially sparked a beef with Shannon Sharpe at Staples Center, he injured Gary Payton III in the postseason, and he slapped Donovan Mitchell in the nuts. Thompson is expected to make his debut some time around Christmas, meaning he'll likely miss half of the season. If Portland resolves some of their issues, they will match or exceed last years success on the strength of their franchise player. Unlike other positions in basketball, point guards are usually specialists on the court, saddled with playmaking affairs on the court. Defensive lineups featuring Nowell are basically at a 4-on-5 disadvantage. Be the first one to comment on this story. The 32-years old has had a wonderful career in the league, being one of a select few players to have achieved a triple-double in consecutive seasons. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Grizzlies superstar point guard Ja Morant ranks third among all Western Conference guards in the NBA's first All-Star Game fan vote, released Thursday. The NBA is immersed in its golden age of point guards and the Western Conference has some of the best. When Phoenix eventually advanced to the NBA Finals, Booker stated his case for Finals MVP after scoring 40-plus points in Games 4 and 5, but coming up short of the title crushed those hopes. Depending on how much time he misses, Bane is probably one of the frontrunners to win Kia NBA Most Improved Player (he finished fifthin last seasons voting for the award). While some people will nitpick Westbrook, he has been an absolute force this year and is having a truly special season. He rises to the occasion when the game is on the line, as he led the league in clutch points last seasonwhile shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc in clutch time. Young made a leap in Year 3, guiding the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals by posting 28.8 points and 9.5 assists in 16 playoff games. Oklahoma City is eighth in the Western Conference shooting 36.2% from downtown, led by Jaylin Williams shooting 47.7% from 3-point range. 4 Phoenix Suns, a 3 -game lead over the No. 5 players found. Hayes is the Pistons' point guard on the depth chart, but Cade Cunningham will obviously be a huge part of the offense. Anyone following it has seen huge returns. Deron Williams, Dallas. He played in 28 minutes scoring 10 points on 4-8 FGA (2-4 3PA), and recording 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds. The point guard? 1 overall pick is destined for greatness. Hes shooting a career-best from three by four percent (44.3%) and is playing some of the best basketball of his career. But Damian Lillard didnt want to rebuild, so he brought his game to the next level, increasing his scoring by over four points per game. The Western Conferenceis one of two conferencesthat make up the National Basketball Association(NBA), the other being the Eastern Conference. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Rozier has been an awesome success story over the past few seasons, going from a reserveguard to a solidified starter in the NBA. And those people arent disappointed. None of this bodes well for the Grizzlies star, and there appears to be a pattern of behavior here that needs to be addressed. Given the nickname for his ability to deliver in clutch moments, Lillard has no doubt been one of the best point guards not only in the Western Conference but in the whole of the NBA. And even with that being said, the Celtics' captain posted career-highs with 13.1 points and 5.7 assists per game last season,coming into his own as a playmaker. The 35-year-old may no longer be at his athletic peak, but Lowrystill does all of the little things to help his team win. Western Conference Point Guard Power Rankings: 11. We're talking about future Hall of Famerswho have not only enjoyedruns of sustained success, but also changed how we view what a point guard can be. Chris Paul isnt ready to hand the West over without a fight. Already arguably the most complete point guard in league history, his improved shooting could have brought his game to a new level. Health concerns aside he did get banged up towardthe end of the season the longtime floor general is coming off a season in which he earned his first career All-Star nod and thus shed the moniker of "best player never to make an All-Star team.". Paolo Banchero leads the way as the Kia Rookie of the Year chase begins to head for the finish line. Jason Kidd, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson are notable names on a long list of guards with stellar NBA careers. ET. Doing so on a Washington team without many other weapons makes what Beal is doing all that much more commendable. The Warriors trailed by as many as 23 points but rallied to complete their biggest comeback of the season, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 123-105 at Chase . The downside is hes been a weight around the Clippers necks offensively. Key Subtractions: Carlik Jones, Moses Wright, Justin Jackson Much of the team that earned the Legends their first-ever playoff berth last season has departed, with none more important than point. Fans of the NBA will look back at this era and wonder just how so many great players ended up playing against each other in the same conference. Look no further than Bullock whose minimal intensity on the defensive end is matched by a lack of ability to do anything other than chuck treys. Above all, nobody can say that hedoesnt deserve to be MVP this year. Luka Doncic, De'Aaron Fox, Ja Morant,Trae Young and more have already put their talent on display early in their careers, and now they are looking to take over the NBA. The Warriors are 19-11-1 ATS at home, not to mention 24-7 straight up. From making his maiden trip to the NBA Finals to winning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Booker has been on a roll. All rights reserved. Follow us onFacebookandTwitter! Seven guards from each conference played in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. The NBA has been the host to many world-class point guards. Take a look back at each of the NBA All-Star Game's MVP winners. Their time will come. As the early flameouts mounted, the basketball universe wondered why Lillard wasn't doing what many stars were - banding together to create what . Hes a serial offender perpetually walking the line between irritant and combatant. Naturally, you would expect dropoff from a team missing three starters for so long. Spoiler alert: expect Booker to rise in the next Kia Race to the MVP Ladder. Thus far this season, Damian Lillard has improved again. When hes off the floor, Houston defends 8.8 points per 100 possessions better. Morant has more than 915,000 votes as of Thursday, trailing only Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic. Curry recorded an outstanding 42.1% of his shots from beyond the arc, further establishing his position as the greatest shooter of all time. He is largely credited with changing interpretation of the point guard role and the offensive structure of the game. The Western Conference has ruled over the Eastern Conference for the better part of the last three decades. The player saw a slow start in his final year with the Washington Wizards, where he struggled with injury, hitting his lowest career point since his early NBA days. Eyebrows were raised when the Hornets gave Rozier a $57 million deal over three years in the summer of 2019.