Top 30 NBA Point Guards

For my induction into the Basketball Society I decided to do a Top 30 ranking of NBA Point Guards. This was not a case where every team was represented (Knicks), but a general Top 30 list. This is not a ranking on entire careers, so don't expect Steve Nash on my list. He's definitely a Hall of Famer, but he's arguably the 3rd best PG on his team AT THE MOMENT. Some things I took into consideration were stats, winning, defense (not just steal totals), clutch factor, and importance to the team. All the stats are for the 2013-2014 season through the date of 2/5/2014. I will also give a brief summary of why I put them where they are.

30. Jameer Nelson - 13.3 PPG, 6.7 APG, 3.5 RPG, 37.4 3P%, 14.7 PER

I have never been a big Nelson fan, but he is quietly having a solid season, and the fact that he hasn't lost the starting PG spot to Victor Oladipo shows that he is having a pretty good all around season.

29. Mario Chalmers - 9.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 38.5 3P%, 14.6 PER

Mario Chalmers is not even a Top 5 point guard on NBA 2k14, but he is ideal for the Miami scheme: He can hit the open shots, hustles, solid defense, can throw a lob pass, and can be yelled at and not cry afterwards.

28. Brandon Knight - 16.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 15.9 PER

Now, most people hear Brandon Knight's name and think of the 4 week stretch last year where he was crossed, dunked on, blew a wide open, game tying layup by airballing, and getting completely destroyed on a pick in the open floor, but he has quietly improved. He's always been a solid spot up shooter, solid on-ball defender, and they're not many PGs with more heart than him.

27. Reggie Jackson - 13.5 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 15.6 PER

Reggie Jackson is the best full-time bench PG in the league (no one can seriously think he's gonna start over Westbrook) he's a pretty damn good scorer, and he's been amazing as a injury replacement for OKC (which I didn't think he could do so I was wrong).

26. Ricky Rubio - 8.5 PPG, 8.3 APG, 4.6 RPG, 2.6 SPG, 15.2 PER

Ricky Rubio is a PG in the 2000's Steve Nash mode as far as flashiness and passing ability, but he is a god awful shooter. It hurts his team at teams and it seems like he has gotten worse. He does manage to get a lot of steals for someone who isn't known for defense.

25. Jose Calderon - 11.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.2 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 44.1 3P%, 15.3 PER

Calderon is one of the best shooting players in recent NBA history. His assists are way down but that is due to the amazing development of Monta Ellis, which i'm sure Calderon had a hand in.

24. Trey Burke - 12.7 PPG, 5.6 APG, 3.2 RPG, 12.9 PER

Burke shook off an early injury and has made a big difference for the Jazz. It's still a shock that he fell as far s he did but he is still Top 5 in ROY voting and should dominate in the Rising Stars Game.

23. Jeremy Lin - 13.4 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.6 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 15.0 PER

Gone are the days of Linsanity, but Jeremy Lin is still a solid starter/6th man for the Rockets. He can still get to the hole when needed, and having Dwight Howard has helped with some of his offensive and defensive mistakes.

22. George Hill - 10.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 37.4 3P%, 13.8 PER

To be a PG and average only 3.3 APG is unacceptable, but Indiana doesn't need him to be a playmaker. Indiana needs him for what he does best: defend. Hill is maybe the best on-ball PG defender in the NBA and despite his low stats, is very important to Indiana and whatever success they will have this year.

21. Brandon Jennings - 17.2 PPG, 8.1 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 16.6 PER

Jennings is the lead man on my team, the Pistons. He is actually having a career year, and rarely has a bad game. That being sad, on defense, he phones it in at times, and God forbid someone scores on him because he takes it personally (in a bad way). And for someone with a gunner reputation, he shoots 39%. Overall. For his career. Yikes.

20. Kemba Walker - 18.4 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 35.3 3P%, 17.6 PER

"Cardiac" Kemba was having a great season before suffering an ankle injury (that he recently returned from) and he also gets the title for best draft selection by a team ran by Michael Jordan. He has improved his shooting and defense and is a leader on a surprise Charlotte team.

19. Mike Conley - 18.0 PPG, 6.3 APG, 2.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 36.9 3P%, 21.3 PER

Mike Conley is a very good point guard. The fact that he is ranked this low shows the amazing depth at the position in today's NBA. If George Hill is the best on-ball defender at the position, then Conley is a close #2, and he has improved offensively.

18. Jrue Holiday - 14.3 PPG, 7.9 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 39.0 3P%, 17.4 PER

Holiday was having a good season coming off of his career year last year before he was injured a while back. He is shooting and scoring less but is shooting at better percentages and is one of the best 23 or younger PGs in the league.

17. Michael Carter-Williams - 17.2 PPG, 6.6 APG, 5.4 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 16.5 PER

Barring something drastic, MCW will be the ROY this season. He is putting up numbers that are not common for rookie point guards in today's era, and he will be the leader of a Philadelphia playoff appearance in the 2014-15 season (I'm calling it now).

16. Deron Williams - 13.5 PPG, 6.9 APG, 2.4 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 40.2 3P%, 17.4 PER

Remember when Chris Paul vs Deron Williams used to be a debate? Yeah....2008 was great. Williams is nothing more than a serviceable PG that can turn back the clock at times. Right now, he's in the 6th man role in Brooklyn, partially due to production and durability.

15 & 14. Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe - 20.1 PPG, 6.0 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 39.2 3P%, 22.3 PER (GD) 18.0 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 35.0 3P%, 19.9 PER (EB)

I really found it unfair to pick one of these over the other so I put them in the same spot. They are one and the same. Yes, Dragic is having the better season, but before Bledsoe injured his knee, these two literally had damn near identical stats in every category. They make a very good 2 headed guard tandem (very undersized however), and they have led Phoenix to being THE surprise team in the NBA this year. Add 4 draft picks and this team may become a powerhouse very soon.

13. Jeff Teague - 15.9 PPG, 7.4 APG, 2.7 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 16.3 PER

Teague is a above average defender with long arms, and offensively, he has surprise hops and will dunk on you if you let him. He also seems to have Atlanta in the playoffs every year, no matter the talent.

12. Isaiah Thomas - 20.0 PPG, 6.2 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 37.3 3P%, 21.1 PER

I already know that I will be harassed about this pick here and I am fully prepared for it, but there are not many point guards in the league right now better than Isaiah Thomas. He's a 5'9 PG who can shoot the ball, score in the paint, and leads a team with Rudy Gay and Boogie Cousins on it. He also is an ok defender for his size, he can score in the clutch, and now that he is a full time starter, receiving 30+ minutes a game, he could possibly sneak into the Top 10.

11. Ty Lawson - 18.1 PPG, 8.9 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 35.0 3P%, 20.0 PER

It seems like you never hear Ty Lawson's name of the things that he does, but he is a very good PG. He shooting percentages are down across the board but he is also averaging a career high in points. He is getting to the free throw line over 2 more times per game than at any point in his career and it shows. And he's also one of few point guards to be averaging 16/8/3 on the season.

10. Kyle Lowry - 16.6 PPG, 7.5 APG, 4.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 39.4 3P%, 20.0 PER

Lowry is probably the most underrated player in the league (it is debatable), and he is definitely the biggest all-star snub. Lowry is a decent rebounder for his size, a very good shooter and passer, an underrated team leader, and is slowly becoming one of my favorite players to watch in the league. Only reason he is this low is because I couldn't exactly say I would take him over anybody that is ahead of him.

9. Damian Lillard - 20.6 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.7 RPG, 40.5 3P%, 18.8 PER

Lillard has earned best PG in the league hype (he's not) for his ability to always show up in the clutch. What Lillard is at this moment is a great PG that shoots (and makes) enough threes to where he could possibly challenge Steph Curry's 3pointers made record in the near future.

8. Kyrie Irving - 21.4 PPG, 6.2 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 35.4 3P%, 18.9 PER

Kyrie is a great young PG with AMAZING handles (ask Brandon Knight), good (yet inconsistent) court vision, a clutch factor, but poor durability, which is why I can't put him higher on my list.

7. Derrick Rose - 15.9 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.2 RPG, 10.0 PER

Rose was having a terrible year coming off of his torn ACL before he suffered another major knee injury. I won't say much, because we all know what type of player that he is when he is fully healthy.

6. John Wall - 20.0 PPG, 8.5 APG, 4.4 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 20.2 PER

Wall is much improved, and he is showing that the max contract that he signed is well earned. His only major weakness (shooting) is not that big of a weakness anymore. He is a complete PG.

5. Steph Curry - 24.3 PPG, 9.1 APG, 4.4 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 40.2 3P%, 23.3 PER

Steph may be the best shooter in NBA history. This year, he actually improved on his numbers and upped his APG by 2. If he played a little bit better defense, he would maybe be the best PG in the league.

4. Tony Parker - 18.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 2.3 RPG, 50.5 FG%, 20.1 PER

It has never really been about the individual stats for Parker. He is year in and year out a consistent 18 and 6 player on a yearly 50 win team. He can score when needed, and is the best inside scoring PG in the league.

3. Rajon Rondo - 8.4 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.8 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 11.7 PER

It's hard to judge Rondo on his stats this year as he has recently returned from a torn ACL. When completely healthy, you can pencil him in for 10/10/5 every single night and he'd rarely fall under that. Also, for someone who has shooting as his weakness, Rondo tends to hit the important jumpers. And he is a SNEAKY rebounder. It feels like you never see him actually grab a rebound but then you see the box score and he has 12.

2. Russell Westbrook - 23.3 PPG, 7.6 APG, 6.5 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 21.6 PER

Russ is one of if not the best all around point guard in the league. He scores (a lot), he rebounds (a lot), he passes (not enough, for some people), he's a high-flyer, he defends, and he's usually durable (his knee injury was caused by someone else).

1. Chris Paul- 19.6 PPG, 11.2 APG, 4.6 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 35.6 3P%, 27.4 PER

Just gonna keep this short: One of Chris Paul's nicknames is The Point God. Enough Said.

This list was compiled and written by Azevia Craft (@tryna_be_famous), member of The Basketball Society.