Banner Town Offseason Point Guard Rankings (2020-2021)
The writers at Banner Town have decided to come together and rank the best players in the NBA going into next season. With not much else going on in the world of basketball, this is the perfect time to go over last season and think about who the best players will be next year.
For this survey, we asked seven writers at Banner Town to submit their top 15 point guards going into next year. Injured players who are set to make a comeback were to be included (I.E. Stephen Curry, John Wall, etc.). Those rankings were then added up and divided by seven to get each player’s average rank, creating a fairly decided top ten list. A player who was not on one writer’s list would be denoted a score of 20 to be averaged with each other writer’s rank. Here are the results:
1. Damian Lillard (Average Rank: 1.86)
Lillard is coming off of what seems like one of the most underappreciated seasons in recent history. He averaged 30 points a night along with eight assists and four rebounds. Those numbers are scarily close to what James Harden put up in his MVP season, and yet Lillard didn’t even finish in the top three. A lot of that has to do with team success, which is understandable, but Lillard’s accomplishments in the bubble propelled his rank even higher. He was arguably the best player in Orlando and that’s a big reason why he tops the list of best point guards going into next season here at Banner Town.
2. Luka Doncic (Average Rank: 2.57)
Speaking of spectacular bubble performances, Doncic was astounding in Orlando. The second-year phenom carried the Mavericks throughout the seeding games and even managed to take the heavily favored Clippers to six games. At only 21 years old, the Slovenian guard has made a league-wide name for himself in his first two seasons. Some people are ready to deem him the best player in the league as soon as LeBron James retires, and honestly, they might be right to do so. If Doncic can improve his defense, there is nothing stopping him from dominating this league. He earned the number two spot in these rankings, and it would not surprise any of us here at Banner Town if he were to be number one by the end of the season.
3. Stephen Curry (Average Rank: 2.71)
Curry is one of the more interesting players to rank on this list. He struggled in the few games he did play in the previous season but ended up missing a large majority of the year. That being said, it’s hard to discredit the years of work Curry has put in. I mean, the guy’s won three titles, two MVPs, and is regarded as the greatest shooter of all time. If he’s going to be back at full health next season he’s going to be one of the best players in the NBA, let alone the best point guards.
4. Kyrie Irving (Average Rank: 5)
Being based in Boston, you can imagine how hard it was for most of us here at Banner Town to rank Irving so high, but that should just be a testament to his talent. Irving is one of the craftiest players in the league and is about to be a part of yet another contending organization. He and Kevin Durant are poised to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Irving start in the All-Star game as he did during his time in Boston. He can score, he can pass, and boy can he dribble. He very much deserves a top-five spot on this list.
5. Chris Paul (Average Rank: 5.29)
They say things get better with age, and Paul is one of the best examples of that statement. The 35-year-old point guard was traded to Oklahoma City last season for Russell Westbrook, and many thought that he would be traded at some point throughout the year. Instead, Paul made the All-Star game, led the Thunder to the playoffs, and proved why he is still one of the best guards in the NBA. His defense and passing are amazing, but his best quality just might be his leadership. There are some trade rumors in the works, but no matter where he ends up, Paul’s impact will be enormous.
6. Russell Westbrook (Average Rank: 7.14)
One spot below the man he was traded for, Westbrook sees a fairly large dropoff in his rank from last season due to some questionable play in the playoffs. While the end of the regular season showed us that Westbrook still has the complete capability to be a dominant force in the league, he countered that point bu struggling to produce in the playoffs. Not only did he fail to produce, but his decision making was extremely poor at times. That being said, it’s unfair to judge him solely on that, therefore he still easily cracks the top ten point guards, with much room to improve throughout the course of next season.
T7. Kemba Walker (Average Rank: 8.29)
There was a tie for seventh place in our rankings at Banner Town, with our very own home town guard Walker being a part of that tie. People forget that Walker started in the All-Star game this past year, and despite some struggles in the playoffs, was consistently solid for the Celtics. Just because he took a backseat to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, doesn’t mean he’s not still one of the top point guards in the NBA. When he needs to Walker and score at will and is easily one of the best mid-range scorers in the league. He’s prepared to do whatever it takes to help his team win, and that’s what makes him one of the best.
T7. Jamal Murray (Average Rank: 8.29)
Murray is one of the players who’s stock raised the most from his bubble play. The man helped lead the Nuggets to a Western Conference Finals berth and was almost a part of the 50-40-90 club whilst doing so. All of that comes off the back of a historical first-round matchup against Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz. The young, budding superstar is poised for a breakout year next season and hopes to keep the Nuggets in contention as the competition in the Western Conference gets even stiffer with the Warriors returning to full-strength. Regardless, he very much earned a spot in the top ten point guards going into next year.
9. Trae Young (Average Rank: 8.86)
Young made noise in his second year in the league, making the All-Star team and even starting. Although the Hawks were unable to put together a successful season, they are primed to make a real run at the playoffs next year. With Young leading the charge as one of the best shooters in the NBA, Atlanta is in a great place for the foreseeable future. With a combination of elite passing and elite shooting, Young’s offensive game is so polished at such a young age. If he can improve on the defensive end, he could easily be one of the league’s best.
10. Ben Simmons (Average Rank: 9.14)
Rounding out the top ten is Simmons. Simmons is a very unique talent at 6’10”, and has proven to be one of the league’s best defenders. There was some serious conversation as to whether or not he could have been the Defensive Player of the Year, and it wouldn’t surprise us here at Banner Town if he ends up being the first guard to win that award since Gary Payton. The one thing holding Simmons back, however, is a lack of a jump shot. If he can even manage to shoot a little below league average from three, he would be one of the top players in the NBA.
Others Receiving Votes: Ja Morant (11.29), De’Aaron Fox (11.29), Kyle Lowry (11.71), D’Angelo Russell (13.57), John Wall (17.29), Malcolm Brogdon (18.43), Eric Bledsoe (18.43), Spencer Dinwiddie (18.57), Derrick Rose (19), Dejounte Murray (19), Lonzo Ball (19.14)
Make sure to comment your thoughts and rankings down below!
