Who is the Third Best Point Guard in the NBA?

Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic have solidifed themseslves as the top two point guards in the NBA with their stellar play over the last few years. However, there seems to not be this same consensus over who the third best point guard is. With a week of the NBA season underway, I’ll be going over five players who I believe to be strong candidates for this title.

Damian Lillard

Stats as of 11/5: 31.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.6 apg, 67.1% ts

Lillard disappointed many fans last season as he only played half the season due to a lingering abdominal injury and looked mediocre in those games. This year, Lillard looks like the previous version of himself that was viewed as the consensus second best point guard in the league. He’s gotten off to a firey start, leading the Blazers to a 4-1 record (they were undefeated before he left their last game early due to injury.) While the efficiency will likely drop, Lillard has proven that his time dominating the league isn’t close to being over. He remains one of the league’s best scorers and playmakers and will likely find himself in MVP conversations if he can muster a respectable record with this Blazers roster.

James Harden

stats as of 11/5: 22.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 10.0 apg, 59.1% ts

Similar to Dame, Harden is another veteran superstar who is returning to his standards of play after an injury-riddled season. Harden is not the 35 PPG scorer he was in Houston, but he’s looking like the elite playmaker he was in his first year in Brooklyn. After having a full offseason to heal his hamstring, there’s a night and day difference between his quickness this season and last season. Harden’s also added the mid-range shot to his arsenal this season, an element that he lost in Houston. Harden plays with so much control and poise, and it feels like every time he has the ball, he creates a good look. This year, Harden has proven to be an efficient secondary scoring option while looking like one of the best guards when it comes to actually running an offense.

Trae Young

Stats as of 11/5: 28.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 9.4 apg, 52.6% ts

There’s not much to be said about Trae Young that hasn’t already been said. Trae’s stats are down across the board this year, most notably in efficiency, but it is to be expected as he adjusts to playing alongisde Dejounte Murray, another lead guard. By himself, he can make a team into an elite offensive team, being one of the best scorers and playmakers in the league. The question with Trae, however, has always been his defense. While bad guard defense can be hidden, Trae’s defense is such a detriment to the point where it drags down his team signficantly, and that has not changed much this year. If Trae can take the leap on defense and become a normal below-average defender, this spot may comfortably be his.

Ja Morant

stats as of 11/5: 29.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.0 apg, 63.2 ts%

Ja has picked up where he left off last season, continuing to play at an MVP level for this Grizzlies team that’s without arguably their second-best player. Ja has also made noticeable improvements in many of the weak areas of his game, most noticeably his three-point shooting. Ja is shooting a blazing 50.0% from three this year. That’s obviously going to come back to earth, but if Ja can shoot above 37% this year, he becomes even more deadly. Ja is one of the best scorers in the league, getting into the paint whenever he wants and finishing at an absurdly high rate. He combines this rim-pressure with an amazing ability to pass the ball, making him both one of the best scorers in the league as well as one of the best playmakers. Don’t be surprised to see him in the running for MVP if the Grizzlies can replicate their regular-season success from last year.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

stats as of 11/5: 30.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.9 APG, 62.5% ts

Shai being on this list may be a surprise to some, but to those that have watched him over the past two years, this is just the caliber of player he is. Similar to Ja, Shai is one of the best scorers in the league who can get to the paint whenever he wants. Shai has also constantly been improving his passing and decision-making ability, which he uses to supplement the defensive attention he gets, making him one of the best playmakers in the league as well. What makes Shai’s statline even more impressive is his situation, as this young Thunder team that struggles in shooting the ball is not exactly built for his needs. Even with this, Shai is far from a “good stats, bad team” player that some people make him out to be. He’s lead this young Thunder team to a .500 record while other tanking teams are at the bottom of their conferences. Shai’s also taken a huge leap on the defensive end this year, being laser-focused and finally using his long wingspan to become a borderline lockdown defender. Shai has been playing at an MVP level so far, and he should add some accolades under his belt this year.

Conclusion

The huge number of players in the second tier of point guards this season is truly astounding. All five of these players each have a solid argument for being the third best point guard in the league, and while I didn’t rank them, I truly believe there is no wrong way to rank them and that I myself couldn’t come to a conclusion on how to go about that.