Point guard has been the emerging position in the NBA for the last few years. An influx of athletic, score-first point guards have changed the style of NBA play and this trend isn't about to stop. In this article, a "young" point guard is one drafted in 2008 or later. There are a dozen names that were considered, but these are the five that made the cut.
5. John Wall
Okay, so he's on a horrible team and hasn't played at all this year, but can anyone deny his ability? His baseline to baseline speed is astonishing and only Rose and Westbrook are as athletic. Shooting is the one issue and that is fixable. His miserable sub-10% from three last year will go up once he gets back on the court. Before hurting his knee this preseason, Wall made the smartest move of his career. He hired trainer Rob McClanaghan this summer. And yes, McClanaghan, is the guy who improved Rose, Westbrook and Kevin Love in the summer of 2010. The Wiz are having a rough year, but once back Wall will make them a much more competitive and respectable team.
4. Stephen Curry
His ankles are healthy this year and Curry is doing great things for the Dubs. He is back up around 20 PPG and leading a Golden State team that is thinking playoffs. Coming out of Davidson, Curry answered skeptics who said he couldn't play point in the NBA. He's not a great athlete, but his passing has improved and his shooter's touch is as natural as it gets.
3. Kyrie Irving
Even though he has had multiple injuries since college, Irving is clearly a star in the making. He's just a prototypical modern point guard with his size, speed and shooting ability. Irving's Cavs are probably two years away from winning a playoff series, but there is not doubt around the league that he can carry a team. The guy is 20 years old and averaging 20 points a game. Not bad, young man. Not bad at all.
2. Russell Westbrook
Westbrook's career will be known for playing second fiddle, so number two seems appropriate here. Of all the players on this list, he is the hardest to rank for that reason. At the end of the day though, Westbrook has so much going for him. He's a physical freak who is a top-ten scorer in the league. Yeah, his shot selection could be better, but the Thunder would be worse off without him.
1. Derrick Rose
Not gonna punish him for being hurt this season. He's the only young point guard who's won MVP. Rose is the Bulls. No fan base loves a player like Chi-town loves Rose and that's because he's a winner. Sure, guys like Curry or Irving would be thrilled to lead their team to the playoffs, but Rose is only 24 and his mindset is ring or bust. He lead Chicago to two straight top seeds in the East and as long as he's on the floor, the Bulls will be a top-three team in the conference.
Five who missed the cut and why.
-Ty Lawson- Turnover prone, surrounded by similar talent on a deep team.
-Ricky Rubio- Need to see more scoring and a playoff appearance.
-Damian Lillard- Sample size, or lack there of.
-Eric Bledsoe- Good production, poor minutes. Welcome to a Del Negro coached team.
-Jeremy Lin- Just kidding! He wasn't considered.
-Jrue Holiday- Improved every year. Has size and athleticism. Playoff tested. Underrated. Bynum's presence could boost his stock.
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