The Top 24 point guards for the 2023-24 season

As we start to approach the tip-off of the 2023-24 season, we thought it’d be a fun preview if we started a positional ranking series ahead of the campaign.

Today, we begin by ranking the NBA’s top floor generals, a position that is loaded with talent, including a potential 2023-24 league MVP candidate atop the list. Even outside of the Top 5, there are All-NBA candidates, potential All-Stars and future Hall-of-Famers on this list, as well as some exciting up-and-comers.

With 24 players to get to, let’s jump right into our ranking of the Top 24 point guards for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Veteran floor general Spencer Dinwiddie had a solid bounce-back campaign last season, staying healthy (he played in 79 of the season’s 82 games) and providing both the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets with good scoring and playmaking, albeit the former was lacking some in efficiency. Regardless, you know what you’re getting in Dinwiddie – a lead guard with elite size, solid off-the-dribble scoring from the midrange, some three-point prowess, versatile defense and good vision. As such, we expect more of the same in 2023-24 from Dinwiddie as he looks to lead a solid Nets squad back into the playoffs while playing with a few other players who will make their respective positional ranking lists in the coming weeks.

2022-23 stats: 17.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 6.5 apg, 0.8 spg, 43.8 FG% in 79 games
2023-24 salary: $20,357,143 (projected 73rd overall in salary)

For more on Spencer Dinwiddie, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

D’Angelo Russell (LA Lakers)

Another midseason 2022-23 trade acquisition, D’Angelo Russell provided the Los Angeles Lakers with a huge spark upon joining the team thanks to his reliable scoring and playmaking, as well as his knack for picking up steals. Sure, his playoff numbers – 13.3 points and 4.6 assists per game on 42.6 percent shooting – were not great, but overall, his addition helped the Lakers surge in the second half of 2022-23 and become legitimate contenders to win the West, as the purple and gold got all the way to the Western Conference Finals. Now, with a full offseason to acclimate with the team, Russell may have an even bigger impact, although he’ll have to fight off free-agent pickup Gabe Vincent for a starting role on the team. We’re confident he’ll be able to do just that and post another good season in 2023-24.

2022-23 stats: 17.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.0 spg, 46.9 FG% in 71 games
2023-24 salary: $17,307,693 (projected 94th overall in salary)

For more on D’Angelo Russell, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

By far the most awkward move of the offseason saw Chris Paul end up on the Golden State Warriors after a bitter rivalry between the legendary point guard and dynastic Warriors, one that hasn’t been forgotten about – at least not by Draymond Green. Even from purely a basketball standpoint, this fit is far from perfect, as Paul is a pick-and-roll maestro while the current iteration of the Warriors has been hesitant to run all that much traditional pick-and-roll. (Golden State ranked third-to-last in the frequency of plays ended by a pick-and-roll ball-handler last season.) Paul proved in 2022-23 he’s still got something left in the tank, dishing out nearly nine assists nightly while swiping away one-and-one-half possessions per game, but how will that fit on the Warriors, playing behind a player who will rank near the top of this very ranking? If not for all this uncertainty surrounding his new team situation, Paul might have ranked higher on this list himself.

2022-23 stats: 13.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 8.9 apg, 1.5 spg, 44.0 FG% in 59 games
2023-24 salary: $30,800,000 (projected 43rd overall in salary)

For more on Chris Paul, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Seventh-year point guard Derrick White has been a hugely important piece for the Boston Celtics since joining the team ahead of the 2021-22 trade deadline, providing Boston with elite defense and solid scoring as a slasher and pull-up midrange attacker. White will have an even bigger role with the Celtics in 2023-24 following the surprising departure of Marcus Smart, who just missed the cut for a place in this ranking, but we expect the former Colorado standout to handle his new workload well, as he can provide the Celtics with similar point-stopping to Smart while being more efficient on offense. In fact, White’s impressive 2023 playoff performance, including his game-winning buzzer-beater in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, was probably part of why Boston felt comfortable trading Smart in the first place.

2022-23 stats: 12.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.9 apg, 0.9 bpg, 46.2 FG% in 82 games
2023-24 salary: $18,357,143 (projected 87th overall in salary)

For more on Derrick White, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

A midseason move from one Los Angeles team to the other might have added a few years to Russell Westbrook‘s NBA career, as who knows what might have happened had he not played so well after joining the Clippers. Westbrook’s Lakers tenure prior to that did not go well, to put it mildly, but as a Clipper, he was able to play more on the ball and prove that he’s still got enough left to help a team win. In particular, Westbrook shined in the playoffs, where he put up 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists on 41.0 percent shooting, albeit just in five games. It’ll be interesting to see if Westbrook’s impact takes a hit again when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are fully back in the fold in 2023-24. Even so, on a cheap contract, Westbrook could be hugely valuable for L.A. next season.

2022-23 stats: 15.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 7.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 43.6 FG% in 73 games
2023-24 salary: $3,835,738 (projected 278th overall in salary)

For more on Russell Westbrook, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

A young and exciting point guard, Josh Giddey is already one of the best rebounders for his position in the league, averaging nearly eight boards nightly for his career thus far. He’s also a flashy playmaker, with a great knack for finding open teammates and a creative ability to get the ball where it needs to go. The one area in which he’s lacking is as a shooter, though he has shown some improvement in that facet, going from a paltry 26.3 three-point percentage as a rookie to 32.5 percent from deep as a second-year player in 2022-23. He also doesn’t have elite burst but makes up for it thanks to a crafty ball handle and good instincts for navigating picks.

2022-23 stats: 16.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 6.2 apg, 0.8 spg, 48.2 FG% in 76 games
2023-24 salary: $6,587,040 (projected 208th overall in salary)

One of the most promising point guards to reach the NBA in quite some time, 2023 No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the intention of him becoming the team’s next franchise cornerstone floor general. Henderson’s outside jumper is a work in progress but besides that, he’s an outstanding prospect – a lead guard with tenacity, top-notch speed and athleticism, two-way toughness, lateral quickness and solid playmaking skills. He’s also already showing he’s got a reliable pull-up and step-back jumper from the midrange, indicating he should one day be – at worst – a solid three-point shooter. The future is bright for Henderson and he should be one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year in 2023-24.

2023-24 salary: $9,770,904 (projected 162nd overall in salary)

For more on Scoot Henderson, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham is coming off a campaign that lasted just 12 games due to a stress fracture in his shin but is now fully healthy, as the third-year guard is set to suit up for the USA Basketball Select Team this summer, the squad charged with practicing and scrimmaging against the USA Basketball 1st Team ahead of the World Cup in late August. Cunningham has elite size for a point guard and can do a bit of everything –  be it score, rebound and create. The issues so far in his NBA career, besides injuries, have been related to his efficiency, as his outside jumper has been porous (career 30.9 percent from three) and his finishing around the basket (53.6 percent on shots within five feet of the basket last season) has likewise been lacking. Still, Cunningham is a player with a lot of promise, and we expect a solid bounce-back campaign for the former Oklahoma State standout in 2023-24.

2022-23 stats: 19.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 6.0 apg, 0.8 spg, 41.5 FG% in 12 games
2023-24 salary: $11,055,360 (projected 139th overall in salary)

For more on Cade Cunningham, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

After seven successful seasons with the Toronto Raptors, including one All-Star campaign and one championship earned, Fred VanVleet will suit up with the Houston Rockets for the first time in 2023-24 after securing a huge payday this past free agency. VanVleet put up solid numbers in 2022-23 but his efficiency was quite lacking, something that might not improve on a Rockets team in 2023-24 where he’ll have an even brighter green light. What’s more, he’ll be getting paid like a Top 15 player next campaign when his production does not match that level of pay. Regardless, VanVleet is one of the league’s most tenacious point guards, who plays with a lot of activity on both ends and who can put up big numbers consistently, so at least individually, he should have a solid 2023-24 campaign.

2022-23 stats: 19.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.8 spg, 39.3 FG% in 69 games
2023-24 salary: $40,806,300 (projected 14th overall in salary)

For more on Fred VanVleet, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee)

Two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday maintained his status as one of the top two-way point guards in the league last season, remaining an elite one-on-one defender while still putting up over 19 points and seven assists on a nightly basis. The playoffs were not quite as successful for the former UCLA standout, though Holiday is hardly solely at fault for the Milwaukee Bucks –  the No. 1 seed in the East last year – getting eliminated in five games by the Miami Heat in Round 1. We expect to see more of the same high level of play from Holiday in 2023-24, as he remains in his prime and hasn’t shown much age-related regression as of yet.

2022-23 stats: 19.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 7.4 apg, 1.2 spg, 47.9 FG% in 67 games
2023-24 salary: $36,861,707 (projected 23rd overall in salary)

For more on Jrue Holiday, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Darius Garland (Cleveland)

A flashy point guard with impressive outside shooting marks, especially considering the usual degree of difficulty on his shot attempts, Darius Garland should enter the 2023-24 season with a chip on his shoulder after missing out on All-Star honors last season despite earning the distinction in the campaign prior. Perhaps having to share so much of the backcourt load with star 2-guard Donovan Mitchell for the first time was the cause, but Garland’s numbers did seem to stagnate last season, as he went from 21.7 points per game to 21.6 and from 8.6 assists to 7.8 from his third campaign to his fourth. Regardless, Garland has already established himself as an All-Star-level point guard thanks to his great quickness, savvy ball-handling and three-point shooting ability, and 2023-24 should be more of the same for the former Vanderbilt Commodore.

2022-23 stats: 21.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 7.8 apg, 1.2 spg, 46.2 FG% in 69 games
2023-24 salary: $34,005,250 (projected 29th overall in salary)

For more on Darius Garland, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Kyrie Irving (Dallas)

Perhaps an underrating on our part, Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving put up huge numbers last season, splitting time between Dallas and Brooklyn after requesting a trade from the latter and landing with the former. If we were talking purely about basketball, Irving likely would have cracked the Top 10, if not the Top 5, of this list, as he remains an elite scorer and ball-handler with very efficient scoring marks. But there’s always the risk of something else popping up with Irving to stymie his production or get him off the floor altogether, making it difficult to project the best possible outcome for his first full season with the Mavericks in 2023-24. If Irving can last the full year in Dallas without at least requesting a trade, that would be a good step in the right direction for the eight-time All-Star.

2022-23 stats: 27.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 49.4 FG% in 60 games
2023-24 salary: $37,037,037 (projected 22nd overall in salary)

For more on Kyrie Irving, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Jalen Brunson (New York)

The point guard Irving more or less had to replace last season with the Mavericks, Jalen Brunson left Dallas in free agency last summer and joined the New York Knicks. Tasked with the huge expectations of being the Knicks’ next supposed savior at lead guard, Brunson responded by being just that, an elite floor general for New York, the best they’ve had in quite a long time. Brunson’s game improved even further in the playoffs when the stakes were higher, guiding the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13 behind postseason averages of 27.8 points and 5.6 assists over 11 playoff excursions. We expect another jump from Brunson in 2023-24, as his smooth lefty game, not all that reliant on athleticism, should continue to improve as he enters his prime. And the fact he won’t even be Top 50 in salary next season while performing at a level quite above that bodes well for the Knicks’ chances of making a run in the East.

2022-23 stats: 24.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.2 apg, 0.9 spg, 49.1 FG% in 68 games
2023-24 salary: $26,346,666 (projected 53rd overall in salary)

For more on Jalen Brunson, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

LaMelo Ball (Charlotte)

The always-exciting LaMelo Ball only saw action in 36 injury-riddled games last season, finally ending in late February due to an ankle fracture. Ball, the 2021 Rookie of the Year, is still somewhat of a difficult player to forecast, as injuries have often been an issue for him during his time in the NBA. When healthy, he’s a bombastic floor general who can hit shots from all over the floor with creative playmaking and who thrives running the fast break. But he’s not the most efficient scorer and doesn’t provide much in the way of defense, either. Can Ball become an impactful player whose production directly correlates to wins? Or is he just a fun-player-on-bad-team type? We believe it’s the former but for now, he just has to remain healthy. If he can do that in 2023-24, it should be another All-Star-level campaign for the youngest Ball brother.

2022-23 stats: 23.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 8.4 apg, 1.3 spg, 41.1 FG% in 36 games
2023-24 salary: $10,900,635 (projected 145th overall in salary)

For more on LaMelo Ball, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Jamal Murray (Denver)

There were many questions surrounding Jamal Murray entering the 2022-23 season, only logical considering he had missed the entirety of the previous campaign as he healed from a torn ACL injury. And his regular season, although solid, did leave some small level of doubt as to whether Murray could return to his previous elite postseason form once the playoffs rolled around. Murray silenced the doubters emphatically, though, playing second fiddle to Nikola Jokic’s mastery wonderfully, averaging 26.1 points and 7.1 assists over 20 postseason outings as the Denver Nuggets marched their way to the 2022-23 championship. Murray’s elite perimeter pull-up scoring and solid playmaking make him one of the scariest floor generals in the league when he gets his jumper going, as evidenced by his playoff run last year.

2022-23 stats: 20.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.0 spg, 45.4 FG% in 65 games
2023-24 salary: $33,833,400 (projected 32nd overall in salary)

For more on Jamal Murray, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

James Harden (Philadelphia)

One of the more difficult players on this ranking to project due to the uncertainty surrounding his future, will James Harden even be on the Philadelphia 76ers by the tip 2023-24 tips off? And if he is, will he be disgruntled or give an all-out effort? Or, will he get his wish and be a Clipper by the time next season rolls around? Harden led the league in assists last season while shooting a tidy 38.5 percent from three, proving he remains one of the league’s top creators, even if his scoring has taken a tad bit of hit as his athleticism has dwindled. But the former league MVP did put up yet another playoff dud in 2022-23, shooting 39.3 percent from the floor as the Sixers fell in the second round of the playoffs yet again. Time is running out for Harden to prove he can win a championship as one of his team’s top options.

2022-23 stats: 21.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 10.7 apg, 1.2 spg, 44.1 FG% in 58 games
2023-24 salary: $35,640,000 (projected 28th overall in salary)

For more on James Harden, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento)

Although he had been playing at around an All-Star level for a few seasons, De’Aaron Fox finally broke through and officially earned the distinction in 2022-23, also receiving 3rd Team All-NBA honors for the campaign. Fox was magnificent in 2022-23 in pretty much every facet outside of his three-point shooting. He ranked in the 85th percentile league-wide in points produced per possession as a pick-and-roll ball-handler while putting up 25 points and over six assists per contest, leading the Sacramento Kings back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06, breaking the longest active playoff drought in American pro sports. One of the fastest point guards in the NBA – if not the outright fastest – Fox has also learned to play with more control, which has helped him become a highly impactful and consistent player.

2022-23 stats: 25.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.1 apg, 1.1 spg, 51.2 FG% in 73 games
2023-24 salary: $32,600,060 (projected 37th overall in salary)

For more on De’Aaron Fox, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana)

No. 2 in the NBA in nightly assists last season, Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton turned in a fantastic campaign in 2022-23, earning All-Star honors in his first full season in Indiana. Haliburton is the complete package as a point guard; he’s an elite playmaker – one with flash in his passing – and an efficient scorer, both from three and from the short midrange. The former Iowa State standout has great touch near the basket and, despite his unorthodox shooting motion, is a high-level shooter from the outside, sinking 40.8 percent of his threes thus far in his career. He doesn’t need to have his feet set to knock down shots from beyond the arc, either, possessing an ability to hit deep shots off the dribble, too. The fact that the Pacers have him for one more season on his rookie-scale contract is borderline unfair; Haliburton will have one of the highest-value contracts in the league next year before his max extension kicks in the season after.

2022-23 stats: 20.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 10.4 apg, 1.6 spg, 49.0 FG% in 56 games
2023-24 salary: $5,808,435 (projected 223rd overall in salary)

For more on Tyrese Haliburton, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Trae Young (Atlanta)

One of the leading assist-getters from last season’s campaign, Trae Young was also a high-level scorer yet again for the Atlanta Hawks in 2022-23, with more of the same expected out of him in 2023-24. It’ll be particularly exciting to see how Young fares after a full offseason, training camp and preseason with new head coach Quin Snyder at the helm. It was well-documented how Young and previous head coach Nate McMillan didn’t have the best relationship, so with a proven leader like Snyder, Young might be able to take his game to another level. We saw a glimpse of that last postseason when Young led the Hawks into the playoffs by winning a play-in game at eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami and even took two games from the Celtics in round one, averaging 29.2 points and 10.2 assists in the first round of the playoffs.

2022-23 stats: 26.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 10.2 apg, 1.1 spg, 42.9 FG% in 73 games
2023-24 salary: $40,064,220 (projected 16th overall in salary)

For more on Trae Young, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Damian Lillard (Portland)

A lot of uncertainty surrounds seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard this offseason, as the future Hall-of-Famer finally – mercifully – requested a trade as soon as free agency opened up, one we are still waiting to find out if it will be granted by the Blazers or not. If Lillard ends up in Miami, as is his wish, will his numbers take a hit having to share the ball with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo? Probably, though a Big 3 of that level should be able to win a lot of games together, which is what Lillard more than likely covets at this point in his career. But if the Heat don’t offer the Blazers enough to land Lillard, will the former Weber State standout be happy to return to Portland and suit up for a rebuilding team yet again in 2023-24? Or might he land elsewhere? Regardless, no matter where he does play, we expect another season of elite performances out of Lillard, as he remains one of the best scorers not just at his position, but in the league overall.

2022-23 stats: 32.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 7.3 apg, 0.9 spg, 46.3 FG% in 58 games
2023-24 salary: $45,640,084 (projected 7th overall in salary)

For more on Damian Lillard, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Ja Morant (Memphis)

Set to miss the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season due to suspension, Ja Morant still cracks the Top 4 of this list and with good reason, considering the explosive point guard, off-court endeavors aside, is still one of the best players in the NBA every time he sets foot on the hardwood. Morant’s bounce is second to none at the point-guard position while his speed likewise ranks among the sport’s elite. His outside jumper did take a bit of a hit in 2022-23, with Morant sinking just 30.7 percent of his outside looks last season. If he can improve in that area, he could become truly unstoppable going forward.

2022-23 stats: 26.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 8.1 apg, 1.1 spg, 46.6 FG% in 61 games
2023-24 salary: $34,005,250 (projected 29th overall in salary)

For more on Ja Morant, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City)

25-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander heads into 2023-24 with a lot of momentum, coming off of an All-Star season – the first of his career – and 1st Team All-NBA honors after leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to within one game from a very unexpected playoff berth. Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the craftiest scorers in the league, often leaving opponents guessing as to which way he’s going to move next. He’s also elite at getting to the foul line, ranking third in nightly free-throw attempts (10.9) last season behind only league MVP Joel Embiid and All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, two big men who bully their way to shooting free throws. With such an elite short pull-up game and a solid-enough three-point stroke, Gilgeous-Alexander has become of the NBA’s very best players at just 25 years old. More big things should be ahead for the Canadian ball-handler in 2023-24.

2022-23 stats: 31.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 51.0 FG% in 68 games
2023-24 salary: $33,386,850 (projected 34th overall in salary)

For more on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Stephen Curry (Golden State)

Despite being fully in his mid-30s already, Warriors lead guard Stephen Curry is still one of the best players in basketball, an elite scorer from the outside (as well as from around the basket), a good rebounder for his position and a solid playmaker. Despite launching so many high-difficulty shot attempts nightly, Curry still shot nearly 50 percent from the floor last season, an underrated feat in what was a 2nd Team All-NBA season for the Golden State legend. Curry did miss a good amount of time due to injury in 2022-23, something we hope isn’t the case in 2023-24, as the former two-time league MVP is one of the most fun players to watch when he’s out there.

2022-23 stats: 29.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 6.3 apg, 0.9 spg, 49.3 FG% in 56 games
2023-24 salary: $51,915,615 (projected 1st overall in salary)

For more on Stephen Curry, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Luka Doncic (Dallas)

Individually, it was another incredible season for Luka Doncic in 2022-23, earning 1st Team All-NBA honors after ranking second league-wide in scoring and ninth in nightly assists. However, he did miss the playoffs for the first time since his rookie season, something that’s hard to blame him for considering what a loss Brunson proved to be. Plus, Doncic and Co. might have been able to sneak into the playoffs through the play-in tournament had Dallas not decided to tank in order to keep its first-round pick from going to the Knicks, a move the franchise was fined $750,000 for. Regardless, Doncic is elite in just about every respect outside of defense, as he can score from all three levels, is crafty as they come with the ball in his hands, is a visionary as a passer and can rebound at a high level, too. If the Mavericks have a strong season behind Doncic and Irving, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the former earn MVP consideration, pretty much the only accolade outside of a ring Doncic is still missing.

2022-23 stats: 32.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 8.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 49.6 FG% in 66 games
2023-24 salary: $40,064,220 (projected 16th overall in salary)

For more on Luka Doncic, including a scouting report and accolades, click here.

Story originally appeared on HoopsHype