This All NBA Guard Situation Is Going To Be Impossible To Figure Out
If you pay attention to the NBA you know that we are right in the middle of one of the best collection of guards maybe ever. The NBA guard position is so deep with ridiculous talent it’s helped change the style of basketball and the way the NBA is played. In prior decades big men ruled the land, but things have shifted and you can thank the influx of talent at this position. This year, so many guards are having great seasons, as we approach the end of the year and it’s time to start thinking about All NBA teams, I honestly don’t know how the league gets it right. First look at this list of contenders and try and tell me there’s an easy answer as to what 6 guards should make it
James Harden – 31.0/5.2/8.7 w/ 30.48 PER and 45/37% splits
Steph Curry – 26.3/5.1/6.2 w/ 27.94 PER and 49/42% splits
DeMar DeRozan – 23.7/4.0/5.2 w/ 21.9r PER and 46/31% splits
Kyrie Irving – 24.4/3.8/5.1 w/ 25.06 PER and 49/40% splits
Chris Paul – 18.8/5.4/8.1 w/25.10 PER and 46/38% splits
Damian Lillard – 26.9/4.5/6.5 w/ 24.93 PER and 44/38% splits
Russell Westbrook – 25.2/9.6/10.1 w/ 24.59 PER and 44/28% splits
Victor Oladipo – 23.8/5.3/4.3 w/ 23.27 PER and 47/37% splits
Jimmy Butler – 22.2/5.4/5.0 w/ 23.60 PER and 47/35% splits
Bradley Beal – 23.2/4.5/4.6 w/ 19.13 PER and 46/37% splits
You could argue these are the best 10 All NBA worthy seasons from a guard this season (Devin Booker not included because his team stinks). Of this list, you have to pick four players to leave out. I can think of just one off the bat that is slightly easier and that’s Jimmy Butler because of his injury. But of the rest of the 9 guys? You can make a case for each and every one of them. Things will also be a little easier if Kyrie misses extended time as well, but all signs point to him playing tomorrow so I can’t give him the same Butler treatment, and Curry if he really doesn’t play the rest of the year, I can see how that might impact things.
In my opinion there three absolute locks to make an All NBA team (if they all play) and those are Curry, Harden, and DeRozan. Pretty much a no brainer, the MVP, the best PG in the league, and DeRozan who has had an incredible season on the best team in the East at the moment. If I had to make my three teams, I’d most likely have it like this
1st Team – Curry/Harden
2nd Team – DeRozan/Irving
3rd Team – Lillard/Westbrook
I’ve stared at this list for 20 minutes and it feels CRAZY to leave CP3 or Oladipo off. Beal I don’t feel as bad about, I’d say his season while still really good is just slightly behind the rest of the list. I think guys like Lillard, given the run he’s currently on and the type of season POR has had means he has to be included, so really it comes down to Russell Westbrook for me. You could totally swap either CP3 or Oladipo for that slot and I would understand your point. The thing with Westbrook is he has the numbers, but the efficiency isn’t there and he has some pretty good talent around him. People also tend to hate how he plays so that will probably work against him in the eyes of the general public. Now CP3 also has some pretty good talent around him, which is why if you want to argue Oladipo for this spot I think you have a legit case. There’s no wrong answer and that’s why it makes this so tough. Multiple guys are going to get snubbed while still having incredible seasons, which just goes to show you how fucking stacked this position is.
If you had to make your three teams, what would you go with?