NBA point guard tier list: Where does Darius Garland rank?

The Stars: Steph Curry, Damian Lillard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Trae Young, De'Aaron Fox, and James Harden

These are the best of the best in the NBA, with Golden State Warriors and NBA legend Steph Curry leading the way. Curry is still a top-5 player in this league, and only 15 months ago he was the best player on the best team in the league. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Damian Lillard trail him. Lillard is here based on longevity, he has at times been arguably the best point guard in the league during his career.

Gilgeous-Alexander was First-Team All-NBA last season and a clear-cut top-five player in the league for a few stretches. He's in this tier, and he's here to stay. At his age and given his talent on both ends of the floor, you could easily argue him ahead of Lillard if that's your preference.

Jamal Murray is the second-best player on the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, and had several clutch moments for them in the playoffs. He's more of a score-first point guard, but still one of the best in the league. Trae Young and the Hawks have declined since making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, but Young is still one of the best offensive talents in the NBA. De'Aaron Fox led the Sacramento Kings to the NBA playoffs for the first time in 16 years and went toe-to-toe with Curry in their first-round matchup.

James Harden, while disgruntled for the third time in three years, still led the NBA in assists last season and is capable of 40-point outbursts that few in the league can pull off. He's not the player he once was but is still a star.

Garland ranks 10th in our eyes, behind these seven and Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson but could easily move up with another strong season and some playoff success. That's what he'll be aiming for for the 2023-24 NBA season.