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NBA: The Best Point Guards for the 2016-17 season

By Zach Cronin

Mar 25, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) dribbles the ball during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 112-105. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) dribbles the ball during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 112-105. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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4. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Uncle Drew nearly cracked his way into the top three after the exhilarating performance in the Finals against Golden State. I don’t want to beat around the bush too much, but he outplayed the two-time MVP, and without him, Cleveland is not winning that championship. He’s unguardable, so Thompson, Curry, and any big who switched on the pick-and-roll had no chance of stopping him.

Usually, defenders can sag off a bit because his outside shot was off during the regular season (32 percent), but the former first overall pick stepped up when it mattered most and finished the postseason at a staggering 44 percent from deep. Add that to a knock down mid-range shot, blurring quickness, and a multitude of obscure layups, defenses can only do so much to stop him. With that impressive arsenal, Irving embodies the new-era point guard and actually plays more of a shooting guard role with Cleveland because LeBron is a major dictator of the offense. Yes, Kyrie takes control from time-to-time, but it’s James’ team.

The most welcoming improvement for Irving is on defense, where he was surprisingly effective even though he was coming back from a knee injury. He’s not going to make any NBA All-Defensive teams, but having a competitive guard on that end of the court is huge for any contender.

Next: No. 3