19.Reggie Jackson (DET)
Jackson’s stats: 14.6 ppg, 5.5 apg, 2.8 rpg, 0.6 spg, 2.1 tov
Jackson has not been the player that Detroit was willing to pay over $16 million a year to, but he is still a serviceable player. Detroit has been up-and-down this season, and Reggie Jackson has not really helped or hurt them so far. For that reason, he sits pretty high on the list in the first half of this season.
18.Darren Collison (IND)
Collison’s stats: 12.7 ppg, 5.3 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 spg, 1.3 tov
Another ex-Mav very low on the ranking, but Collison really has had a pretty decent season so far. The Pacers have turned a lot of heads so far this season and Collison has been a contributing part to their success. Sadly, he plays probably the most competitive position in the NBA.
17. Jamal Murray (DEN)
Murray’s stats: 15.6 ppg, 2.7 apg, 3.4 rpg, 0.9 spg, 2.0 tov
One of the young players I am looking forward to the most is Jamal Murray, who is starting to show that he belongs as a starter in the NBA. The big downside to Murray is he really should not be playing point guard as a major shooting threat. His play has improved immensely this year but he still has a long way to go to climb this list.
16. Lonzo Ball (LAL)
Ball’s stats: 10.2 ppg, 7.1 apg, 7.1 rpg, 1.5 spg, 2.7 tov
I struggled on where exactly to put Lonzo, who has had such a confusing start to his career that my ranking for him can literally change from game to game. I feel pretty good with where he is at right now because he deserves to be up high simply for his ability to do everything at an elite level. That said, he is not shooting the ball at even a G-League level and until he can figure that out, it’s hard to rely on him in crunch time.
15. Kris Dunn (CHI)
Dunn’s stats: 13.8 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.7 rpg, 2.1 spg, 3.1 tov
Kris Dunn was so hyped coming out of the draft last season that anything short of incredible was going to be looked at as a failed season. That said, he really did have a miserable rookie year. However, when the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves struck a deal based around Kris Dunn for Jimmy Butler. This ended up being a great deal for Dunn specifically who has had a really good breakout year. Expect him to get even better as time goes forward.
14. Spencer Dinwiddie (BKN)
Dinwiddie’s stats: 13.4 ppg, 6.4 apg, 3.3 rpg, 0.8 spg, 2.5 tov
One of the best stories of the season so far has been the play of Spencer Dinwiddie, a guy most people had probably never even heard of until playing Brooklyn this season. Dinwiddie is in the midst of a great breakout year, but continues to get overlooked thanks to his playing for the Nets. Keep an eye out for this guy though.
13. Dennis Smith Jr. (DAL)
Smith’s stats: 14.3 ppg, 4.5 apg, 3.9 rpg, 0.9 spg, 2.7 tov
Many people will look at this as bias, but the Dallas Mavericks rookie point guard has been an awesome addition to a team who has needed a solid scorer. His shooting and playmaking have both been good but what has really set him apart from the players behind him is timely play. He has become an impressive crunch time scorer for Dallas, something that the team needed more than most fans probably realized.
12. Goran Dragic (MIA)
Dragic’s stats: 17.2 ppg, 4.8 apg, 4.2 rpg, 0.9 spg, 2.4 tov
Dragic has arguably been an elite scorer over the past five years and this year has not been much different. Although he shoots the ball well and attacks the rim better than he gets credit for, his role in Miami is specifically that of a scorer. His passing isn’t bad, but his numbers don’t reflect what he is actually capable of. So far this season, Dragic remains near the top but outside the top 10.
11. Kyle Lowry (TOR)
Lowry’s stats: 16.2 ppg, 7.0 apg, 6.1 rpg, 1.2 spg, 2.7 tov
Possibly for the first time since joining the Toronto Raptors, I have Kyle Lowry outside of the top 10. He could still make an argument before the end of the season, but his numbers have taken a noticeable dip from the last few seasons and many other point guards have made their case for being ranked ahead of him.
10. Ben Simmons (PHI)
Simmons’ stats: 16.9 ppg, 7.3 apg, 8.2 rpg, 1.9 spg, 3.9 tov
The “rookie” debut of Ben Simmons has been nothing short of spectacular as the big point guard has proven that he deserved the number one overall pick back in 2016. Simmons does everything pretty well, aside from shooting the ball. Still, despite his inability to hit the three, he is scoring 17 points per game and shooting over 50% from the field. This youngster has earned his spot in the top 10.