The NBA is experiencing some of the best point guard play in a long time and some of the top players at this position are 25 years old or younger. Six-point guards fit this description, Luka Doncic, Tyrese Haliburton, LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Maxey, Ja Morant, and Darius Garland. Haliburton already put on an incredible show during the In-Season tournament’s semifinals and championship game.
But which of these six young ascending players is the best at his position? Here we will review all of these players, from their career stats, accolades and awards, and their historical stats, and rank them. We’ll also consider any of their health or off-the-court concerns.
Here are the six best point guards under the age of 25.
Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
23 years old, All-Star, All-Rookie
CAREER: 48.3% FG, 40.8% 3P, 85.8% FT, 17.4 PTS, 3.7 REBS, 8.6 AST, 1.5 STL, 0.5 BLK, 2.3 TOV
Tyrese Haliburton was the 12th pick of the 2020 Draft and has been the best pick with the most Win Shares of his class with 23. Since entering the NBA he already has six “perfect games”. The NBA’s version of a perfect game is having at least 15 assists or more and zero turnovers. As previously mentioned, he has six of the 11 games. Nikola Jokic has three, James Harden and Chris Paul each have one. Haliburton currently leads the league in assists per game with 12.7 and an assist percentage of 51.1%. Assist percentage is the estimation of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Haliburton already has three games this season with at least 25 points, 15 assists, and zero turnovers. No other player has more than one. He ranks fifth in NBA history with seven games of 15+ assists and 0 turnovers and ranks third this season with four games this season with 25+ points and 0 turnovers. Since 2022 Haliburton has scored the 12th most points by a point guard, the ninth most made three-pointers since 2021, and ranks 19th in rebounds by a point guard this season. His game continues to ascend and there will be more awards in his future.
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
24 years old, 4x All-Star, 4x All-NBA, 2018-19 Rookie of the Year
CAREER: 46.8% FG, 34.3% 3P, 74.3% FT, 28.1 PTS, 8.5 REB, 8.1 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.5 BLK, 4 TOV
Luka Doncic is in his sixth NBA season and won’t turn 25 until this February. And despite this, he already ranks ninth in NBA history with 62 career triple-doubles. He also ranks eighth in NBA history with his eighth 40-point triple-double. Speaking of 40-point games, he has the most 40-point games this season with four of them.
Also this season, Doncic ranks 4th this season with three games with 25+ points and zero turnovers. He’s also the only NBA player averaging 32 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds. So, it makes sense that Doncic ranks 1st in rebounds by a point guard this season. Since 2019 he’s scored the third most points by a point guard and the third most made three-pointers since 2020. Doncic ranks first in Half Court Shot Creation this season. He is well on his way to a first-ballot Hall of Fame career.
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
22 years old, All-Star, 2020-21 Rookie of the Year
CAREER: 42.8% FG, 37.8% 3P, 83.1% FT, 19.9 PTS, 6.3 REB, 7.4 AST, 1.5 STL, 0.4 BLK, 3.3 TOV
If there was a disagreement with the order of the first two, there will likely be a disagreement over the next four. A knock on LaMelo Ball is his health as he’s only played 70 or more games once in his four-year career. He’s missed time with wrist, hip, shoulder, and ankle (five separate times) injuries. Ball averages 53.9 games a season and he’s missed the past 17 games with an ankle injury. He could return next week.
As for Ball’s play on the court, he is just one of two players to make five or more threes this season in the fourth quarter of a game. Speaking of the fourth quarter he ranks second in players averaging the most points in this quarter with 8.8 and he also has made the most three-pointers in this quarter with 22. Since 2019 he’s scored the 15th most points by a point guard.
This season Ball ranks seventh in half-court shot creation and since 2020 he’s made the seventh most threes. Amongst NBA history, he ranks fourth with a game of at least 20 points, 10 assists, two steals, and three blocks and he ranks fifth in NBA history with two games of 30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block. He is tied with 11 players with 20 points, 10 assists, three steals, and three blocks in a game. If Ball can get some better fortune with his health then he could challenge the guys ranked ahead of him.
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
24 years old, 2x All-Star, All-NBA, 2019-20 Rookie of the Year, 2021-22 Most Improved
CAREER: 47.2% FG, 31.8% 3P, 75.5% FT, 22.5 PTS, 4.8 REB, 7.4 AST, 1 STL, 0.3 BLK, 3.3 TOV
Ja Morant has played eight games after serving his 25-game suspension for his repeated personal conduct offenses. His first game was memorable as he hit the game-winner. He finished with 34 points, six rebounds, eight assists and two steals, and he’s averaging 25.6 points and 8.3 assists overall this season.
Before his suspension, he was a force on the court. Since 2019 Morant has scored the eighth most points by a point guard. He’s also scored the 10th most points by a second-overall pick with 52 and ranks 14th in the NBA with a 50.9% eFG%. He is tied for eighth in NBA history with two games of 30 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, and one block, and he ranks 14th in NBA history with two games of 30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block. He might be the most physically and athletically gifted since Derrick Rose as Morant makes incredible plays.
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
23 years old
CAREER: 47.5% FG, 40.7% 3P, 86.2% FT, 16.9 PTS, 2.8 REB, 3.8 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.3 BLK, 1.1 TOV
Tyrese Maxey was the 21st overall pick of the 2020 Draft and is finally having his breakout in his fourth NBA season. It’s no coincidence that it coincides with the departure of James Harden. While Maxey has yet to win any awards or accolades during his career, you can be sure with the way he’s playing this season he’s likely to earn some recognition. He already has the second-largest increase in points per game from last season to this season.
He already ranks first this season with five games with at least 25 points and zero turnovers. And Maxey already ranks fifth in players averaging the most points in the fourth quarter with 8.1 this season. He is one of five players this season to score 50 points and ranks 13th in average turnovers per game with 1.4. And speaking of lucky number 13 he is 13th in made three-pointers by a player drafted 21st overall.
Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
23 years old, All-Star
CAREER: 45% FG, 38.4% 3P, 86.7% FT, 18.7 PTS, 2.6 REB, 6.7 AST, 1.2 STL, 0.1 BLK, 3.1 TOV
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Darius Garland made it to the NBA knowing that he was born in the mecca of basketball, which is Indiana. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft and has become an integral part of the young Cleveland Cavaliers. He, similar to LaMelo Ball, has struggled with staying healthy. Currently, he’s on the injured list after suffering a fractured jaw injury in his game against Boston when he ran into Kristaps Porzingis.
Garland, since 2019, has scored the seventh most points by a point guard and has the 10th most made three-pointers since 2021. He is the eighth-best guard in finishing at the rim and ranks sixth in pick-and-roll ball-handler possessions. He is a great point guard and his pairing with Donovan Mitchell has formed one of the best backcourts in the NBA. They made their first playoffs last season and are looking to make it again this season.