NBA: Ranking all 30 starting point guards for 2017-18

Heading into a new NBA season, it’s time to rank the league’s 30 starting point guards for the upcoming 2017-18 campaign.

As positions become more and more obsolete, an NBA point guard remains as important as ever. Shooting guards, small forwards and even power forwards have all morphed into the category of “wings,” while 4s and 5s are expected to stretch the floor, defend on the perimeter and protect the rim all at once, but a point guard’s role is still largely the same.

They’ve gotten bigger, sure, and the ability to knock down 3-pointers is as vital as ever, but as one can see from a quick glance around the league, the point 1-spot is as deep and talented as ever.

The question is, how does each team’s current starting point guard compare to the rest of the league? Heading into the 2017-18 NBA season, it’s time to answer that question by ranking all 30 starting point guards.

Though lineups are subject to change, especially as teams start to tan — I mean, “strategically rest,” we’re going to make a few executive decisions based on which players will likely spend most of the season — or at least begin the season — in the starting lineup.

For example, Isaiah Thomas would normally get the nod for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he’ll be out until at least January with a hip injury, so because we don’t know when he’ll return or what he’ll look like once he’s back on the floor, we’ll roll with Derrick Rose in that spot.

These are projections for 2017-18, not rankings based on past accomplishments. They are also not based on fantasy, individual numbers, likability or any one specific stat; they’re a combination of a myriad of factors, including expected production/stats, potential team success, opportunity, health, experience, two-way impact, likelihood to retain their starting job and, to a minimal degree, potential playoff accomplishments.

Bearing all of this in mind, here are our rankings for the NBA’s top 30 point guards in 2017-18.