NBA 2022 Point Defenders Rankings: Warriors' Stephen Curry continues to top; Grizzlies 'Ja Morant up the list

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Back in October, The Sporting News took on the task of ranking 30 NBA starting keepers, which is no small challenge considering the amount of talent at this position.

Now, around the halfway point of the 2021-22 season, compiling the roster is somehow even harder.

Where do you put Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook, both of whom have struggled but still earned the Walk of Fame? How high should young players like Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball climb?

For the standings below, season performance has clearly been taken into account, but overall performance is still important. The 2021-22 campaign offers only a small sample size, and every team in the league has experienced injury issues and players take part in health and safety procedures. There is no perfect formula here, so please (respectfully) disagree.

With all that said, here's The Sporting News' updated rankings, starting with the easiest decision on this list.

1. Stephen Curry, Warriors

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By Curry's standards, the two-time NBA champion is having a rough season. He's down 42.2 percent from the pitch and 38.7 percent from the 3-point range. Both of those numbers are the lowest of his career (excluding the 2019-20 season in which he played just five games).

And yet, the Curry is still arguably the most effective offensive weapon in the tournament. His mere presence changed defenses and made life easier for everyone around him. He is the sun in the Warriors solar system, the reason everything works for the Golden State. He's an easy pick at number 1.

2. Luka Doncic, Mavericks

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The Slovenian star is averaging 24.8 points, 9.0 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game, but he has been in and out of the squad, missing 15 of Dallas' first 40 games. Doncic also admitted in early December that he must be in better shape.

However, it seems premature to dismiss Doncic after a "rough" cross as he is still averaging a triple triple. The people behind him were attacking strongly, but he would stay behind Curry for the time being.

3. Trae Young, Hawks

After a surprising run of games leading to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals, Atlanta has had a successful start to the season. If the Hawks continue to perform at this level, they risk missing out on not only a playoff spot but also the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

Even so, their shortcomings should not be pinned on Young. The 23-year-old has been superb, averaging 28.0 points, 9.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 45.5% of his career and 37.0% from outside. bow. There is no doubt that he has grown into a star.

4. Chris Paul, Suns

Which player is at the top of the support charts? That would be "The Point God" himself, putting out 10.0 helpers per game, his highest since the 2015-16 season with the Clippers.

He may no longer be at his athletic peak, but Paul remains as reliable as ever for a Suns team looking to make it to the NBA Finals in contiguous seasons.

5. Ja Morant, Grizzlies

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Morant is just outside the top 10 on The Sporting News' pre-season rankings, so this could be a huge leap.

But consider this: Rookie of the Year currently has the highest stats of his career - scoring, rebounds, steals, tackles, goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free throw rate. He has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate, leading the Grizzlies into the top four of the Western Conference rankings.

Oh, and he may have landed the Most Interesting Featured Person award. (It's not a real thing, but it has to be.)

6. Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers

Sorry. This has not been a happy season for Lillard, who could be out for a long time because of an abdominal injury. He didn't look like himself before the Trail Blazers decided to put him on the bench, as he was scoring 24.0 points per game due to underperforming shots. (His 55.0 true shot rate would be the second-lowest number of his career.)

Should Lillard be lower on this list? Possibly, but we're giving him the benefit of the doubt because of his health problems and overall dysfunction in Portland.

7. Holiday Jrue, Bucks

Hey, there's Holiday under the radar again. The 31-year-old is chasing the tune of 18.4 points, 6.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. After a series of bad shots at the beginning of the season, Holiday had 49.9% when playing and 38.2% when only 3 pointers.

Recently won the NBA, Holiday has continued to bring his two-way brilliance on the field and help Milwaukee catch up with the elite of the East.

8. LaMelo Ball, Hornet

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Ball demonstrated excellent vision and creative offensive ability as a rookie, but he has really raised the bar in his shooting this season. He has seen jumps from the 3-point line (35.2% to 37.9%) and free throws (75.8% to 87.3%). If those changes come to fruition this early in his career, his ceiling needs to be pushed even higher.

Yes, the defense is still being perfected, but at just 20 years old, Ball has made the list of the top 10 points of defense.

9. Fred VanVleet, Raptors

VanVleet is no longer just a great "Bet for Yourself" story. He's getting All-Star consideration, and he definitely deserves it.

He is averaging career-high in points, assists and rebounds, and he shoots 40% further with more than 9 tries per game. He also used to be his usual self-defense routine. Please respect "Steady Freddy".

10. Mike Conley, Jazz

No longer "the best player ever on an All-Star team," Conley has become incredibly consistent for a Jazz team designed specifically for regular-season wins. He doesn't post hot numbers, but he is the definition of a winning player. He made it to the top 10.

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