The NBA playoffs begin this week and with them comes a veritable parade of point guards whose scoring both at the rim and from great range has reshaped the game.
It’s no coincidence the best of the bunch, reigning league MVP Stephen Curry, leads the best team, the Golden State Warriors. But there are many others — Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Detroit’s Reggie Jackson, Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, Charlotte’s Kemba Walker, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, to name just some — who have brought their teams this far.
Lifted by their late-season surge, the Timberwolves to a man are aiming to join those teams next season, but a question looms: Can you still win big without one of those scoring point guards who can shoot the three, break down defenses with the ball in his hands and score 30 points any given night?