The 2025-26 regular season starts in a little over a month. All 30 NBA teams will soon prepare for the new campaign. It’s time to look around the Western Conference as this year will surely be another jam-packed race among several teams.

Over the next few days, Thunder Wire will rank the 15 West starters among the five positions. Let’s look at the 15 best starting point guards in the Western Conference.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had one of the greatest individual seasons ever. He won about every award imaginable. From MVP to NBA Finals MVP to a championship ring. He’s now viewed as one of the league’s best players.

Here are the rankings for each West starting point guard:

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

2024-25 stats: 32.7 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.0 RPG, 51.9% shooting, 37.5% 3-point shooting in 76 games

When you win an NBA championship, you sit atop the throne. Gilgeous-Alexander has made a strong case as the league’s best player. He had a third consecutive superb-efficient 30-plus point campaign. He finally won the MVP award after slowly climbing the ladder. About everything you hope to accomplish as an NBA player, he did in a single season. Not much is left for him to prove among the current slate of players. It’s now about chasing basketball pantheons as he enjoys his prime.

2. Luka Doncic, Lakers

2024-25 stats: 28.2 PPG, 7.7 APG, 8.2 RPG, 45% shooting, 36.8% 3-point shooting in 50 games

Even in a down season, you can’t have Doncic lower than here. The Mavericks shocked the NBA world when they dealt the superstar to the Lakers. Since then, Los Angeles has gifted him the keys to its franchise. It’s an easy decision to make, too. He’s been in top-five conversations since he entered the league. The perennial All-Star is guaranteed 50 wins by himself. As long as he stays healthy, he should be a prime MVP candidate this upcoming season as he should average a near 30-point triple-double.

3. Stephen Curry, Warriors

2024-25 stats: 24.5 PPG, 6.0 APG, 4.4 RPG, 44.8% shooting, 39.7% 3-point shooting in 70 games

Even at 37 years old, Curry is still one of the NBA’s best. He is one of the greatest players ever with a Hall-of-Fame resume of two MVPs, four championships and 11 All-Star appearances. He revolutionized the 3-point shot. The Warriors remain a contender despite their roster flaws because of him. You can spend the entire day talking about his legacy and how he dominated the NBA in the 2010s. And, as expectedly, his game has aged graciously. Expect him to be a consistent 25-plus point threat who rains down demoralizing outside buckets.

4. James Harden, Clippers

2024-25 stats: 22.8 PPG, 8.7 APG, 5.8 RPG, 41% shooting, 35.2% 3-point shooting in 79 games

Last season was about proving the doubters wrong. Harden did that. The 36-year-old might no longer be a one-man machine, but he was pretty close to that. The Clippers survived injuries as he carried the offensive load. While he’s no longer guaranteed 30-plus points, he can still run the show and be one of the best playmakers. His playoff resume is what it is, but he’s a regular-season machine that provides LA a safe floor. That’s all you can ask out of him at this stage of his career. The future Hall-of-Famer continues to scare opposing defenses.

5. Devin Booker, Suns

2024-25 stats: 25.6 PPG, 7.1 APG, 4.1 RPG, 46.1% shooting, 33.2% 3-point shooting in 75 games

Even in a chaotic season, Booker showed he can get buckets. The Suns were a laughingstock, but he continued to put up 25-plus points on quality efficiency. Phoenix pulled the plug this offseason on the Kevin Durant era, but doubled down with its other multi-time All-Star with a contract extension. He should be able to produce this upcoming season, even with the lowered expectations. But considering he’s about to enter his 11th season with the Suns, you have to wonder how much longer both sides will delay the inevitable of a possible departure.

6. Kyrie Irving, Mavericks

2024-25 stats: 24.7 PPG, 4.6 APG, 4.8 RPG, 47.3% shooting, 40.1% 3-point shooting in 50 games

This entry was a bit tricky. I went back and forth to even include Irving as the Mavericks’ representative. He will miss most of the 2025-26 regular season with a torn ACL he sustained in March 2025. But reports suggest he could return when the calendar flips to 2026. In that case, he should show that he’s still one of the NBA’s best point guards. The 33-year-old averaged a cool 25 points. He moves on the court like a ballerina with a perfect mix of ball-handling and footwork. None of that should be lost with this latest knee injury.

7. De’Aaron Fox, Spurs

2024-25 stats: 23.5 PPG, 6.3 APG, 4.8 RPG, 46.3% shooting, 31% 3-point shooting in 62 games

In one of the bigger trade deadline deals, Fox was sent to the Spurs. He was signed to a contract extension this offseason, as the hope is for the 27-year-old to elevate San Antonio from a lottery team to a playoff contender. We didn’t really get to see much of him alongside Victor Wembanyama after he was traded. How those two look could determine a lot about the Spurs’ future. If he can be a downhill scorer who relies on his speed and athleticism, there’s some potential here.

8. Ja Morant, Grizzlies

2024-25 stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, 4.1 RPG, 45.4% shooting, 30.9% 3-point shooting in 50 games

It’s been a humbling few years for Morant. After being on a superstar trajectory, injuries and suspensions have cooled everybody off on him. Even when he had a relatively healthy season last year, the Grizzlies weren’t drastically better with him on the floor. Memphis has hit the soft rebuild button this offseason with the moves it made. Now, it must decide whether the 26-year-old can still be capable of being a franchise player. The elite athleticism is still there, but it’s the rest of his game that hasn’t caught up.

9. Jamal Murray, Nuggets

2024-25 stats: 21.4 PPG, 6.0 APG, 3.9 RPG, 47.4% shooting, 39.3% 3-point shooting in 67 games

It was a busy offseason for the Nuggets. They revamped their depth with new names. But the same principle of Denver will need Murray to be the second-best player still applies. He’s proven to be a 20-plus point scorer. Let’s see if the 28-year-old can still produce at a high level. They’re in a win-now mode with Nikola Jokic. He remains one of the weirder players of his era as a playoff riser with zero All-Star appearances. Despite that, there’s no question he’s an important piece to how this upcoming season will play out.

10. Zach LaVine, Kings

2024-25 stats: 23.3 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.3 RPG, 51.1% shooting, 44.6% 3-point shooting in 74 games

In another mid-season trade, the Kings acquired LaVine from the Bulls as a Fox replacement. He’s one of the more perplexing players to judge. Sure, he puts up stats and is an explosive scorer, but he’s yet to be part of winning basketball in his career. That said, it speaks more to the NBA franchises he’s played for. None are the textbook example of a healthy front office. The 30-year-old is the perfect Sacramento player. He will put up points and take up a chunk of usage rate. Whether that leads to a successful season remains to be seen.

11. Fred VanVleet, Rockets

2024-25 stats: 14.1 PPG, 5.6 APG, 3.7 RPG, 37.8% shooting, 34.5% 3-point shooting in 60 games

You can pinpoint the start of the Rockets’ ascension into a title contender when they added VanVleet. The box-score numbers don’t jump off the page, but he shepherded a rebuild to a second-seed last season in just two years. He is a microwave scorer who can run the offense when needed. The problem was, nobody else on Houston’s roster could do that. In comes Kevin Durant. He should make everybody’s job easier, including his fellow NBA champion veteran. VanVleet should return to a familiar role of being a complementary starter.

12. Jrue Holiday, Trail Blazers

2024-25 stats: 11.1 PPG, 3.9 APG, 4.3 RPG, 44.3% shooting, 35.3% 3-point shooting in 62 games

As the Celtics called it quits for the upcoming season, the Trail Blazers took advantage. They added Holiday as they hope to pivot from rebuild to contender. The 35-year-old is the perfect steady hand in a roster filled with young players. The two-time NBA champion knows what it takes to set the standard of a winner. Even though his best years are behind him, he can still defend at a high level and shoot the ball from the outside at a decent clip. His contributions could be in the intangibles, as Portland is ready to win again.

13. Jordan Poole, Pelicans

2024-25 stats: 20.5 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.0 RPG, 43.2% shooting, 37.8% 3-point shooting in 68 games

The Pelicans traded for Poole from the Wizards. He had two productive seasons in Washington as the primary ball-handler on a rebuild filled with young players. Let’s see if he can return to a competitive team. The microwave scorer is somebody who can torch baskets, but isn’t truly a point guard, per se. He should get the starting nod, but be more of a role player. Even if New Orleans is better off with a rebuild, it’s determined to build a winner around Zion Williamson. At least for now.

14. Mike Conley, Timberwolves

2024-25 stats: 8.2 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.6 RPG, 40% shooting, 41% 3-point shooting in 71 games

He may be a technical point guard, but Conley is closer to a role player than a primary ball-handler. The Timberwolves are Anthony Edwards’ squad. The basketball will be in his hands as his usage rate continues to rise. That means the 37-year-old is mostly just a secondary scorer. His stats have declined over the seasons. Minnesota hopes he can pass the baton to Rob Dillingham. Until then, though, he will be the placeholder starter who has veteran experience and is happy with his role.

15. Isaiah Collier, Jazz

2024-25 stats: 8.7 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.3 RPG, 42.2% shooting, 24.9% 3-point shooting in 71 games

It’ll be another rebuild season for the Jazz. They have several intriguing prospects, but no true blue-chip player. That said, Collier will be a name to watch. The 20-year-old had one of the better rookie campaigns last year. He averaged an interesting six assists. A pretty high number for a playmaker on a team with little ready-now NBA talent. The shooting is his biggest question mark, but his transition scoring and basketball feel are plus-skills. You could already see that translate over in his first year.