Let’s be honest here, ranking the West’s elite guards in 2025 isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about understanding who controls the tempo consistently, who makes their teammates better when the margin for error disappears, and who carries the kind of gravitational pull that shifts entire defensive schemes.
So, after a couple of beers for yours truly, here’s my stab the conference’s guard royalty stands right now (apologies to the injured Kyrie Irving who just missed this list with injury).
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
The current reigning NBA Finals MVP and league MVP, Thunder’s conductor orchestrates chaos with surgical precision.