Darius Garland Seriously Disrespected in Latest NBA Player Rankings

Darius Garland has been on a tear for the Los Angeles Clippers. Ever since making his debut with the team earlier this month, Garland has been one of the best offensive guards in the league. Averaging 21.1 points and 6.8 assists on 50.6/51.2/82.6 shooting splits in 27.7 minutes per game, Garland is playing the best basketball of his career. Yet, the former two-time All-Star continues to be severely underrated.

The latest edition of The Ringer's Top 100 Players in the NBA list has Garland ranked 54th. In the little blurb, Garland is described as "held back by his lack of durability and size." While it's true that Garland is an undersized guard and has been dealing with injury concerns, especially this season, his ranking is still disrespectful.

Darius Garland Is One of the Most Underrated Players in the NBA

Taking a glance at the players ranked above Garland, so many names that don't belong stand out. Ranking ex-Clipper Norman Powell above Garland at 53 is hard to justify. Amen Thompson, with immense upside thanks to his athleticism and physicality, is at 38 despite being completely unproven and a potential offensive liability in the playoffs. Keyonte George of the Utah Jazz, who has yet to play a meaningful game in his career, is also above the Clippers guard.

Among guards who play a similar role, Garland still ranks below James Harden (#20), LaMelo Ball (#41), De'Aaron Fox (#33), and Austin Reaves (#32). If one has a problem with Garland's defense, they need to have it with all of the players named above as well.

If Garland's availability is an issue, how does one justify ranking Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid all above him? Franz Wagner, who missed more of the season than Garland, is also 12 spots ahead of the talented guard.

Yes, in today's NBA, size, physicality, and athleticism are as important as ever. Small guards have a target on their back on defense and can struggle creating good shots on offense in the playoffs. Even if we accept the idea that Garland may be a better regular-season player than the playoffs, we can't disregard the fact that his skill set is still the most valuable in the NBA: being an engine that can consistently generate good offense.

Garland can create shots for himself and others. He can run the pick-and-roll, hit off-the-dribble threes, or find the open man. He can dribble, pass, shoot, and score, making him a complete offensive player. Plus, he doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. As an elite catch-and-shoot player, he can fit seamlessly as an off-ball player next to another ball-dominant star. It's not a coincidence that he was a part of the best offense in the league last season in Cleveland, and the Clippers have an over 130 offensive rating with him and Kawhi Leonard on the floor this season.

The Clippers didn't skip a beat going from Harden, allegedly the 20th-best player in the league, to Garland, the 54th-best player in the league, this season. They are arguably playing their best basketball of the season right now with Garland at the helm. If this continues, it's all but guaranteed that the dynamic point guard will be significantly higher on this list in the next edition.