Damian Lillard, star point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, recently ranked Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, and Russell Westbrook as the top three point guards he has faced in his professional career on the It Is What It Is podcast.

Lillard has seen first-hand how challenging Curry is after facing him and the Golden State Warriors on several occasions. Lillard, when playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, also saw Westbrook rather often. Despite spending the most of their careers in separate conferences, Irving and Lillard have had some exciting matchups.

During the NBA summer, discussions around these kinds of top-tier rankings and lists usually heat up. The insight of a superstar like Lillard, who has competed against these guys on the highest level, brings a unique dimension to these debates. Lillard, along with Curry, Westbrook, and Irving, is one of the finest point guards of this age.

There is a lot of respect between Curry and Lillard, even if Curry and the Warriors have consistently beaten Lillard and the Trail Blazers. Lillard may not see as much of Curry next season if he ends up in the Eastern Conference as a result of his trade request to the Miami Heat, but that deal still seems to be in limbo.