MVN: Most Valuable Network

The NBA is full of special young talent, especially at the point guard position. Although point guard is typically the hardest position for younger players to truly excel at, these guys have had little to no trouble at all taking the reins of their respective teams this season. Here's my top 10 point guards aged 26 or younger.

10. Rodney Stuckey (22) - Stuckey entered the season as Detroit's third guard, but that all changed after the team traded away Chauncey Billups to bring in Allen Iverson. Iverson didn't work out at first playing the point, so Michael Curry moved A.I. to the two and inserted the 6-foot-5 Stuckey at the starting point guard. The move has paid off, as Detroit is now 13-3 with him in the starting lineup, and Stuckey is averaging more than 17 points and shooting over 50 percent from the field as a starter.

9. Nate Robinson (24) - Robinson has thrived this season as the sixth man in Mike D'Antoni's system in New York, averaging career highs of 15.9 points, 3.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. His effectiveness rebounding the basketball is especially surprising given his mini-ness at only 5-foot-9. Robinson is an absolutely freakish athlete and is very aggressive on both ends of the floor, sometimes to his detriment. He is clearly a shoot-first point guard but has proven to be a capable passer as well, and at only 24, has plenty of time to mature into a more complete player.

8. T.J. Ford (25) - Ford began his first year as a Pacer about as well as anyone could ask for, averaging nearly 15-5-5 in the month of November. Though he's been forced to play second-fiddle to teammate Danny Granger on offense and has battled back problems at times during the season, he's still quietly having a solid year directing Jim O'Brien's fast-paced offense. Ford is about as money as one can be from the free throw line (91.9 percent), and when healthy, he is an extremely tough cover because of his speed. While not the biggest of guys, he is a willing and at times tenacious defender.

7. Derrick Rose (20) - Expectations were high for Rose entering his rookie season in his hometown of Chicago, and so far I'd say he's handled it all very well. He's second among rookies in scoring at 17.1 points per game, and his shooting percentage of 47.3 percent is surprisingly high for a guy who supposedly had a shaky jump shot coming out of Memphis. I thought it would take him some time to get adjusted to the NBA game, as it did for him in college, but that hasn't really been the case. He is a phenomenal talent who should only continue to get better.

6. Jameer Nelson (26) - With Carlos Arroyo and Keyon Dooling out in Orlando, Nelson signed a five-year, $35 million extension with the Magic in the offseason, cementing him as the team's point guard of the future. The investment has quickly paid off, as Nelson is in the midst of his best season ever. His shooting percentages have taken the biggest jumps (51.2 percent from the field, 44 percent from downtown, 88 percent from the line, all career highs), and his scoring, rebounding and steals averages are also up. I hope he gets selected as a reserve for the East All-Stars this season because he truly deserves it.

5. Rajon Rondo (22) - While Rondo doesn't look particularly intimidating with his slight build and awkwardly bony shoulders, opponents have already found out what happens when choosing to ignore him on defense. As of January 7 he leads the league in shooting percentage among point guards at 51.5 percent. Defensively, he is already considered by me to be one of the best at his position. His ridiculously long arms and insane quickness make him great at clogging passing lanes, getting steals and finishing on the other end in transition. Rondo's resurgence this season has earned him the recognition of being included in the Celtics' new "Big Four" with teammates Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

4. Devin Harris (25) - As a Mavericks fan, it has been tough to see Harris blossom the way he has in New Jersey. About a year ago before he was traded, Harris was having his best statistical season ever as a Maverick, so when Mark Cuban decided to pull the trigger to bring in Jason Kidd, I was a little puzzled. This year we are all seeing why. Harris' scoring average jumped from 14.4 points in his half-season in Dallas to 23.1 this year in New Jersey. He's now getting nearly as many shots as Vince Carter, yet he's still averaging about a half-point per game better. Not only is Harris the leading candidate for Most Improved Player, he also has a great chance to get the Nets into the playoffs.

3. Tony Parker (26) - It's hard to believe that Parker, a veteran in his seventh season, would still qualify as a "young" point guard. He's already got three rings and a Finals MVP trophy sitting on his mantle, and he's only 26 years old. While not the traditional distributing point guard, Parker makes up for his shortcomings in the passing and outside shooting department with his remarkable speed and finishing ability under the basket. He possesses one of the best 10-to-15 foot tear-drops in the business, in addition to being married to one of the hottest actresses on the planet.

2. Deron Williams (24) - Although Williams' shooting and scoring numbers have dropped from a year ago, he's still in my opinion hands down the second-best point guard in the league. His size (listed at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds) allows him to defend both types of guards, and he's also one of the best at drawing charges. Carlos Boozer's prolonged absence hasn't helped his stats this year, as teams are focusing their defense more on denying D-Will, but that still hasn't stopped him from feeding his other teammates; he is one of only two players in the league to average double-digit assists.

1. Chris Paul (23) - Not only is CP3 the best young point guard in the NBA, he just might be the best point guard on the planet, period, and he has the stats to prove it. Paul is second in the league behind only LeBron James in PER, he leads the league in assists (11.6) and steals (2.87), he's third in the league in scoring among point guards (20.5), he's an 87 percent free throw shooter, he's second in rebounds by a point guard at 5.3 per game, he's second best in the league in assist to turnover ratio...I could go on and on.

His incredible statistics don't tell the whole story, though. He has improved his shooting, both from short and long distance, in every season since he was drafted, and he has developed into probably the most effective runner of the pick-and-roll I've ever seen. He's also easily the league's best dribbler through traffic, and he's a very underrated defender. Both on and off the court, Paul has already become a strong leader and player in the community despite his young age. For basketball junkies like me, watching this guy play the game is as good as it gets.