NBA Today: 5 Best playmakers in the league heading into the 2019-20 season

A playmaker, in the NBA, is the heart and soul of any roster. He is like a general, guiding the other players on the court towards the common goal of winning the game. Usually, the point guard in any NBA team is the playmaker, advancing the ball into the opposition court, making the right moves and translating the coach's ideas on the court.

Yet, the modern NBA has now become a position-less game, where even the big men can play like point guards on the offensive end, throwing the opposition out of gear and wreaking havoc. So, with this in mind, here are the 5 best playmakers heading into the 2019-20 NBA season.

#5 Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks): 8.1 APG in 2018-19

Young was a revelation last season

Trae Young was drafted #3 by the Atlanta Hawks in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks and came into the league as a small guard that could shoot from anywhere on the court, in the same mould as the Warriors guard Steph Curry.

Yet, his best trait has got to be his passing vision and the ability to find a pass in traffic. Young had a superb rookie season and was a contender for the 2019 Rookie of the Year award, averaging 19.1 points, 8.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game and was the driving force behind many wins for the Atlanta Hawks.

He was known for his 3 point shooting, but he was not efficient at it, shooting just 32% from the field. Scoring is what made him famous, but playmaking is the foundation and the base of his game. Young is adept at passing with both hands, which makes it difficult to stop them from reaching the intended player.

Young also attacks the lane a lot, which pulls the defenders inside, making space for his teammates and simple pass back out to the open man creates an offensive opportunity for his team. Young is only 20, and he can only get better as he gets older.

#4 Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers): 7.7 APG in 2018-19

Philadelphia 76ers just extended Simmons' contract

Ben Simmons is the biggest oddity in all of the NBA. Simmons is a 6-foot 10-inch star for the Philadelphia 76ers with the build and size of a power forward or small ball 5. Yet, he plays point guard and has been one of the most dominant young guards in the NBA.

One of the biggest drawbacks of Simmons' game is the lack of a jump shot, which hinders a huge part of his game. Defenders don't bother to defend him at the 3 point line, but what he gives up with his lack of shooting, he makes up for it with his athleticism and elite playmaking ability.

Simmons, in his sophomore year, averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game and was a force to reckon with on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. What makes Simmons a great playmaker is his speed, vision, and power to see openings before they even exist.

He knows exactly where his man is going to be and can change the pace of the game almost instantly, going from 0-100 in a matter of seconds, making him one of the best playmakers in the NBA.

#3 LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers): 8.3 APG in 2018-19

Los Angeles Lakers have one of the best players of all time

While LeBron James is not a natural point guard, he still is one of NBA's best playmakers. His vision, passing ability and control over the flow of the game are second to none. He passes the ball around with pin-point accuracy, perfectly executing them for his teammates to capitalize on them.

LeBron not only makes the passes with precision, he is also flashy and crafty. His insane bounce passes make the highlight reels almost every week and are extremely creative. Although LeBron is not just a playmaker, it's his ability to score and take over games is what enables him to make plays.

LeBron played just 55 games last season with the Lakers but still managed to average 8.3 assists per game while scoring 27.4 points per game. He creates a double-team in almost every offensive possession given how big of a threat he is and makes use of this to analyse the situation, finding the open man with precision, thus making him one of the top playmakers in the NBA.

#2 Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets): 10.7 APG in 2018-19

Russell Westbrook is now a Rockets player

Russell Westbrook has been one of the most statistically dominant players in the NBA for a long time, for both good and bad reasons. He has averaged a triple double for the last 3 seasons, a really difficult feat to achieve, yet critics call this "stat-padding" while adding nothing of significance.

Still, Westbrook is one of the best playmakers and the only natural point guard to make this list. He came into the league as a point guard but did not have the vision of one, using brute force to overcome his opponents. Westbrook has become more of a point guard now, having developed his playmaking.

He averaged a league high 10.7 assists per game, which is no easy feat. Westbrook is also an amazing player in transition, using his speed and agility to draw the opponents with him and then find the open man for an easy basket. His precision in finding the open man and executing the pass is a rare skill.

Westbrook is one of the most aggressive and explosive point guards in the NBA and while most people do not like his game, he still is one of the top playmakers coming into the 2019-20 season.

#1 Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets): 7.3 APG in 2018-19

Denver Nuggets have one of the most unique playmakers in the NBA

Almost every single possession for the Denver Nuggets goes through Nikola Jokic, who is just 24 years of age and has already established himself as one of the best passing big man of all time. He touches, passes, and possesses the ball more often than almost every other player in the league and averaged 7.3 assists per game this season.

Jokic has the perfect set of skills to make him a solid playmaker. He has the flair, no-look passes, the pin-point accuracy with which he locates his teammates, Jokic can do them all. He is an amazing scorer too, averaging 20.1 points per game last season and is a solid 3 point shooter and thus stretching the floor.

This creates a lot of space for his teammates to get open and his ability to pass the ball so precisely makes him a difficult player to stop. His size always creates a mismatch and he can either finish it on his own or pass it out for a better opportunity.

Jokic lumbers around the court like he is a player coming to the end of his career, but his ability makes everyone wonder in disbelief as to just how good he can become later on in his prime. He is truly a one-of-a-kind player in the NBA.