After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. The average score by point guards was 16.1. He needs more of the former and less of the latter. His lateral quickness is below-average, and his straightaway speed isnt much either. Jrue Holiday. He gets a ton of help from his teammates and isnt asked to give a lot back. Even point guards who are not given this much freedom, however, are still extensions of their coach on the floor and must display good leadership skills. FOXSports.com - Best all-time point guards at the Wayback Machine (archived July 12, 2005), accessed 2008-02-09 This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 17:58 . On the other hand, no matter how solid the foundation is, you cant move into it. As a result, he rarely gets tangled up with the pick-setter. However, despite Chris Paul and Jason Kidds prominence, Steve Nash became a two-time MVP who had no weaknesses on the offensive end. -- Pelton, No player his size, 6-foot-3, has ever bent defenses to his will as Curry does. The five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection has averaged more than 24 points per game since being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012. But hes slightly built, and that raises some issues, especially when hes caught a fraction of a second behind a play. #VCTLOCKIN #Valorant #valorantagents #valorantgaming. When he was off the ball, it was spectacular. Injuries robbed Rose of the opportunity to become one of the games top five point guards. When he gets set for a defensive play, he does a respectable job. He plays longer than he actually is. They say that defense is mostly about effort. -- Adams, For nine consecutive years, Nash's teams led the NBA in offensive rating. Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, two of the better perimeter defenders in the league, often take up the responsibility for guarding the best point guards. Top 50 Point Guards of All-Time: Magic, The Big O and Curry top the List By Jeff McDaniel | Jul 16, 2020, 5:35pm 1. How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. Do the likes of Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry rise to the top of the point guard rankings, or is it possible for someone with undeniable natural skill like Penny Hardaway to crack the elite group? During each of his five NBA championship rings, he was one of the finest players in the league. Last season, when Rose was healthy early on, they gave up the thirdmost, 16.3 points. Don't get me wrong: Steph is still the league's best shooter. He might have Silly Putty for a father. This is also from the various sources we have used. In terms of point guards, Magic is the finest there has ever been. -- Doolittle, Cousy was an And-1 mix tape in black-and-white. To say he gets pushed around would be generous. Eventually, that learning has to become instinct, though. The other metrics help alleviate the extremes because they also indicate what a players personal defense does. He manages to defend the pick-and-roll reasonably well by doing something I can only call bouncing over picks. After all, as his name implies, Billups was known for taking and making huge shots in order to help his team win. He gave up 1.01 points per play on the spot-up last year. Let me remind everyone, young and old, I played against @iamisiahthomas when he was hurt & hobbling on one leg and @iamisiahthomas still scored 25 points in one quarter in the NBA Finals! His Synergy numbers tell the story. The most pure and one of the best point guards and playmakers in NBA History is John Stockton. -- Peterson, A menace on both ends of the court, Frazier was at his best in the 1970 NBA Finals when tallied 36 points, 19 assists, 7 rebounds in a title-clinching Game 7. Jeremy Lin is not one of the faster point guards in the NBA, and hes not particularly quick either. Three-time MVP (1986-87, 1988-89, 1989-90), three-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships His quick feet give him tremendous lateral movement. He has trouble compensating for his lack of size when challenging jump shots. Probably the most versatile point guard in NBA history, and perhaps a tad underrated given that the focus on his assists overshadowed how valuable his defense was. They average the number of points a player gives up when he is the initial defender, and this is represented by defensive points per play. DWS are how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. West became synonymous with brilliant basketball during his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. While most of these stats are adjusted for minutes, the problem surfaces that bench players, playing fewer minutes, can appear to be better than they are. -- Peterson, Teams The foundation (the facts or stats) needs to be laid first, and then the house (opinions about how, or why, something is) is built on top of it. Tony Parker is one of the fastest players in the league if youre going by pure speed. For example, the Spurs absolutely ate him alive in the playoffs with Tony Parker, who averaged 24.5 points for the series. He may be the finest defensive guard ever because of his awareness and abilities on the defensive end. Thats a strong indication that Rose was not relying on help defense because that same help was there for C.J. Teams For all the hammering Im doing on Chalmers, it remains true that the Heat are better with him on the court than off of it, but its questionable if thats because hes on it. Apart from that, he seems to do what hes supposed to be doing when hes away from the ball. You're the worst defensive point guard in the NBA!!! Generally speaking, the point guard is the player in possession of the ball for the most time during a game and is responsible for maintaining possession of the ball for their team in the face of any pressure from the opponents. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. He picked up a complicated system almost immediately, and the Bulls were consistently a better defense with Hinrich on the court, in large part because of how well he understood the system. Does he know when to go over the pick, and when to go under it? Did they get pushed around easily? All-Time #NBArank: Top 10 point guards ever, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. After the All-Star break, when Rose hardly played, that number fell to 17.8 and the Bulls dropped to ninth. Like last time, these shooting guards are ranked based on the cumulative defensive win shares (DWS). I counted off over 20 plays, specifically watching to see if Chalmers would stop the ball-handler, and he only did once. Not only is Damian Lillard one of the most exciting players in the game today, he makes a strong case as one of the best point guards in NBA history. 1. Refusing to back down because youre afraid of being put on a poster is a good thing, not a bad thing. He does get a bit of a bump here for his rebounding. But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. Lillard has been one of the NBA's most dangerous scorers, capable of striking shots from anywhere on the floor. On the positive side, Rose does a decent job of understanding his role in a complex system. Bledsoe spent the majority of his time with Odom, while Chris Paul spent the majority of his time with Jordan, which confuses the on/off ratings. Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74), Honors Over the next four weeks, well unveil the rankings for the other four positions. Even though injuries caught up with him toward the end of his illustrious career, Bryant still battled as a defender when needed. I doubt its much beyond his height. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook. READ ALSO: James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. WAM is purely objective. The strength of this is that it shows what the other player does offensively. Overall, he is more of a gives-help defender than a needs-help defender. A point guard should always look out for teammates and be able to pass well. The greatest point guard in NBA history. He is in charge of getting the ball into the hands of the shooters. Tim Duncan -- Adande, The only players in NBA history with more games with 20 points and 10 assists are Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. What he offers goes beyond the court. This is where everything focuses on Westbrook. But mostly he plays smartly with an occasional brain fart. Some players defined their positions. He never leaves his man to help a defender that doesnt need help, but he always seems to be there when help is needed. Even when he gets switched up on opposing shooting guards trying to post him up, he does a solid job. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. Mar 6, 2020; New York, New York, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) reacts during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. He wont even try and fight over a pick if he gets caught in one, but just quits on the play. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. He has all the tools to be one: great reflexes and speed, and those long arms with big mitts on the end. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. Watching him rotate was watching perfection. To read more, go here! Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. In his single season with the Wizards, the former NBA MVP averaged a triple-double (again), and he was a big reason why Washington made the playoffs after a rough start to the season. Widely known as one of the best, if not the best, point guards of all time, Chris Pauls offensive exploits are well-documented. A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats Players Stats: 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, Honors: 1978-1979 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 9x All-Defense Selection, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, Hall of Famer. Current NBA point guards known for their defensive prowess include Jrue Holiday, Mike Conley Jr., Marcus Smart, and Chris Paul. Hes one of the slower point guards in the league now, but in spite of that, hes almost ubiquitous at times. For the purpose of this study, 82games was used because the net defensive rating was also easily available and it made for consistency. With his record of successes and pioneering point guard talents, Magic is at the top of the list. One way of offsetting the problems of defensive rating is looking at on/off stats, meaning how many points does the defense give up while a player is on the court versus when he is off the court? To recap, Jason Kidd was the best defensive point guard, Michael Jordan skied above other shooting guards, John Havlicek paced all small forwards - for the time being - and the "Mailman . Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive Second Team five times. He tends to do the right thing, but then hell do something kind of stupid that makes you wonder what hes thinkingeven if what hes thinking is right. He was transcendent. The second-highest regulation scoring output of the 3-point era was the culmination . Brandon Knight has work intelligence. The only thing keeping Thomas off this list is his brief career by star standards. Chauncey Billups, or Mr. He appears to communicate the wisdom hes accrued to his teammates. One of the great conundrums in rating defense is that teammates factor into it. On the other hand, he was frequently bailing out whoever was playing shooting guard on numerous occasions. He doesnt make stupid mistakes, but he doesnt anticipate plays either. See the criteria for scouting on the next slide. However, when the game is on the line, he makes the right decision. Bledsoe is a bit of a freak. He applies every bit of failing athleticism he has all the time. One of the best -- and quickest -- lob passers the game has ever seen. Whenever anyone imagines a point guard, chances are theyre thinking of Utah Jazz legend John Stockton. The only time hell go under a pick is when hes supposed to. In recent years, the sport's shift from a fundamental style of play to a more athletic, scoring-oriented game resulted in the proliferation of so-called combo guards at the point guard position. Players Stats: 18.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, 1972-1973 Scoring Champion, Hall of Famer. In his first season, he specialized in defense and could stop almost every point guard in the league on a regular basis. Honors: 7x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection, 1966-1967 Rookie of the Year, 1967-1968 Scoring Champion, Hall of Famer. -- Peterson, He's one of only a few players in history who has been deemed too good for the sport's own good. Players Stats: 15.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 2003-2004 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection, 2x All-Defensive Team Selection. Its like hes just punching the clock and collecting his wages. Players Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG. One of basketballs most dynamic and versatile point guards in the modern era. The official cause of death of Flashdance singer Irene Cara has been determined. Normally this would be a list of FAQs, but no one has ever asked any questions (since no one has ever seen it). -- Peterson, He was the forerunner of Magic Johnson and LeBron James, and it's telling that both of those stars revere the Big O. Michael Cooper was a great defensive guard, evident when he won the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award in 1987, and James Worthy is a top-ten Small Forward of all-time and was one of the . Also, he was disliked for flopping feigning a foul to get the ball back, yet he proved to be a key ingredient to the Spurs championship-winning formula. In case you missed it, Jason Kidd was tops on our point guard list with 75.1 defensive win shares, good for 11th all-time. Paul was able to keep you at bay on one side of the court while dominating the other with his scoring and passing abilities. Parker applies himself defensively in bursts, and this appears to be by design. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. Then there was that kid who just read the assignment on the bus and got straight As. In the history of the combine, only nine players have recorded better sprint and agility scores, and of those, only three had a better vertical than his 37.5 inches. People that just do their job dont usually pitch in and help their co-workers. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. Lets see who has made it to the top 10 best point guards of all time. Jerry West, one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, combines a lethal jump shot, tenacious defence, obsessive perfectionism, unwavering confidence, and an unwavering will to win. Gary Payton 12. Players like Rose, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving consistently cross him over and get past him. He defends pick-and-rolls exceptionally well because hes able to shake off picks without much trouble, even pushing around stronger players like Carlos Boozer or Robin Lopez at times. In balance he was a plus, but his deficiencies cant be ignored. The average score by point guards was 16.1. Opponents dont have much success getting around him. At 5ft 3in (1.60m) the shortest player in NBA history, Muggsy Bogues enjoyed 889 games in a 14-year career as a point guard. Im cheating a little here. Triple Double was so far ahead of his time in terms of size, speed, strength and stats. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. Rondo may not be big, but he doesnt know that. This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission. Were shooters able to shoot over them? He does such a good job of it while the ball is in front of him, theres no reason he couldnt do it after the ball-handler gets past him. Hes only 63, which is relatively good size for a point guard, but he just seems bigger. His issues related to intelligence, detailed later, compound this problem. New York Knicks (1967-1977), Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-1980), Honors: Bledsoe is not a great help defender, in spite of boasting a -4.9 net defensive rating. Then, when players pull up and shoot, he doesnt use his length to close and get a hand in the face of the shooter. It seems so much of Conley is either there or not there; you get it or you dont get it. He has been improving in that regard, but its taken a while, and there are still some maddening things. Derrick Rose 15. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. Sportbrief has published an article about James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. This can cause other players to become disinvolved in the offense. He keeps track of his man when holding back in the lane to cut off passing lanes. -- Adande, He led the NBA in assists nine straight seasons from 1987 to 1996. Speed is important; a speedy point guard is better able to create separation and space off the dribble, giving themselves room to work.

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