New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers, (2011-present), Honors 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. Stockton is one of the greatest assist players in NBA history, if not the greatest. But, there is one only shooting guard that leapfrogged over all others. After the opponent scores, it is typically the point guard who brings the ball down the court to begin an offensive play. He closed out on jump-shooters half-heartedly, which is bad enough, but when you combine that with the way he played pick-and-roll plays, it was even worse. 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, .520 FG%, The player Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive Second Team five times. Mentally subtract them from the rankings if you feel they shouldn'tbe included. He made everything go for those Lakers teams. Even though Payton only played a little part in 2006, the Heats success would not have been possible without his defensive presence and leadership. For Rose, his biggest issues on both sides of the ball have to do with fundamentals and understanding. He also is tougher than most point guards to post up. Dennis Johnson. Whenever anyone imagines a point guard, chances are theyre thinking of Utah Jazz legend John Stockton. His Synergy scores are worse than expected, but that appears to be from players just shooting over him more than getting past him. Somehow, he seems to be able to get his hands in the way of a lot of shots and passes that should be out of reach. He uses his feet and body well, steering his man into the help defense when he knows hes not able to keep up. All the other tools and effort can be rendered useless by a little stupidity. Curry has won three NBA championships and cemented his status as the finest shooter in NBA history since becoming a superstar and two-time MVP. Lee Rose has described a point guard as a coach on the floor, who can handle and distribute the ball to teammates. Allen Iverson 11. Bledsoe is a bit of a freak. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Hes just unable able to get high enough to legitimately challenge the shot. He probably can even tell you where the hot dog vendor and mascot are. If theres a weakness, though, its that when he comes up against the elite offensive point guards, he will get beaten in isolation. It is akin to the blind men and the elephant in the Indian fable adapted to a poem by John Godfrey Saxe. When he tries, Lowry can be a solid defensive player, but that whole when he tries qualifier is pretty significant. The NBA is flush with dominant point guards. -- Peterson, Thomas' willingness to share the spotlight helped make the Bad Boy Pistons incredible, and he had a consistent ability to step up his game in the postseason during Detroit's title runs (and near miss in 1988). If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. Since the first time a professional basketball player dribbled a ball, weve seen some of the greatest point guards in history. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. Lowry just seems to be lost on defense much of the time. Lin is 63 and 200 pounds, which is decent size for a point guard, in the neighborhood of Derrick Rose, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook. There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. He owes his charitable demeanour to a group of elementary school parents. When you look at his on/off numbers, you expect that hed be a solid help defender, but you dont see much evidence of that. He applies his energy smartly. Its like hes just punching the clock and collecting his wages. Because of his combination of length, speed and jumping ability, Rose has become an excellent team defender against the jump shot. The official cause of death of Flashdance singer Irene Cara has been determined. Hakeem Olajuwon 2. Hinrich always had a high basketball IQ. Still, Nash's greatest historical legacy will be paving the way for Stephen Curry and a new generation of point guards in a league that embraced point guards making plays with a wide-open court. 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. Lowry looks around like he just woke up from a nap in a foreign city, and hes trying to figure out where hes supposed to be. This is one of those cases where scouting helps. The number in the parentheses indicates where they ranked in that category. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. I like to compare it to the relationship between a foundation and a house. He cant be faulted for not being taller or longer, but he could use the length he has better. He routinely gets blistered in isolation (.93 points per play), fails to close out well on shooters and lags when coming off of screens. Went from dominating games strictly with his passing to making the fifth-most 3-pointers in NBA history. This year, without Rose, the Bulls were 23rd, at 21.0 points per game. Hes a learning player, and his extensive time sitting last year may have helped his grasp of defense as well as offense. Then, over 10,000 video clips were viewed and players were evaluated based on subjective criteria. In his first season, he specialized in defense and could stop almost every point guard in the league on a regular basis. He has become one of the hardest working point guards in the league on both ends. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the team's offense seamlessly. Some will just hang around waiting for the play to end, but Jack keeps track of his man and also helps if its needed. He did it not once, not twice, but three times. He doesnt have overwhelming effort that blows you away, but he has earnest effort. That makes him eligible for inclusion on this list of best point guards. His ability to score and create plays made him an NBA superstar. As a result, he rarely gets tangled up with the pick-setter. For a player who lacks lateral quickness and a player that has been in the league as long as he has, you would think Williams would have learned to do a better job of steering opponents into the help defense. He was an unstoppable offensive force who could score from anywhere on the court and in any way he wanted. Sometimes, thats just not enough, especially if hes left to guard in isolation, where hes horrid, giving up .92 points per play. He could be better than he is, but its hard to blame only him. Ultimately, Johnson's unselfishness earned him the title of greatest point guard of all time. At the point guard position, point guard Damian Lillard is one of the games most talented shooters and scorers. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. This could be something that Monty Williams, a coach with outstanding player development skills, can work on in New Orleans now that Holiday is with the Pelicans. Dennis Johnson. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. If a player tends to be the helper, he gets a better score. Congratulations, Brian Roberts! The effect was that the Bulls' starters all looked inferior to their backups. Since I always get asked "Where's ___________?" Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade won the NBA championship in 2006 with him as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. That said, hes 61st all-time in steals with 1392 and he had six seasons in the top-20 in steals. 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. . Then, when players pull up and shoot, he doesnt use his length to close and get a hand in the face of the shooter. This implies that the point guard serves as an extension of their coach on the court, and he or she is accountable for making the right plays every night. He has two ways of guarding the isopray for help or flop. Hes one of the most prolific players in the game. It will be interesting to see how well he does with Larry Sanders behind him in Milwaukee. That concludes the WAP portion of our programming schedule. Coaches are responsible for developing young players, and it would have been fun to watch him grow under Doc Rivers. For example, there was a play in which he was switched up against the Clippers, and he was put on Chauncey Billups, while Tony Allen was on Chris Paul. However his brilliant and consistent team defense team keeps passing lanes secure and helps prevent a lot of plays from developing the way they normally would. He uses quickness to capably guard the perimeter, but thats in large part because hes not always defending the elite point guards. -- Doolittle, Perhaps someday Paul will reach the conference finals and we can focus more on his incredible accomplishments as a scorer, distributor and defender and less on his teams' inability to turn them into deep playoff runs. Bledsoes defensive numbers would be far worse if he werent getting helped out by Odom all the time. He has been improving in that regard, but its taken a while, and there are still some maddening things. Sometimes it doesnt. Honors: 6x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Selection, 2011-2012 Rookie of the Year, Players Stats: 22.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG. Despite his little size, he made up for it offensively by being lightning fast and had the whole attacking package. If he didnt retire at 34, its interesting to see where Cousy could have landed all-time as he averaged 3.8 DWS per season. Nixon played 6 seasons with the Lakers, making the All-Star Teams in 1982 and 1982 when he posted 17.6 PPG and 17.2 PPG respectively. Sometimes even when hes being smart, he gets a little dumb. Players Stats: 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 1989-1990 Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. And I never saw him go in the wrong direction, not once. He does those things; he just doesnt do them very hard. The advantage of defensive rating is that it accounts for the things that dont show up in box scores. The disadvantage is that sometimes its not the player doing those things, and hes getting credit for someone elses great defense. West became synonymous with brilliant basketball during his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He doesnt cheat in either direction, though. Adapting your system to every opponent and knowing their nuances is understandable. Curry has developed into much more than a 3-point specialist. In nine seasons with the Detroit Pistons, plus two with the Washington Bullets and one with the Boston Celtics, Bing gathered 18,327 points in 901 competitions (20.3 ppg). This is to avoid confusion if you want to go to the original source.). Johnson is widely recognized as one of the all-time great point guards, particularly for his defense. Hes fearless, and no matter how large the big setting the pick is, he wont back down. Cousy, in many respects, was the Celtics spirit at the moment. Kyrie Irving is unquestionably one of the greatest point guards of all time. Even players like Derek Fisher will hang him up and then hit him with the step-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. Hes only 63, which is relatively good size for a point guard, but he just seems bigger. Stockton embodied a true point guard: an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. Total Defensive Plays per 36 Minutes, or TDP/36 is simply the total number of defensive rebounds, steals and blocks a player accrues every 36 minutes. -- Pelton, If he had played with The Mailman or a defense as stout as the Pistons, he might have made a couple of Finals by now. What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. Other defenders deficiencies are hidden by being put on weaker offensive players. All pre-draft measurements were obtained from the database hosted on Draft Express. Getting paired with Tom Thibodeau has made it even better. -- Peterson, He's one of only a few players in history who has been deemed too good for the sport's own good. His lateral quickness is exceptional, making it hard for people to get around him, and thats a big part of why he is tied with Derrick Rose for the fewest points per play among qualified point guards. With both, its the combination of their size and speed that makes them so phenomenal. Steph's ball-handling abilities make him a lethal ball-handler, as he can shake a defender at any time. Bob Cousy Bettman/Getty Images. In the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player coaches. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. Both figures can be obtained by going to any players team page and then clicking on the appropriate name. But only once did he actually truly defend the play. This is not so common anymore, as most coaches are now solely specialized in coaching and are non-players. Hes listed at 62 which seems about right, and hes broad-shouldered and strong for his height, but he also seems to have shorter limbs, although I cant find his wingspan listed on Draft Express. Archibald, who was just 61 tall, was able to consistently sink the ball despite his diminutive stature. So the problem isnt a lack of speed; its a lack of applying it. Paul is just listed at just 60, and that might be generous. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Its what separates him from being a valuable, slightly overrated defender, and an elite defender. Wilt Chamberlain 14. The explosiveness and rim-running ability of Damian Lillard extend beyond his ability to shoot the ball from a distance. Championships: 3. Even his athletic scores dont indicate greatness. Above all, the point guard must understand and accept their coach's game plan; in this way, the position can be compared to a quarterback in American football. Having said that, when hes playing off the ball, he knows where hes supposed to be, and hes usually there. Michael Jordan 10. -- Adams, Combined savvy with underrated strength. Since its neither, he gets an even score. Does he know when to go over the pick, and when to go under it? You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook. The .72 points per play he gives up in isolation is elite-level defense. The debate over whether it should have been a flagrant is mootclearly that got into James head because he was talking about it after the game. He literally may be the least athletic guard in the Association. The average score by point guards was 16.1. His helter-skelter wizziness has him flying around the court, and sometimes its good. 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. -- Adande, He led the NBA in assists nine straight seasons from 1987 to 1996. The other metrics help alleviate the extremes because they also indicate what a players personal defense does. -- Peterson, He was the forerunner of Magic Johnson and LeBron James, and it's telling that both of those stars revere the Big O. Because he is the one who touches the basketball first on every possession, the NBAs point guard has long been considered its most vital position. Whether this is a result of his reputation being undeserved or him not putting forth the effort isnt hard to determine. Triple Double was so far ahead of his time in terms of size, speed, strength and stats. There was always that kid in high school or college who tried so hard to get decent grades. That all-around game made Kidd one of the league's top point guards for nearly 20 years. Robertson amassed 26,710 points and 9,887 assists during his 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. In addition to the traditional role of the point guard, modern teams have found new ways to utilize the position. What is the difference between WAM and WAMS? Two-time MVP (2004-05, 2005-06), eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, Career stats Gary Payton is one of the best ever. He does an air-tight job of keeping players out of the perimeter. Despite the fact that he was unable to win an NBA championship, his charisma and dribbling prowess will never be forgotten. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. He seems to get frustrated easily. These point guard rankings will be the first of five articles. 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5APG, .375 FG%, The player Its possible for Nash to be the whole offense and to shoot 50-40-90 from the field on a continuous basis. Scoring point guards typically look to score first, thus preventing teammates from getting the ball. When he was at his peak, Rose was one of the greatest point guards of all time, and he merits a spot in the top 15. That being said, Joakim Noah was frequently required to bail him out of trouble. Does he make stupid fouls or smart fouls? The best shooter ever not just in terms of accuracy but also in creatively getting looks with but a sliver's opening and with unlimited range. Exceptions were made for Derrick Rose, Danny Granger, Andrew Bynum and Kevin Love because they have all been All-Star players, and all are still, at least by age, in their prime. -- Doolittle, The great Knicks ball-movement offense started with him. Teams In fact, its probably the most important thing. He does a poor job of defending the spot-up, surrendering 1.07 points per play. Think: Dennis Rodman. Point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders. Watching him rotate was watching perfection. Although Wade had an accomplished resume, if he had played one more season, he wouldve easily overtaken the next player on the list. Humility can often be a sign of intelligence at work, and it is with Hinrich. He averaged 3.9 win shares per season, totaling 75.1 DWS at the end of his 19-year career, good for 11th all-time. Its why Williams gives up .92 points per play in isolation, one of the worst averages among point guards. An All-Star in every full season that he played for the Boston Celtics, six-time NBA champion Bob Cousy was an all-around player. He averages 1.8 steals per game. Still, hes one of the best point guards of all time, and his stats show that hes a deserved All-Star. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. A point guard primarily defends on the perimeter, just as they primarily play on the perimeter on offense. When you combine that with his 40-inch vertical, you have a player that gets higher (139 inches) than any point guard in the leagueeven Russell Westbrook. This can cause other players to become disinvolved in the offense. Some would look at Conleys frontcourt and assumenot entirely incorrectlythat having Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to back him up pads his stats. Dallas Mavericks (1994-96, 2008-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-2001), New Jersey Nets (2001-08), New York Knicks (2012-13), Honors Interpreted as: best defensive rating with a minimum of 10000 minutes played point guards in NBA history. He uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. He was born on March 23, 1973. He didnt have an eye-popping number, but he was in the top 25 percent of players there. Steve Nash 7. Scottie Pippen 5. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. It just feels like there should be another notch where pride kicks in, he gets passionateor even angryand he hits another level. Who's the best offensive point guard of all time? However, he doesnt appear to have the same strength they do. He stands third among the top 10 point guards of all time. [2], Learn how and when to remove this template message, National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award, "The Olympic history of UConn's Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi", "Top 10 point guards in the NBA right now", FOXSports.com - Best all-time point guards, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Point_guard&oldid=1142307492, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 17:58. Scroll below to see where Stephen Curry ranks among the best point guards in the NBA. Hes not just ordinary quick, either; hes pesky-quick, with fast hands that dart in and take the ball out of the ball-handler's dribble with alarming frequency. Thats a strong indication that Rose was not relying on help defense because that same help was there for C.J. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. Point guards must be able to maintain possession of the ball in crowded spaces and in traffic and be able to advance the ball quickly. -- Adande, The only players in NBA history with more games with 20 points and 10 assists are Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. On pick-and-rolls when hes not set, teams have learned to expect this. -- Adams, The fashion forerunner to Russell Westbrook. Does he rotate on time? A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. Players Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 1963-1964 MVP, 12x All-Star, 11x All-NBA Selection, 1960-1961 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Famer. He has all the tools to be one: great reflexes and speed, and those long arms with big mitts on the end. Later in his career, he even improved as an outside shooter, which contributed significantly to his longevity. But thats why we do the research. Jrue Holiday is making . MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships WAM is the foundation, and WAMS is the house. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. Is that because Chalmers is a better team defender or is it because Cole isnt on the court with James as much? Take, for example, Carlos Boozer in 2012. They work harder, and they get things eventually, but not quite as well. At 61 and 171 pounds, Rondo is pretty small by NBA standards, but he plays much tougher than his size. As previously discussed, it is true that purely objective analysis does not, and cannot, tell the whole story, especially when it comes to something as dynamic as defense. Thats rarely going to be because of a mental error, though. 2. The five best defensive point guards of all time Jarrod Castillo Dec 16, 2019; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) directs his team during a play against the. 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. He arguably makes more plays on his feet, both offensively and defensively, than anyone else. In case you missed it, Jason Kidd was tops on the list with 75.1 DWS, good for 11th all-time.
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