Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. He never stops moving. It probably tells the accurate story here. When he gets set for a defensive play, he does a respectable job. Ben Wallace 12. Payton is one of two point guards to have ever won the Defensive Player of the Year, and his stats show it. 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. Thats largely true. For the time being, his lack of effectiveness and poor decision-making precludes him from being considered one of the top five point guards. Gary Payton 9. Players Stats: 23.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 2x MVP, 6x All-Star, 6x All-NBA Selection, 2015-2016 Scoring Champion. Stockton embodied a true point guard: an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. Nash was never known as a strong defender, but he was capable of bothering opposing point guards to some extent. When Gibson played with the starters, the Bulls gave up 10 fewer points per 100 possessions. Watching him rotate was watching perfection. This is what I mean by ubiquity. Mike Conley is exceptionally quick, virtually teleporting himself from one part of the court to another at times. He had absolutely no help backing him up, and that inflates his objective numbers. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. They must also be able to adapt to what the defense is allowing and must control the pace of the game. Even though he normally does, he shouldnt have to and wouldnt if he were playing smarter. Perhaps next year the Raptors will see better times, and well see less of that kind of behavior, but its a harmful habit to have picked up. This score is to help alleviate that. Coming off one of the best offensive seasons in NBA history, Curry takes the top spot on our list of the league's best point guards, followed closely by 22-year-old wunderkind Luka Doncic, who may . If it gives up fewer points, thats good. Its what separates him from being a valuable, slightly overrated defender, and an elite defender. Bob Cousy Bettman/Getty Images. Only two other players besides Moncrief have won the NBAs defensive player of the year award twice. At the very least, he could stab those quick hands of his at some more balls and disrupt the dribble from behind. He actually plays his best games against his best opponents. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. He seems to get frustrated easily. Players Stats: 16.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 9x All-Stars, 9x All-NBA Selection, 1990-1991 Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection, 1995-1996 Defensive Player of the Year, Hall of Famer. His shot-making and defense made him a top-tier point guard throughout his career. A point guard primarily defends on the perimeter, just as they primarily play on the perimeter on offense. At 61 and 171 pounds, Rondo is pretty small by NBA standards, but he plays much tougher than his size. Not Paul. James is well-known for his incredible skill and ability to score big points, which frequently help his team win crucial games. 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 essence, hes athletic enough to do a respectable job of what hes asked to do. If Williams had more pride in his defense, he would actually ask for, and depend on, help more than he does. He almost always went under the pick. In the late 1980s, he was the face of the Bad Boys Pistons, who defeated Jordan's Bulls three times in a row in the playoffs. Players Stats: 17.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 9.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 3x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, 1988-1989 Most Improved Player. [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. Westbrooks Synergy numbers on the pick-and-roll (.75) and isolation (.7) suggest hes better than he actually is. On the other hand, no matter how solid the foundation is, you cant move into it. The seven-time All-Star was one of the best two-way guards of his time, and his performance in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA FInals remains one for the ages. Conley is inconsistent in how he applies effort on the court. Players have a difficult time getting past him. He gets a higher score here than he technically deserves because he tries so hard. When the team is winning or the game is close, he puts in real effort, but if they are down, he shows noticeably less energy. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. -- Adams, The fashion forerunner to Russell Westbrook. 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. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. He had the best peak for any point guard in NBA history, hands down. Some of this is hard to know whether to ascribe to Bledsoe or to his former coach, Vinny Del Negro, who hones his X's and O's skills by playing tic-tac-toe online. This mans achievements are indisputable, and the prospect of him winning a second NBA championship just adds to his greatness. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. Perhaps the best word to describe his defense is lollygaggy.. He may be the finest defensive guard ever because of his awareness and abilities on the defensive end. Sometimes even when hes being smart, he gets a little dumb. Being big and strong doesnt mean players automatically got higher scores, though. Between his height, lack of real effort on closing out and taking too long to figure out where hes supposed to be (if he ever figures it out all), he becomes the perfect storm for easy pickins. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. Notable point guards of the WNBA include five-time champion Sue Bird, her Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi (the only two basketball players of either gender to earn five Olympic gold medals for basketball[1]) and Courtney Vandersloot. He gets a ton of help from his teammates and isnt asked to give a lot back. For that reason, subjective analysis was also included. Johnson will go down as one of the top 25 all-time point guards because of his defensive presence. Although Wilkens is best known as a head coach, he was once an outstanding athlete. Bucks: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Rockets vs. Spurs: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Hawks vs. Heat: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Pistons vs. Cavaliers: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Raptors vs. Wizards: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Russell Westbrook still wants Sixth Man of Year award from time with Lakers, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. If you just look at his measurables, Chris Paul is not impressive. -- Pelton, Today's children will ask, "Who was the Steph Curry before Steph Curry?" -- Doolittle, Cousy was an And-1 mix tape in black-and-white. Each touches a different part of the elephant, one an ear, another the torso and so on. 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. Hes just over 60" without shoes but has a wingspan of 67.5. Only four players in the history of the combine are as short or shorter and have at least that kind of reach. Who's the best offensive point guard of all time? Not everything about a players value can be seen even through advanced stats, or even while hes on the court. Hes one of the most prolific players in the game. He is a natural playmaker with excellent point guard abilities, creating the ideal point guard prototype. 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player Despite the fact that he was unable to win an NBA championship, his charisma and dribbling prowess will never be forgotten. Thats when you see him start to do things like not close out on shooters, merely waving his hand in the air instead. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. Below is a list of the 25 Best point guards of the NBA. Watson, Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson. He gets easily overpowered when bigger point guards post him up. He seemed to keep ahead of the play, moving to the next rotation a fraction of a second before the play even developed in that direction. 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. Since the first time a professional basketball player dribbled a ball, weve seen some of the greatest point guards in history. Second, having a five-point range on a 22-point scale prevents any one statistic from overly dominating the others. Top 20 best defensive midfielders in the world today: who are they? As one of the elite point guards in the NBA, you would expect him to have elite athleticism, but he actually doesnt. Thomas was ultra-quick with the ball and, at any moment, could pull up for a deadly jump shot. Top 10 Point Guards of All Time Best NBA Point Guards, NBA and other Best Basketball Leagues in the World, Facebook and Twitter takedown hackers targeting Ukraine political figures and military officials via fake accounts, Britney Spears called out Fans that She felt Sick to her stomach after Family plans Intervention, Stephen tWitch Boss passed away intestate, wife Allison Holker has filed Estate Control. 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-D selection, co-Rookie of the Year (1994-95), Career stats Of course having book smarts doesnt preclude you from knowing what youre doing on the court either. He spends too much time getting back into the defensive play because he ran himself out of it. He has decent size for a point guard, at 63 but he doesnt have much of a vertical: 28.5.. 2. -- Adams, Thomas was as tough as they come, could score with the best of them (such a sweet stroke) and, make no mistake, was the baddest of the Bad Boys. How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. 8. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. His lateral quickness is below-average, and his straightaway speed isnt much either. He also uses that length to be one of the best shot-blocking point guards in the league. Over 90 percent of the time, the ball-handler gets by him. 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. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. Rajon Rondo is probably the most athletic player in the league who plays most of his game below the rim. -- Kevin Pelton, Teams We ranked the best point guards, determining the list with the help of B-R's position splits. Its still possible for him to make another All-Star squad, and it seems like hes on the path to doing so. During his career, he was selected to nine All-NBA Defensive Teams and five All-Star teams. Tim Duncan 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. Sounds great, right? Then again, the limited number of plays may be, in part, due to the fact that hes so hard to post up. This is especially true when closing out on defenders. Steph's ball-handling abilities make him a lethal ball-handler, as he can shake a defender at any time. Hes just unable able to get high enough to legitimately challenge the shot. 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? Penny is deserving of a much better ranking just because he is such a gifted one. He was the league's third player to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson). Conley also has crazy hops, measuring a 40.5-inch vertical at the combine, and he is one of the quickest point guards in the league. But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. Bledsoe is a bit of a freak. Among the greatest point guards of all time, Tiny is among the finest ever. Thats rarely going to be because of a mental error, though. Along with leadership and a general basketball acumen, ball-handling is a skill of great importance to a point guard. If someone goes past him, hell usually just wave goodbye. Gary Payton. He keeps track of his man when holding back in the lane to cut off passing lanes. 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. With both, its the combination of their size and speed that makes them so phenomenal. Others with less physical prowess can dominate defensively simply because they pour everything into it. Chalmers will fail at things, but not because he isnt trying. Occasionally hell chase the play after hes been beaten, but not always. -- 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. It is one thing to be able to recognize the player that is in a tactically advantageous position, but it is another thing entirely to be able to deliver the ball to that player. Rose is arguably the most athletic point guard in the league, though Russell Westbrook could present a challenge. He was second among point guards in defensive rebounds per 36 minutes. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats An adamant multi-disciplinary journalist, Brian possesses the instincts that are comfortably intrigued by covering and writing the details as minor as the size of Kawhi Leonards hands and as significant as the Trends to watch out for in 2022. Rondos lack of a need for help defense allows Garnett to help more elsewhere. Norris Coles individual numbers are all better than Chalmers, but he gets docked with lower team numbers. 43 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from BabyYo: NRG VS KOI Highlights. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. Michael Jordan 10. And I never saw him go in the wrong direction, not once. Hes not as horrible as some people would make it sound. Widely known as one of the best, if not the best, point guards of all time, Chris Pauls offensive exploits are well-documented. The bulk of his thefts came by stealing the dribble, not by shooting the passing lanes. There are times where he makes a bone-headed gamble and loses, trying to get the extra steal, but thats about the only flaw there is with him mentally. The only time hell go under a pick is when hes supposed to. Conley looked away from Billups and was pointing vehemently to Paul, trying to tell Allen to get over there and cover him. 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. Some players defined their positions. His net defensive rating is fairly close to even, and slightly above average for point guards. Here he is. Can they play bigger than they really are? As previously stated, he gets the help from Green and Leonard to guard the top point guards. He never leaves his man to help a defender that doesnt need help, but he always seems to be there when help is needed. That earned him the nickname Mr. There was always that kid in high school or college who tried so hard to get decent grades. Additionally, Stockton was a fantastic shooter and defender, almost possessing no weaknesses on the floor at all. Even players like Derek Fisher will hang him up and then hit him with the step-back. Rushmore of greatest postseason performances in league history. 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats His net defensive rating of 4.2 is an indication of both a lack of his helping and asking for help. Players Stats: 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG, 0.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG, Honors: 1956-1957 MVP, 13x All-Star, 12x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, .520 FG%, The player If theres a weakness, though, its that when he comes up against the elite offensive point guards, he will get beaten in isolation. Hes able to use that size advantage by being physical, playing close and aggressive, often forcing shooters into shots they arent comfortable taking. These combo point guards can surprise defenses. He also knew when he needed to score, as evidenced by his 42-point performance in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals for a Lakers team missing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. Several sites track this, each in its slightly unique way, depending on its formula to calculate possessions. Players Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, Honors: 3x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 10x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. As a result of his hurling himself around the court with utter abandon, he was generally a positive when it came to help defense. That said, hes 61st all-time in steals with 1392 and he had six seasons in the top-20 in steals. He gets crossed over pretty easily, and not just by the Associations elite point guards. This is also from the various sources we have used. DWS are how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. Sportbrief has published an article about James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. -- Adams, An early ballhandling wizard, he was a point guard who was a focal point at a time when the game was dominated by big men. -- Peterson. It will be interesting to see how well he does with Larry Sanders behind him in Milwaukee. Point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders. Alex Caruso. Some players with tremendous athleticism just dont apply it on both ends of the court. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. WAM is purely objective. Isaiah Thomas 5. Damian Lillard (2013-Present) AP Images. Offense is so much more than just scoring. However, despite Chris Paul and Jason Kidds prominence, Steve Nash became a two-time MVP who had no weaknesses on the offensive end. The Clippers were 10 points better with Lamar Odom on the court than DeAndre Jordan according to NBA.com/STATS. Steve Nash 7. After ball-handling, the most important areas of the game for a point guard are passing and scoring. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. He didnt have an eye-popping number, but he was in the top 25 percent of players there. The official cause of death of Flashdance singer Irene Cara has been determined. The list of the best defensive NBA point guards for 2022-23 starts off with two of the elite perimeter defenders overall. Scouting isnt the same as just watching games. As a rookie, Bill Russell relied on Cousy to lead the league in assists, and he won the MVP Award for his efforts. Watts Van Lier Frazier Price Ward Bing White Buckner Walker Kidd Hollins Williams Cleamons Bibby Porter Buse Snow McMillan Tinsley Armstrong Knight Carter 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 97.4 97.6 98.1 99.6 99.9 100.4 100.9 101.1 101.5 101 . Its like hes just punching the clock and collecting his wages. Chris Paul is widely considered to be one of the best point guards of the 2010s. Hes one of the slower point guards in the league now, but in spite of that, hes almost ubiquitous at times. He owes his charitable demeanour to a group of elementary school parents. Los Angeles Lakers late legend Kobe Bryant is often considered the greatest Laker ever and with good reason: Bryant is first in many of the Lakers statistical categories. Hes so undersized, youd think he was just some regular guy. Passing skills, ball handling, and court vision are crucial. It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. You dont get the sense in watching him that theres a point of pride in it. Sometimes his teammates bailed him out; sometimes the shot just didnt go in. Even though hes been injured a lot, Paul is averaging over two steals a game for his career. -- Adande, The only players in NBA history with more games with 20 points and 10 assists are Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. Meanwhile, we are presenting the top 10 by position. Getting paired with Tom Thibodeau has made it even better. Sometimes it doesnt. Speaking about hard-nosed defense-first converted shooting guards, here is one more name to the list: Dennis Johnson, one of the all-time great Celtics and at the same time one of the most underrated players in the history of the NBA.