Young players who are relatively short are now developing the scoring aspects of their skill-sets, whereas previously these players would find it difficult to enter the NBA without true point guard skills. Big Shot, is one of the finest point guard leaders in the NBA. As a rookie, Bill Russell relied on Cousy to lead the league in assists, and he won the MVP Award for his efforts. It was just his second season when he led the league in scoring with an average of 27.1 points per game, despite some serious injury setbacks. Many consider Bob Cousy to be a passionate athlete who was the first All-Star and dominating player for the Boston Celtics squad that included legends like Bill Russell and Kevin Collier. For that reason, subjective analysis was also included. He has trouble compensating for his lack of size when challenging jump shots. Its got to be annoying, but its also disruptive, and being disruptive is positive on defense. (I know, but it is a part of defense these days.) Meanwhile, another player has his numbers go up because he is capable. In 2021, Paul became the first player in NBA history to score over 20,000 points and dish out over 10,000 assists before LeBron James followed suit later in 2022. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. On top of that, when Parkers man slips past him, he has one of the best defenders in the history of the universe, Tim Duncan, to help him out. Hes like a runner trying to run a mile by alternating between walking and sprinting 100 yards at a time. The point guard was always capable of scoring the ball at the . He had the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. 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. Overall, hes ninth in steals with 2,207, and Drexlers 49.9 DWS is good for 45th all-time. He had the best peak for any point guard in NBA history, hands down. His issues related to intelligence, detailed later, compound this problem. From there, hes playing catch up. Passing skills, ball handling, and court vision are crucial. Here are the answers to some questions readers are likely to have. Mike Conley is exceptionally quick, virtually teleporting himself from one part of the court to another at times. He spends too much time getting back into the defensive play because he ran himself out of it. The Top 100 will begin to roll out next week. Paul gets caught in a trap that WAM cant entirely avoid because it can only look at what happens, not why it happens. In terms of point guards, Magic is the finest there has ever been. Eventually, that learning has to become instinct, though. Second, having a five-point range on a 22-point scale prevents any one statistic from overly dominating the others. Even though injuries caught up with him toward the end of his illustrious career, Bryant still battled as a defender when needed. Hes 63 with a 68 wingspan and an 83 standing reach. Whatever else you want to say about Brandon Knight, just dont say he never tries. His high rebound rate, while partly indicative of his speed is also a result of positioning, which relates to his IQ. Conley is inconsistent in how he applies effort on the court. 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, The best two-way small player in league history, Paul embodies the era in which he plays by running the pick-and-roll as well as anyone has ever run it. 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. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. 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. Blake Griffin was 21st out of 47 power forwards, and Jordan was 23rd out of 38 centers. Since the first time a professional basketball player dribbled a ball, weve seen some of the greatest point guards in history. Conley looked away from Billups and was pointing vehemently to Paul, trying to tell Allen to get over there and cover him. Here he is. Teams On Detroits 2004 NBA championship squad, he led the likes of Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace to victory over the LA Lakers superteam. He applies himself and stays committed, but when hes beaten on a play, hell relax waiting for his bigs to pick up the slack. Stockton was a member of two gold medal teams and twice reached the NBA finals during his remarkable career. Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. Its like hes just punching the clock and collecting his wages. He bulls through picks well and is not afraid to go over them. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. It seems to be down to less than once a game. Then there was that kid who just read the assignment on the bus and got straight As. 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! A point guard often controls the offense and they also control who gets the ball and who doesn't, as this type of controlling style of play is necessary to control the tempo of a game. As previously stated, he gets the help from Green and Leonard to guard the top point guards. For the time being, his lack of effectiveness and poor decision-making precludes him from being considered one of the top five point guards. In the NBA, point guards generally range from 6ft 1in (1.85m) to 6ft 4in (1.93m) whereas in the WNBA, point guards are usually 5ft 9in (1.75m) or shorter. Tony Parker is one of the fastest players in the league if youre going by pure speed. He simply doesnt have the same ability as the elite point guards to get up in the air, and that hinders his ability to defend the jump shot. He has been improving in that regard, but its taken a while, and there are still some maddening things. 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. His stellar pick-and-roll defensive score has more to do with being backed up by Omer Asik than it does his own play. But Gary Payton did as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. Its difficult to have a perfect rating system thats entirely objective, and even more difficult to have a realistic one that is purely subjective. Gary Payton 12. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. Last season, when Rose was healthy early on, they gave up the thirdmost, 16.3 points. Chris Paul fell into the same kind of trap last season. What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. While he recovers most of the time, its worth asking why he gets beaten. His foot speed is as good as anyone's in the league, and you cant measure that. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. Because of his combination of length, speed and jumping ability, Rose has become an excellent team defender against the jump shot. He was the league's third player to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson). It only looks at the data. He gambles too much, and that often gets him caught out of the play. Interpreted as: best point guard defensive rating with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games 2022 With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. Not everything about a players value can be seen even through advanced stats, or even while hes on the court. What he offers goes beyond the court. SHOCKING one of the best defensive point guards of all time played great defense on a 20 year project old player. That had the effect of distorting Pauls on/off numbers. As a result, he has received numerous awards, including the 'NBA Most Valuable Player' (MVP) award and the "PAC Player of the Year." Two-time MVP (2004-05, 2005-06), eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, Career stats Even his athletic scores dont indicate greatness. He cant be faulted for not being taller or longer, but he could use the length he has better. 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. Archibald, who was just 61 tall, was able to consistently sink the ball despite his diminutive stature. 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. Phoenix Suns (1996-98, 2004-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-15), Honors 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. Its because Griffin and Jordan were on the bench next to him. Thats largely true. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on February 7, 1974, to a Welsh mother, Jean, and an English father, John. He uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. 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. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the team's offense seamlessly. Were shooters able to shoot over them? When he does do it, he does it half-heartedly. Dikembe Mutombo 7. 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. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. But his lack of any vertical leap kills him on the jump shot. If hes on the court, hes moving at full speed. 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5APG, .375 FG%, The player As a Golden State Warrior and Miami Heat legend, Tim Hardaway may have the best crossover in basketball history. Thats just simply not true, and any amount of watching him play will verify that. Therefore, its a Theoretically Asked Questions, or TAQ. Perhaps he just grew weary of Doug Collins' act. Johnson had a knack for scoring against everyone and racked up impressive numbers throughout the course of his career. Considering his challenges with speed, he did reasonably well with the pick-and-roll, again because of his size and strength to fight through picks. Stockton embodied a true point guard: an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. Hes incredibly focused while on the court, but hes always working things out in his head; they dont come automatically, and that costs him time. For a position that was highly valued at the time, he brought a lot of sparkle, style, scoring, and domination to the court. Does he know when to help and not to help? He was also an outstanding playmaker and a solid scorer with a strong mid-range game. Nash is a top-ten point guard without a question. MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships He has above-average size and strength, but he doesnt play like it. Even though hes been injured a lot, Paul is averaging over two steals a game for his career. His wingspan isnt much better at just 64. The Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 championship run would not have been possible without Kyrie Irving, who is a two-time NBA champion. In the NBA, Isiah Thomas is an amazing leader and is truly the most competitive force on the court that we have seen from a tiny guy. That has more to do with the second-string frontcourt, led by Lamar Odom, backing him up than it does his team defense. He doesnt put a lot of effort into chasing his man through screens. Walt Frazier 10. Needless to say, you dont see a lot of LeBron-Jamesian-chase-down blocks from Conley. 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. These point guard rankings will be the first of five articles. Thats a strong indication that Rose was not relying on help defense because that same help was there for C.J. 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. 3. 43 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from BabyYo: NRG VS KOI Highlights. 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. -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. Anyways, we hope you enjoyed going through the rankings with Magic Johnson securing first place in the Top 10 NBA point guards of all time. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. Greg Monroe has talent on the offensive side of the ball but not a whole lot on the defensive side. Thats when you see him start to do things like not close out on shooters, merely waving his hand in the air instead. Williams needs to have a bit of a paradigm shift in the direction of team defense. First, a range of 18 to 22 makes it easier to arrive at the eventual score of 100the baseline everything was weighted to. Whenever anyone imagines a point guard, chances are theyre thinking of Utah Jazz legend John Stockton. Its probably no coincidence that Stephen Currys defense took a giant step forward this season playing alongside Jack, and you might see a similar progression from Kyrie Irving next year. If theres a weakness, though, its that when he comes up against the elite offensive point guards, he will get beaten in isolation. -- Rob Peterson, One can only imagine how impressive his career totals might have been if not for the HIV virus. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive 2nd Team five times. -- Haberstroh, Honors Ranking 50 Greatest Point Guards in NBA History Photo Gallery | NBA.com Teams G League WNBA BAL NBA 2K NBA Store NBA League Pass Tickets Schedule Team News Gameday Youth Basketball Shop. 76ers vs. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive Second Team five times. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. Scouting isnt the same as just watching games. He doesnt play on the ball physically, utilizing that advantage. That can create an illusion of great defense where there is none. Most players will take a little on-court breather now and then. 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. Paul, who was born on May 6, 1985, has long been regarded as one of the game's greatest point guards, a fact reinforced by his selection to the 75th Anniversary Team. One of the most innovative offensive players, San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili was a very unique player. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. How much a player understands his role in the defense is measured here. Overall, he is more of a gives-help defender than a needs-help defender. Conley correctly identified the defender who was out of position, showing intelligence, but stupidly ignored that his man had the ball and an accurate jump shot. -- Doolittle, Cousy was an And-1 mix tape in black-and-white. I gave Paul the highest possible score here to offset the total ineptness of the coaching staff, and the frontcourt help he got last season, but he would have a high score regardless. Chasing down balls, hell reach from behind and disrupt the dribble. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. Hes led the league in steals per game five times in the last six years. Lennys passing and leadership on the floor were solid, but he also had a few great scoring years on the court. Have a look! The American former professional basketball player was born on August 9, 1928, and played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963 and shortly for the Cincinnati Royals during the 196970 season. This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission. As a result, opponents shot 42.9 percent from deep against him in the pick-and-roll. Sometimes, thats just not enough, especially if hes left to guard in isolation, where hes horrid, giving up .92 points per play. -- Adande, Possessed incredible court vision and creativity, all while orchestrating the frenetic game pace of his era. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. -- Kevin Pelton, NBA Insider, May be the strongest point guard ever and consistently made everyone around him better. -- Adande, He led the NBA in assists nine straight seasons from 1987 to 1996. Nevertheless, its just as important. With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. He tends to use that speed and athleticism well when hes in position, too. Always free! 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. Hes not as horrible as some people would make it sound. The number in the parentheses indicates where they ranked in that category. These were calculated using the raw stats available on any site carrying basic stats. Mr. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. 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. Adande, Brad Doolittle, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton are NBA writers for ESPN.com. Hes still learning to apply that tremendous athleticism on the defensive end of the court, though. He weighs in at only 175 pounds. That being said, Joakim Noah was frequently required to bail him out of trouble. Rondo likes to do this chest bump thing where he meets the opponent past the half-court line and just bumps his chest into him repeatedly. He sometimes gets tangled up and left hopelessly out of the play. WAMS includes scouting. Players Stats: 18.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 10x All-Stars, 8x All-NBA Selection, 2005-2006 Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection. In his rookie year, he was already averaging 2 steals per game with 0.2 blocks. Whether this is a result of his reputation being undeserved or him not putting forth the effort isnt hard to determine. Then, over 10,000 video clips were viewed and players were evaluated based on subjective criteria. 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. In fact, hes a bit of a bull on the court and tries to intimidate his counterpart. 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, .428 3P%, The player 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. Having said that, he does play team defense, too, and he is part of the team. Bledsoe is not a great help defender, in spite of boasting a -4.9 net defensive rating. He just doesnt have the length to effectively guard against them. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. Follow Sports Brief on Twitter for more trending and breaking news! Hes one of the most prolific players in the game. Holiday has ample size for a point guard, standing a shade over 64 in shoes, and weighing in at 205 pounds. Some players get caught out of place, but they know theyre out of place. Hes able to stay in front of all but the quickest point guards in the league. He also is tougher than most point guards to post up. If you just look at his measurables, Chris Paul is not impressive. There is no doubt that Stephen Curry inherited his incredible shooting ability from his father, Dell, who was a successful NBA marksman himself, but the younger Curry's game is more diverse than Dell's. Rushmore of greatest postseason performances in league history.