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Only two NBA championships would make him the second-best player in NBA history. One aspect of Roses year-long absence that gets lost is how much the team suffered defensively without him. As a result, he rarely gets tangled up with the pick-setter. He also only has a 65 wingspan, which is short of the other bigger point guards, but what he has, he uses well. This is where everything focuses on Westbrook. Once he had the ball on the fastbreak, The Flash was gone. This is to avoid confusion if you want to go to the original source.). Additionally, Stockton was a fantastic shooter and defender, almost possessing no weaknesses on the floor at all. 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. Two-time All-Defensive First Team Four-time All-Star Before having his career derailed by drug use, Micheal Ray Richardson was one of the league's most feared defensive point. 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. (I know, but it is a part of defense these days.) There was always that kid in high school or college who tried so hard to get decent grades. Holiday wouldnt just go under the pick; he would go too far under the pick. On and off the court, Dave Bing was an excellent high-scoring NBA point guard who achieved greatness. Can they play bigger than they really are? Interpreted as: best point guard defensive rating with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games 2022 The average score by point guards was 16.1. -- Adande, Nash is the only player in history to go 50-40-90 while averaging 10 assists per game. James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. Jack is one of those players that a lot of people dont know what he brings to a team in the locker room. Six blind men all go to see an elephant which they'venever encountered before. The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Of course, sometimes his opponent scored, too. His MVP season, he had the second-best block total by a point guard in history (although John Wall exceeded that total last year.). His score represents the average of trying hard and not trying at all once the ball gets past him. The problem is he doesnt use that height or strength as well as youd like to see. Steve Nash 7. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. Chalmers will fail at things, but not because he isnt trying. In fact, a player may have great individual numbers precisely because he is actually detrimental to his team. We have listed down 25 of the finest point guards, so lets see who makes it to the top 10 point guards of all time. The corresponding WAM or WAMS scores indicate how many points a group of like-skilled players on the court would theoretically give up in 100 possessions. He could be better than he is, but its hard to blame only him. 2. Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. Watching Parker play defense for a while, particularly zooming in on the pick-and-roll plays, his impressive court awareness stands out. The more often he is the primary defender, the more likely he is to be responsible for guarding the player who is getting the most plays offensively. 25. Isiah Thomas, born on April 30, 1961, and possibly the best player ever under 6-foot-1, combined talent with fierce competitiveness. My guess is that it has something to do with that. The classic definition of a point guard, orchestrating offense and shooting when necessary. In his 20 seasons, Bryant averaged 2.5 DWS and 1.4 steals per year. Defensive Rating (DRtg) is the average number of points per 100 possessions a players team surrenders while he is on the court. The Top 100 will begin to roll out next week. For a full game, Moncrief was capable of shutting down almost any guard in NBA history. 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. 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. As Kyrie Irving showed in the decisive Game 7 versus the Warriors when he beat Stephen Curry to the game-winning jumper, Kyrie Irving is also one of the finest guards in NBA history, and he possesses some of the best hands of all time. But one in 20 is egregiously bad.). In terms of point guards, Magic is the finest there has ever been. Players Stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 2016-2017 MVP, 9x All-Star, 8x All-NBA Selection, 2x Scoring Champion. Therefore, a lower score is superior. Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. Triple Double was so far ahead of his time in terms of size, speed, strength and stats. What is the difference between WAM and WAMS? This typically involves setting up plays on the court, getting the ball to the teammate in the best position to score, and controlling the tempo of the game. He led the league in total steals this year and did so without playing a lot of gambling defense. Bledsoe is not a great help defender, in spite of boasting a -4.9 net defensive rating. At 61 and 171 pounds, Rondo is pretty small by NBA standards, but he plays much tougher than his size. As one of the elite point guards in the NBA, you would expect him to have elite athleticism, but he actually doesnt. Despite making it to the Western Conference Finals last season, he is yet to make an appearance in the NBA Finals. Whats remarkable is how quickly he gets to the shooter and gets a hand in his face, even if its all the way to the corner three and the shooter is setting when Rose takes off. A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. As a result, hes 17th all-time with 1944 and had six seasons in the top-20 in steals. His 47.4 DWS is 54th overall, good for an average of 2.963 DWS per season, slightly edging Wade. [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. This year, without Rose, the Bulls were 23rd, at 21.0 points per game. 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. Players have a difficult time getting past him. There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. In fact, no drafted guard has ever measured a worse sprint, vertical and agility test. Oscar is the first triple-double king and is one of the greatest NBA players of all time, no matter what position he is playing. He doesnt play on the ball physically, utilizing that advantage. 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. -- Peterson, He was the forerunner of Magic Johnson and LeBron James, and it's telling that both of those stars revere the Big O. Los Angeles Lakers (1979-91, 1995-96), Honors WAMS includes scouting. Magic had unparalleled vision; he could see players get open and deliver the ball before they even realized they were open. He plays way too far off the ball, supposedly so he wont get beaten, but since he perpetually gets beaten like a drum anyway, why not play closer up so he can at least do a better job of defending the jump shot? Trail Blazers playoff failures have been a major blemish on both his game and his career so far. You dont get the sense in watching him that theres a point of pride in it. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. Have a look! Jack has good but not great effort. If a player tends to be the helper, he gets a better score. Moncrief is well known for his defensive prowess. Hes 63 with a 68 wingspan and an 83 standing reach. What he offers goes beyond the court. 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. However, hes not the slowest point guard in the league either, and when hes not biting on the crossovers, hes able to do a decent job of staying in front of most average point guards. Robertson amassed 26,710 points and 9,887 assists during his 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. Even though injuries caught up with him toward the end of his illustrious career, Bryant still battled as a defender when needed. Hes a learning player, and his extensive time sitting last year may have helped his grasp of defense as well as offense. He gets easily overpowered when bigger point guards post him up. Still, a first-rate point guard should also have a reasonably effective jump shot. Some would look at Conleys frontcourt and assumenot entirely incorrectlythat having Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to back him up pads his stats. The NBA is flush with dominant point guards. Johnson will go down as one of the top 25 all-time point guards because of his defensive presence. Either way he chases the ball until he catches it. MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships One of the best -- and quickest -- lob passers the game has ever seen. This is also manifested in his spot-up defense. Why not a normal scale of one to 10? To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. West became synonymous with brilliant basketball during his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bing, despite having one of his eyes injured, was an attacking force to be reckoned with. Tim Duncan The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. Whatever else you want to say about Brandon Knight, just dont say he never tries. That earned him the nickname Mr. On Wednesday, we will have the top 10 shooting guards of all time, followed by small forwards, power forwards and centers. They were combined and adjusted to cover a range roughly between 18 and 22. 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. David Robinson 6. Dennis Johnson. Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. -- Doolittle, Over the past season and a half, Curry has played point guard as well as anyone else in NBA history. 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. He always picks up on the switch. Aside from his offensive prowess, Johnson had the ability to hit for power and lead the offense at a high level. When the pick gets set, he just hurls into it and uses the momentum of the bounce to send him in the right direction. Some would argue that just because he went to Harvard, it doesnt mean he has a high basketball IQ, or that book intelligence isnt the same thing. Taj Gibson, his backup, is a tremendous defensive player, which only amplified the effect of Boozers shortcomings. So I saddled up my workhorse, Synergy, and watched an hour or two of each of the top 15 WAM scores playing defense. If you are a basketball freak, you might be interested in knowing about NBA and other Best Basketball Leagues in the World. The true driving force of his partnership with Karl Malone. Dikembe Mutombo 7. If it gives up fewer points, thats good. Gary Payton, widely regarded as one of the best defensive point guards in NBA history, saw a similar decline in his defensive abilities after the age of 35. Payton is one of two point guards to have ever won the Defensive Player of the Year, and his stats show it. In many cases, I looked at their combine results. 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. All rights reserved. Lillard would likely be at the top of this list if measured as an offensive package as a whole. After all, as his name implies, Billups was known for taking and making huge shots in order to help his team win. With Doc Rivers in charge, things should turn around shortly, and next year his WAM score will be among the best in the league. How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. All-Time #NBArank continues with a countdown of the best shooting guards in NBA history. Although Drexler never made an All-Defensive Team in his career, he did average two steals per game for his 15-year career. He has the most assists and steals of any player in NBA history and is a master of the pick & roll. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. He weighs in at only 175 pounds. On the other hand, hes not tremendously athletic. Johnson is widely recognized as one of the all-time great point guards, particularly for his defense. He only gave up .66 points per play in isolation, but he yielded .86 to the ball-handler on the pick-and-roll. 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! Hes one of the slower point guards in the league now, but in spite of that, hes almost ubiquitous at times. Since the first time a professional basketball player dribbled a ball, weve seen some of the greatest point guards in history. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. He would find a way to beat his opponents, mentally and physically, and without his defensive tenacity, he wouldnt be considered the greatest of all-time. Pun intended. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. To absolutely nobodys surprise, Michael Jordan is the best defensive shooting guard in NBA history. 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. The strength of this is that it shows what the other player does offensively. As a point guard, Frazier was one of the greatest in NBA history. For many of these metrics, sample size becomes crucial. He does those things; he just doesnt do them very hard. Gary Payton 12. It probably tells the accurate story here. The only point guard to win Defensive Player of the Year, Payton was a defensive nightmare and he never had a DWS lower than 1.2 during his 17-year career. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. In fact, hes a bit of a bull on the court and tries to intimidate his counterpart. 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. Hes only 63, which is relatively good size for a point guard, but he just seems bigger. 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. The perimeter player gets rewarded statistically for what the center did, even though he actually played shoddy defense. Went from dominating games strictly with his passing to making the fifth-most 3-pointers in NBA history. Even though hes been injured a lot, Paul is averaging over two steals a game for his career. A point guard primarily defends on the perimeter, just as they primarily play on the perimeter on offense. That deceptive length helps him nab 2.5 steals per 36 minutes and grab a ridiculous number of rebounds for a person his height. In fact, its probably the most important thing. Two-time MVP (2004-05, 2005-06), eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, Career stats By: HoopsHype. Please check your email for a confirmation. 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. Bledsoe runs through his rotations, but he rounds them off or overruns them. They work harder, and they get things eventually, but not quite as well. But it seems like Paul is nutmegging and breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. They are available for those who want to know where they fit, and it doesn'thurt anyone to include them. He just doesnt have the physical tools to play at an elite level. Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. Sometimes his teammates bailed him out; sometimes the shot just didnt go in. Johnson had a knack for scoring against everyone and racked up impressive numbers throughout the course of his career. 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. Allen Iverson 11. Its what separates him from being a valuable, slightly overrated defender, and an elite defender. Even though he normally does, he shouldnt have to and wouldnt if he were playing smarter. When people think of NBA point guards, he set the mold. -- Adande, Teams You probably cant say right away, because you watched the storyline, not how Harvey dressed. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players By Clark Boinis | Jul 12, 2021, 4:05pm 1. 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. Defensive Points per Play Synergy tracks every play of every game of the season and, when possible (as it is not always possible), they assign an. An indication of this is the fact that hes had only nine dunks in his career, the last of which was over seven years ago. Players Stats: 15.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG, Honors: 4x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection. 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. -- 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. 8. If you dont want to consider them, then dont. The most striking thing about Hinrich is just how often he is the initial defender on the play. His net defensive rating of minus-7.7, combined with his lack of a defensively-solid backup big, is a strong indication of his value as a help defender. But hes just not very strong. He almost always went under the pick. It looked like teams designed plays counting on him being lazy. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. One of the most famous point guards of all time, Jason Kidd, could make a dazzling pass or a simple play with the finest in the game while also adoring to hightail it in transition to wear opponents down. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. 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. For example, in the clutch, with the Rockets engaged in a playoff run, the team locked up in a tight battle with the San Antonio Spurs and the score close with less than five minutes remaining, Lin consistently showed the same 90 percent effort he always shows. Always free! Adande, His Game 6 in the 1980 Finals, while jumping center as a 20-year-old rookie, has to be on the Mt. Its hard to notice his effort, though, because of the consistency with which he gets destroyed. He had the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. 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. As a rookie, Bill Russell relied on Cousy to lead the league in assists, and he won the MVP Award for his efforts. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? While hes not going to get a lot of those at his size, regardless of what he does, he could probably do more to try and recover. Other individual metrics and team metrics thin out the impact of those factors. Kevin Garnett 8. Over the next four weeks, well unveil the rankings for the other four positions. In his 20 seasons, Bryant. With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. 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). The only thing is that the Bulls actually gave up 8.6 more points while he was on the court. Curry has developed into much more than a 3-point specialist. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the team's offense seamlessly. 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 averaged 3.9 win shares per season, totaling 75.1 DWS at the end of his 19-year career, good for 11th all-time. 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. 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. When defending the isolation play, he gives up a nauseating .94 points per play, a strong indication of that. These combo point guards can surprise defenses. Synergy tracks every play of every game of the season and, when possible (as it is not always possible), they assign an initial defender on a play. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Scoring point guards typically look to score first, thus preventing teammates from getting the ball. -- Pelton, Today's children will ask, "Who was the Steph Curry before Steph Curry?" In his rookie year, he was already averaging 2 steals per game with 0.2 blocks. 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. That can create an illusion of great defense where there is none. When the game is on the line, you like to see players find fifth, but Lin never does. 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. (Most defenders let the opponent by more than half the time. 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player Big Shot, is one of the finest point guard leaders in the NBA. Then, after a single down year, he had y straight years of 2 steals per . He uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. The Glove is hands down the best defender a the point guard position. 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. Having said that, he does play team defense, too, and he is part of the team. We ranked the best point guards, determining the list with the help of B-R's position splits. Holiday knows what to do, but he doesnt always do it. Each of these has its own value, and those specifics will be discussed more on the next slide. By NBA standards, he jumps like an elephant and runs like a turtle (and not one of those fast turtles youve heard tell of eithera slow turtle). On the positive side, Rose does a decent job of understanding his role in a complex system. No question hell be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and hes one of the greatest rim-attacking players in NBA history. He applies his energy smartly. This can cause other players to become disinvolved in the offense. Watching video on Lin gave me one impression that stood out above everything else: his awareness of where he was on the court and where he needed to be. It just feels like there should be another notch where pride kicks in, he gets passionateor even angryand he hits another level. Hes led the league in steals per game five times in the last six years. Wayne Gretzky on the court, Nash could hurt opponents by getting rid of the ball quickly or by holding on to it for so long that the defense finally made a mistake. "The Logo" Jerry West was an NBA Champion, a 14 time All-Star, ten time All-NBA First team selection, four time All-Defensive team selection, NBA scoring champion and an NBA assist leader. Mario Chalmers lacks the speed and athleticism of most point guards in the league, and as a result, he usually gets the best seat in the arena to see various point guards blowing by on the way to the rim. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. Williams needs to have a bit of a paradigm shift in the direction of team defense. 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. He had absolutely no help backing him up, and that inflates his objective numbers. Even though he was 38 years old when he won his first NBA championship with the Mavericks, he had two trips to the NBA Finals with the Nets. 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-D selection, co-Rookie of the Year (1994-95), Career stats He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. By the time he was done, he had racked up 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-Defense selections, six All-NBA . Hes not going to get beaten back, and he doesnt give up in transition. While he is frequently noted for his ability to see the court and make the right play on offense, he doesnt get the same recognition on the defensive end. For the purpose of this study, 82games was used because the net defensive rating was also easily available and it made for consistency. 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, .384 3P%, The player He doesnt help much, but he doesnt get a lot of help either, so its a bit of a wash. To his credit, he has the best WAM score of any point guard without a great defensive center to back him up. Having above-average size (height, muscle) is considered advantageous, although size is secondary to situational awareness, speed, quickness, and ball handling skills. Ultimately, Johnson's unselfishness earned him the title of greatest point guard of all time. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. -- Adande, Teams SHOCKING one of the best defensive point guards of all time played great defense on a 20 year project old player. He made everything go for those Lakers teams. Even his athletic scores dont indicate greatness. By combining them, we can get a better picture of the whole elephant of a players defense. Johnsons style of play made him especially successful since he was noted for tip-ins and post play around the rim. 3. 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. -- Tom Haberstroh, NBA writer, No guard in NBA history pulled down more rebounds than Kidd, who finished with more career rebounds than Willis Reed and Alonzo Mourning, among others. Thats a difference of almost five points a game given up to point guards. He did it not once, not twice, but three times. Because of his combination of length, speed and jumping ability, Rose has become an excellent team defender against the jump shot. Williams tends to play defense, but he only seems to do the minimum. He routinely gets blistered in isolation (.93 points per play), fails to close out well on shooters and lags when coming off of screens. Second, having a five-point range on a 22-point scale prevents any one statistic from overly dominating the others. A point guard needs always to have in mind the times on the shot clock and the game clock, the score, the numbers of remaining timeouts for both teams, etc.