Blake Griffin was 21st out of 47 power forwards, and Jordan was 23rd out of 38 centers. Chris Paul 13. The NBA's best European guard, Tony Parker, monopolised opposing backcourt players with speed and agility, a tight crossover, and a gorgeous tear-drop floater in the lane. Bob Cousey 8. Get to know about the top 15 all time best point guards in the NBA in Players Stats: 15.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 2006-2007 Finals MVP, 6x All-Star, 4x All-NBA Selection. Fairly straightforward, this takes into account height, length and strength. Does he rotate on time? As a rookie, Bill Russell relied on Cousy to lead the league in assists, and he won the MVP Award for his efforts. 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. Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. Not everything about a players value can be seen even through advanced stats, or even while hes on the court. Refusing to back down because youre afraid of being put on a poster is a good thing, not a bad thing. The five best defensive point guards of all time - Sportsnaut Therefore, a lower score is superior. The result is our all-time NBA Top 100. The official cause of death of Flashdance singer Irene Cara has been determined. 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. 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. So the problem isnt a lack of speed; its a lack of applying it. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. 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. Like last time, these shooting guards are ranked based on the cumulative defensive win shares (DWS). That would make sense, but there are two reasons to choose the unconventional scale. Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats More explosive and athletic point guards focus on scoring as opposed to play-making, forgoing assists and ball-movement, and often defense, for higher scoring numbers. 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. The bulk of his thefts came by stealing the dribble, not by shooting the passing lanes. He could create at an elite level while also scoring off the dribble from the midrange. 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. When he went up and challenged DeAndre Jordan, and then got blown up, the entire basketball world acted like theyd just seen the greatest basketball play ever. That can create an illusion of great defense where there is none. It just feels like there should be another notch where pride kicks in, he gets passionateor even angryand he hits another level. While blocks and steals can be misleading when taken to exclusively represent defense, they are an aspect of it, so they shouldnt be discounted entirely. While hes able to keep himself from getting pushed around when point guards, or even shooting guards, try and post up on him, hes not able to dig through picks the way the other three are. MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships Hell get to the corners to challenge threes; hell pick off passes; hell get rebounds; hell get some chase-down blocks. For each player, I watched between one and two hours of footage of defense, taking account of specific things and grading them in five different areas. Players Stats: 16.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG. When going against point guards who have a respectable jump shot, that becomes problematic. 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. With both, its the combination of their size and speed that makes them so phenomenal. All-Time #NBArank continues with a countdown of the best shooting guards in NBA history. He doesnt have overwhelming effort that blows you away, but he has earnest effort. He does get a bit of a bump here for his rebounding. Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players Dennis Rodman 4. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. He appears to communicate the wisdom hes accrued to his teammates. Take, for example, Carlos Boozer in 2012. 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. Since the first time a professional basketball player dribbled a ball, weve seen some of the greatest point guards in history. Wilt Chamberlain 14. Knight doesnt always recognize the help situations, but when he does, he is usually effective. -- 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. He joined the NBA in 1960 and quickly established himself, averaging 30.5 points per game and winning Rookie of the Year. Archibald, who was just 61 tall, was able to consistently sink the ball despite his diminutive stature. They must also be able to adapt to what the defense is allowing and must control the pace of the game. He probably can even tell you where the hot dog vendor and mascot are. What he offers goes beyond the court. Needless to say, you dont see a lot of LeBron-Jamesian-chase-down blocks from Conley. Probably no point guard in the league does a better job of recovering defensively than Rose does. He has trouble compensating for his lack of size when challenging jump shots. He also is tougher than most point guards to post up. He arguably powers through picks better than any point guard in the league. 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. He is not a guy you would single out as an NBA player in a crowded room. These point guard rankings will be the first of five articles. Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74), Honors Although Wade had an accomplished resume, if he had played one more season, he wouldve easily overtaken the next player on the list. One of the great conundrums in rating defense is that teammates factor into it. You can look at why things happen and offset the misleading things. -- 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. Jason Kidd 9. Also with both, theyve shown more success utilizing their physical attributes on the offensive end than the defensive end. Players Stats: 18.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, 1972-1973 Scoring Champion, Hall of Famer. 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. Still, hes one of the best point guards of all time, and his stats show that hes a deserved All-Star. On pick-and-rolls when hes not set, teams have learned to expect this. 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! If Westbrook could channel his energy in a consistent way, he would be an elite defender, but for now, hes just a solid defender whos kind of spazzy. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. Even when he has to go under the pick, which is most of the time, hes so fast that hes able to close the distance before the ball-handler has time to do something with it. In addition to the traditional role of the point guard, modern teams have found new ways to utilize the position. Those are the questions I was looking to answer. 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player These were calculated using the raw stats available on any site carrying basic stats. He arguably makes more plays on his feet, both offensively and defensively, than anyone else. No one was a better passer than him. In his 16-year career, Wade averaged 2.961 DWS per year and his 47.38 DWS is good for 55th overall. Nevertheless, its just as important. What color was his tie? He defends pick-and-rolls exceptionally well because hes able to shake off picks without much trouble, even pushing around stronger players like Carlos Boozer or Robin Lopez at times. All you have to do is watch him on offense to know he has all kinds of speed. Sixth-greatest point guard in basketball history. Mike Conley is exceptionally quick, virtually teleporting himself from one part of the court to another at times. He lacks the strength to effectively go over screens consistently, so he has to go under them. When he was off the ball, it was spectacular. His shot-making and defense made him a top-tier point guard throughout his career. Players have a difficult time getting past him. But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. He gets a ton of help from his teammates and isnt asked to give a lot back. His length is better; he has a 65.75 wingspan. He also shows poor awareness at times, getting surprised by picks as if the setter had just popped up from out of the floor like a Whac-A-Mole. New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers, (2011-present), Honors He does add a lot, but its not frenetic, its just frantic. Adande, Brad Doolittle, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton are NBA writers for ESPN.com. By the time he was done, he had racked up 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-Defense selections, six All-NBA . On those, there is no link available. READ ALSO: James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. 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. The 25 greatest point guards of all time | Yardbarker Isiah Thomas, born on April 30, 1961, and possibly the best player ever under 6-foot-1, combined talent with fierce competitiveness. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors WAMS includes scouting. Additionally, Stockton was a fantastic shooter and defender, almost possessing no weaknesses on the floor at all. Top NBA point guards for 2022-23: Ranking all 30 starters He was a giant of a guard, but he had all the necessary talents, including the ability to dribble and pass. When the pick gets set, he just hurls into it and uses the momentum of the bounce to send him in the right direction. During his career, he was selected to nine All-NBA Defensive Teams and five All-Star teams. When it came to size, the main flaw in his game was that he was very fast and explosive with his handles. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. This is what I mean by ubiquity. When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. Probably the most versatile point guard in NBA history, and perhaps a tad underrated given that the focus on his assists overshadowed how valuable his defense was. This proves problematic, especially in isolation, where Williams usually just backs up. If a player tends to be the helper, he gets a better score. He has the speed to get there, but not the length to disrupt the shot once he does. Thats rarely going to be because of a mental error, though. 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. They have value when there arent such extremes like the difference between Boozer and Gibson. -- Adams, For nine consecutive years, Nash's teams led the NBA in offensive rating. Theres a running debate over the relative importance of stats versus watching. Stats tell you what happened, but you cant know why it happened unless you watch. Bledsoe repeatedly got beatenmuch more frequently than Paulyet Odom consistently had his back, blocking or altering shots. Watching Parker play defense for a while, particularly zooming in on the pick-and-roll plays, his impressive court awareness stands out. Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. Point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders. Hes one of the slower point guards in the league now, but in spite of that, hes almost ubiquitous at times. NRG VS KOI Highlights. Starter from the VCT lockin. #VCTLOCKIN # Each of these has its own value, and those specifics will be discussed more on the next slide. Two-time MVP (2004-05, 2005-06), eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, Career stats Whether you like him or not (and I personally dont), you have to respect that he plays the game as hard as it can be played. Kevin Garnett 8. Thats the difference between what I call work intelligence and natural intelligence. Some people just have to work to pick things up. You never have to question his effort or commitment. -- Peterson, Teams Nash is a top-ten point guard without a question. On defense, the point guard is tasked with making the opposing point guard as ineffective as possible. [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. 1. To say he gets pushed around would be generous. Therefore, with a few exceptions, players were only considered if they played at least 1,200 minutes last season (which comes out to around 30 percent of possible minutes). He weighs in at only 175 pounds. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats Were shooters able to shoot over them? Despite his little size, he made up for it offensively by being lightning fast and had the whole attacking package. 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. Scottie Pippen 5. Rondo consistently applies every bit of effort in him on the defensive end. He has a high basketball IQ, and he has that veteran savvy thing going for him, too. 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. Even though he normally does, he shouldnt have to and wouldnt if he were playing smarter. Players like Rose, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving consistently cross him over and get past him. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. The Glove was a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection, making the 1st team all nine times. -- Pelton. Something was great about that play, but it was Knight showing the heart to challenge Jordan, not Jordan dunking on a man a foot shorter than himself. In terms of point guards, Magic is the finest there has ever been. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. Along with leadership and a general basketball acumen, ball-handling is a skill of great importance to a point guard. Big O is widely regarded as one of the best offensive point guards of all time. Does he pick up his man when switched? 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. 8. Rose is arguably the most athletic point guard in the league, though Russell Westbrook could present a challenge. 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats 5-on-5: Will Curry pass Magic as best PG ever? Derrick Rose 15. -- Peterson, He's one of only a few players in history who has been deemed too good for the sport's own good. Below is a list of the 25 Best point guards of the NBA. 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. Other individual metrics and team metrics thin out the impact of those factors. Is he an effective flopper? Even when picks are set behind his back, he instinctively knows they are there and just steps over them seamlessly. FOXSports.com - Best all-time point guards at the Wayback Machine (archived July 12, 2005), accessed 2008-02-09 This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 17:58 . Teams Here are the answers to some questions readers are likely to have. -- J.A. Whether this is a result of his reputation being undeserved or him not putting forth the effort isnt hard to determine. 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. He uses his feet and body well, steering his man into the help defense when he knows hes not able to keep up. 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 . Bill Russell 3. The Greatest Defensive PG's in NBA History! - ranker.com His low foul rate of 4.5 percent is another indication that hes adept at getting into position quickly. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. 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. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. Magic Johnson won the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award three times in his career. It only looks at the data. Other point guards who have been named NBA MVP include Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook, and two-time winners Steve Nash and Stephen Curry. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. 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. While it does keep the opponent in front of him, it defeats the purpose if the opponent is still getting to the basket. His offensive style has been revamped to incorporate a powerful mid-range jumper along with some range as well. There is no doubt about it: Steph Curry is the second-best in the top 10 point guards of all time. He works well within a system where there are no real defensive weaknesses. -- 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. 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. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. When he does do it, he does it half-heartedly. 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. His on-court coaching and leadership is probably the biggest reason the Clippers had the eighth most-efficient defense in the NBA last year. Occasionally hell chase the play after hes been beaten, but not always. 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. Holiday has ample size for a point guard, standing a shade over 64 in shoes, and weighing in at 205 pounds. He has two ways of guarding the isopray for help or flop. Chris Paul is widely considered to be one of the best point guards of the 2010s. Went from dominating games strictly with his passing to making the fifth-most 3-pointers in NBA history. 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, .384 3P%, The player Seemingly overhauling your system for every opponent is not.