Kirk Hinrich wasnt the fastest player in the NBA when he came out of college. He may get beaten occasionally, and he might get outmuscled more frequently, but he never gets outhustled. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. 50 Greatest NBA Point Guards of All Time - Bleacher Report Mr. He uses his speed well, as long as hes engaged in the game. SHOCKING one of the best defensive point guards of all time played great defense on a 20 year project old player. Top 5 Defensive Point Guards in NBA History - Basketball Articles All-Time #NBArank: Top 10 point guards ever, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. It seems so much of Conley is either there or not there; you get it or you dont get it. It doesnt help to be fast if you dont use it, so Bledsoes score here is lower than you might expect. Hes the closest thing in the world to Kevin Garnetts Mini-Me. At 64, hes big enough to guard shooting guards, as well as point guards. He just cant do anything about it. With his athleticism and speed, there is no way that Rose should get beaten off the dribble as often as he does. Later in his career, he even improved as an outside shooter, which contributed significantly to his longevity. There arent many point guards in the league who can match Roses pure size and strength. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. His ability to score and create plays made him an NBA superstar. This is what I mean by ubiquity. You dont get the sense in watching him that theres a point of pride in it. There is no doubt about it: Steph Curry is the second-best in the top 10 point guards of all time. He doesnt cheat in either direction, though. How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. 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. Steve Nash 7. 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. Players Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA Selection, 1994-1995 Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection, Hall of Famer. One of the best -- and quickest -- lob passers the game has ever seen. When it came to size, the main flaw in his game was that he was very fast and explosive with his handles. Mentally subtract them from the rankings if you feel they shouldn'tbe included. When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. He could be better than he is, but its hard to blame only him. He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena denies outrageous Egypt claims, Brooklyn Nets comeback from 28 down to stun Boston Celtics, Alex Iwobi: Nigerian star set for possible exit at English Premier League club Everton, Premier League player caught inhaling laughing gas after a night out, Real Madrid identify Premier League star as 'Plan B' if Bellingham deal fails, Top 15 most handsome football players in the world in 2023. His net defensive rating of 4.2 is an indication of both a lack of his helping and asking for help. Westbrooks Synergy numbers on the pick-and-roll (.75) and isolation (.7) suggest hes better than he actually is. But Gary Payton did as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? Now hes in Phoenix, and well see how both he and Jeff Hornacek develop in their new roles. Watching specifically for this, I found only three instances in 50 plays where Garnett bailed out Rondo on isolation plays, a rate which is lower than most point guards receiving help. 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. Not everything about a players value can be seen even through advanced stats, or even while hes on the court. Paradoxically tough on the court and flashy off of it, Frazier epitomized the '70s-era backcourt style in which roles were less defined. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive Second Team five times. 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. As a Golden State Warrior and Miami Heat legend, Tim Hardaway may have the best crossover in basketball history. -- Pelton. Bledsoe just doesnt bring much energy to the defensive side of the court, which is a shame, because if he did, hed be a ball hawk. WAM is the foundation, and WAMS is the house. Overall, he is more of a gives-help defender than a needs-help defender. He does all those little things that dont show up in box scores. -- Peterson, He was the forerunner of Magic Johnson and LeBron James, and it's telling that both of those stars revere the Big O. During his career, he was selected to nine All-NBA Defensive Teams and five All-Star teams. Bob Cousy Bettman/Getty Images. Rob Peterson is an NBA editor for ESPN.com. Phoenix Suns (1996-98, 2004-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-15), Honors Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. He presses hard as long as the opponent is in front of him, but will frequently give up on the play once the defender is past him. He plays longer than he actually is. Thats good for 14th all-time in NBA history and he also had 10 seasons in the top 20 for steals per game. His defensive usage was the highest of any player with at least 1,200 minutes. Some players get caught out of place, but they know theyre out of place. Second, having a five-point range on a 22-point scale prevents any one statistic from overly dominating the others. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. He still struggles against the spot-up, though, because of issues that will be addressed later. He is in charge of getting the ball into the hands of the shooters. Pun intended. Other defenders deficiencies are hidden by being put on weaker offensive players. However, he tends to play soft at times against the pick-and-roll, tending to rely on his quickness when he could muscle through a pick quicker. The most pure and one of the best point guards and playmakers in NBA History is John Stockton. Players like Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving and John Wall blew by him fairly consistently. Two-time MVP (2004-05, 2005-06), eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, Career stats Opponents dont have much success getting around him. James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022. Top 16 Point Guards Of All-Time: Where Steph Curry Ranks? - ClutchPoints 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. 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. Pass-first points of the past have given way to dynamic creators who can score as well as set up teammates. It just feels like there should be another notch where pride kicks in, he gets passionateor even angryand he hits another level. For Rose, his biggest issues on both sides of the ball have to do with fundamentals and understanding. His lateral quickness is below-average, and his straightaway speed isnt much either. 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. He had the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. The Clippers never quite seemed to have a true defensive identity, even if they were improved. 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. When people think of NBA point guards, he set the mold. Bledsoe is not a great help defender, in spite of boasting a -4.9 net defensive rating. Whenever anyone imagines a point guard, chances are theyre thinking of Utah Jazz legend John Stockton. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. After the All-Star break, when Rose hardly played, that number fell to 17.8 and the Bulls dropped to ninth. The weakness is that it also includes some of what the other player does defensively, (e.g.. blocks, steals, and defensive rebounds). He can be stagnant when his man doesnt have the ball. He tends to rely on his speed to compensate for his lack of mass. Damian Lillard's nuclear 71-point explosion Sunday night was jaw-dropping and somehow not all that surprising. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. There are a number of different types of metrics available from various websites. And do they try and recover when they get beaten? Chris Paul fell into the same kind of trap last season. Chris Paul is widely considered to be one of the best point guards of the 2010s. He doesnt use the shortest angles when running under picks, but he takes path of least resistance instead. He was also an outstanding playmaker and a solid scorer with a strong mid-range game. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. 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. Three-time MVP (1986-87, 1988-89, 1989-90), three-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships He does so by using positioning, skillful footwork and what lateral quickness he does have (which is a liberal use of the word "quickness") to minimize the damage. Each of these has its own value, and those specifics will be discussed more on the next slide. But Gary Payton did as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. Just because someone gets past him doesnt mean theyre going to score. Because Derrick Rose was the NBAs youngest MVP in 2009, its unfortunate that the guy isnt higher on this list. Two NBA titles and a Finals MVP award make him one of the all-time great point guards because of his ability to score from mid-range and his propensity to attack and finish at the rim. Needless to say, you dont see a lot of LeBron-Jamesian-chase-down blocks from Conley. Finally, both are improving on the defensive side of the ball. Other stats were determined by using my trusty sidekick, MS Excel, loaded up with standard stats available on most websites. His MVP season, he had the second-best block total by a point guard in history (although John Wall exceeded that total last year.). First, a range of 18 to 22 makes it easier to arrive at the eventual score of 100the baseline everything was weighted to. He has 12 All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA selections, nine All-Defensive Team selections, and a second-place MVP finish in his third season at 22. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on February 7, 1974, to a Welsh mother, Jean, and an English father, John. Big Shot, is one of the finest point guard leaders in the NBA. Its what separates him from being a valuable, slightly overrated defender, and an elite defender. As a result, hes been a member of the All-Defensive First Team four times and a member of the All-Defensive Second Team five times. The values for the various metrics which comprised the WAM score and scouting scores are also available on each slide. Dikembe Mutombo 7. He routinely gets blistered in isolation (.93 points per play), fails to close out well on shooters and lags when coming off of screens. He has above-average size and strength, but he doesnt play like it. Top 50 Point Guards of All-Time: Magic, The Big O and Curry top the List By Jeff McDaniel | Jul 16, 2020, 5:35pm 1. He had the best peak for any point guard in NBA history, hands down. 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. Great size made him impossible for most. The house would collapse. His 47.4 DWS is 54th overall, good for an average of 2.963 DWS per season, slightly edging Wade. 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. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. -- Brad Doolittle, Robertson's averaging a triple-double in 1961-62 is probably overrated because it was a product of the fast-paced play in the 1960s, but his role in the Milwaukee Bucks' early '70s championship run is probably underrated. . He is suitable at keeping most players out on the perimeter, but against elite point guards he has more problems. Some players with tremendous athleticism just dont apply it on both ends of the court. He also plays through to the end of the play when his man doesnt have the ball, which is not something you see all point guards do. If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. He also only has a 65 wingspan, which is short of the other bigger point guards, but what he has, he uses well. Sometimes, all that the on/off stats tell you is the difference between two players that play the same position. NBA: Ranking top 10 point guards ever - ESPN.com While that is by design, he shouldnt get the same credit as players who bring their full attention the entire time theyre on the court. The second-highest regulation scoring output of the 3-point era was the culmination . 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. 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. I like to compare it to the relationship between a foundation and a house. Hes fearless, and no matter how large the big setting the pick is, he wont back down. Although Jordan won that battle, theres nothing wrong with being named the third-best defensive player at his position and one of the best shooting guards of all time. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. He yields a whopping 41.5 three-point percentage on the spot-up, which is just not good. He has a barrel chest, broad shoulders and 20 pounds on most point guards, so he gives the appearance of dwarfing players that are technically as tall as he is. He gambles too much, and that often gets him caught out of the play. He sometimes gets tangled up and left hopelessly out of the play. Is that because Chalmers is a better team defender or is it because Cole isnt on the court with James as much? He also uses his quick hands to steal the dribble, and he does so without taking risks. Despite making it to the Western Conference Finals last season, he is yet to make an appearance in the NBA Finals. Our booby prize winner is pictured above. Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors Perhaps if hes in shoes and standing on a milk crate filled with milk, thats true. Stockton was a member of two gold medal teams and twice reached the NBA finals during his remarkable career. Robertson amassed 26,710 points and 9,887 assists during his 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. While Gregg Popovich and his brilliant system deserve a lot of the credit, Tony is a Finals MVP and is a multiple NBA champion who deserves to be recognised for his role in the legendary Spurs dynasty. Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. 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. Starter from the VCT lockin. He uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. Players have a difficult time getting past him. Kevin Garnett 8. He has the most assists and steals of any player in NBA history and is a master of the pick & roll. Who's the best defensive point guard of all time? - Quora Marcus Smart. 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. 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. Bledsoe spent the majority of his time with Odom, while Chris Paul spent the majority of his time with Jordan, which confuses the on/off ratings. Lowry is neither big nor strong, and he does little with what size he has. NBA All-Time Player Rankings: Top 10 Point Guards When he was off the ball, it was spectacular. His length is better; he has a 65.75 wingspan. (I know, but it is a part of defense these days.) Bledsoe repeatedly got beatenmuch more frequently than Paulyet Odom consistently had his back, blocking or altering shots. On the one hand, he doesnt seem cogent enough of his surroundings most of the time to really offer any. Over the last decade, the best point guards such as Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and others have dominated the position. Seemingly overhauling your system for every opponent is not. Players Stats: 15.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 5x All-Defensive Selection, Hall of Famer. Even his athletic scores dont indicate greatness. He doesnt try to make great plays, but he tries not to make mistakes, which is maybe what he should be concentrating on. Brandon Knight has work intelligence. John Stockton 6. Their primary job is to facilitate scoring opportunities for their team, or sometimes for themselves. A 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, a nine-time 1st team All-Defense and three-time 2nd team All-Defense, Bryant's 50.6 DWS ranks him 43rd overall. Pauls been an All-Defensive Team selection nine times, being selected to the 1st team seven times and the 2nd team twice. -- Rob Peterson, One can only imagine how impressive his career totals might have been if not for the HIV virus. Bledsoe runs through his rotations, but he rounds them off or overruns them. Last season, when Rose was healthy early on, they gave up the thirdmost, 16.3 points. Whatever it was, Holiday was just not bringing effort on the defensive end last year. He always seems to know exactly where everyone is. Mike Conley is exceptionally quick, virtually teleporting himself from one part of the court to another at times. You can find him juggling the ball every Sunday on the field, with FIFA on his PlayStation as the night drill. One of the greatest point guards ever, Jason Kidd could make the flashy pass or the simple play with the best of them while also loving to hightail it in transition to wear opponents down in. For eight consecutive seasons, Cousy was the leagues top assist producer, and he was also one of the finest scorers in the league. He uses quickness to capably guard the perimeter, but thats in large part because hes not always defending the elite point guards. Per Synergy, he forces turnovers 18.5 percent of the time, and he does so barely giving up any points. The Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 championship run would not have been possible without Kyrie Irving, who is a two-time NBA champion. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. His Synergy numbers tell the story. You cant say that Westbrook doesnt try on defense, but you can say he doesnt show consistent effort on defense. For a position that was highly valued at the time, he brought a lot of sparkle, style, scoring, and domination to the court. 1. Coaches are responsible for developing young players, and it would have been fun to watch him grow under Doc Rivers. At the point guard position, point guard Damian Lillard is one of the games most talented shooters and scorers. One of the great conundrums in rating defense is that teammates factor into it. He was a 13-time NBA All-Star during the early half of the Celtics dynasty, winning six NBA championships during his 13-year tenure with the team. Jrue Holiday is making . On the other, he so rarely allows his opponent to get past him that he doesnt need to rely on it either. Its still possible for him to make another All-Star squad, and it seems like hes on the path to doing so. Nowadays, the point guard is expected to do more than simply run plays; he or she must also be the teams offensive leader by putting up big numbers every night! Players like Rose, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving consistently cross him over and get past him. He could launch it from 30 feet or more with ease. But will he listen enough to a player he was just playing against to make that shift? The Glove was a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection, making the 1st team all nine times. Some point guards are still given a great deal of leeway in the offense. Although Wade had an accomplished resume, if he had played one more season, he wouldve easily overtaken the next player on the list. Pauls been an All-Defensive Team selection nine times, being selected to the First Team seven times and the Second Team twice. NRG VS KOI Highlights. Starter from the VCT lockin. #VCTLOCKIN # Chris Paul had the awkward situation this year of being smarter than his head coach, Vinny Del Negro. As a result, hes been a member of the All-Defensive 1st Team four times and a member of the All-Defensive 2nd Team five times. Because they each feel a different thing, an argument arises as to who is right. He is not a guy you would single out as an NBA player in a crowded room. The 15 best points guards in the NBA right now, ranked - Insider How hard do they fight through them? Point guards are expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. Its because Griffin and Jordan were on the bench next to him. 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. You can almost rate Chalmers improving basketball intelligence by how many times per game he gets yelled at by his superstar teammates. He gets crossed over pretty easily, and not just by the Associations elite point guards. Instead of passing after bringing up the ball they quickly drive to the basket or step back for an outside shot. In fact, a player may have great individual numbers precisely because he is actually detrimental to his team. -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. Jack is one of those players that a lot of people dont know what he brings to a team in the locker room. And, there are also times when he does the bailing out. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. That can create an illusion of great defense where there is none. When the pick gets set, he just hurls into it and uses the momentum of the bounce to send him in the right direction. The five best defensive point guards of all time Jarrod Castillo Dec 16, 2019; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) directs his team during a play against the. Chasing down balls, hell reach from behind and disrupt the dribble. But only once did he actually truly defend the play. 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 . Gary Payton 12. However, who are the all-time top point guards? Despite the fact that hes just 35, he has a limited amount of time left. (Most defenders let the opponent by more than half the time. He doesnt have overwhelming effort that blows you away, but he has earnest effort. Chalmers is 62 and 190 pounds, which is about average size for a point guard. The Clippers were 10 points better with Lamar Odom on the court than DeAndre Jordan according to NBA.com/STATS. That said, hes 61st all-time in steals with 1392 and he had six seasons in the top-20 in steals. His on-court coaching and leadership is probably the biggest reason the Clippers had the eighth most-efficient defense in the NBA last year. He had unusual strength for his size, quick feet, elite hands, and timing to help him hold down opponents one-on-one and rack up steals. Scottie Pippen 5. Sounds great, right? A 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, a nine-time 1st team All-Defense and three-time 2nd team All-Defense, Bryants 50.6 DWS ranks him 43rd overall. Curry has developed into much more than a 3-point specialist. He never stops moving. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats He tends to use that speed and athleticism well when hes in position, too. 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. But, there is one only shooting guard that leapfrogged over all others. In fact, hes probably as adept as anyone at this, and his Synergy numbers, .68 points per play against the pick-and-roll, certainly back it up. OPER is the Opponents Player Efficiency Rating and has been tracked by 82games.com since 2008. Penny, a taller point guard, was an excellent dribbler and a great passer. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. His quick feet give him tremendous lateral movement. Speed is important; a speedy point guard is better able to create separation and space off the dribble, giving themselves room to work. Hes a key component in Tom Thibodeaus defense, and frankly, with Thibs, you just dont stay on the court if youre not putting in the effort on the defensive end. Rajon Rondo is probably the most athletic player in the league who plays most of his game below the rim. One of basketballs most dynamic and versatile point guards in the modern era. He is a natural playmaker with excellent point guard abilities, creating the ideal point guard prototype. He applies his energy smartly. -- Adande, The only players in NBA history with more games with 20 points and 10 assists are Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. Lee Rose has described a point guard as a coach on the floor, who can handle and distribute the ball to teammates. An All-Star in every full season that he played for the Boston Celtics, six-time NBA champion Bob Cousy was an all-around player: he averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. Rushmore of greatest postseason performances in league history. Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74), Honors Many remember Ginobili for his offense, but he was also a capable defender. In fact, no drafted guard has ever measured a worse sprint, vertical and agility test. Perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA history, Jordan decimated and demoralized his foes on the defensive end. It is akin to the blind men and the elephant in the Indian fable adapted to a poem by John Godfrey Saxe. Just telling your players to play harder and close out on threes isnt a real system. That has more to do with the second-string frontcourt, led by Lamar Odom, backing him up than it does his team defense. Not Paul. Bob Cousey 8. Gary Payton is one of the best ever. In the 13 seasons in which he played more than 60 games, mostly with the Chicago Bulls, the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year was a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection all first-team honors and a three-time steals champion. The other thing thats surprising about Rondo with his size is how well he fights over picks.
best defensive point guards of all time