-- Adande, Nash is the only player in history to go 50-40-90 while averaging 10 assists per game. In the last entry, we focused on the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time. It is the same with his mental engagement in the game. The Cleveland Cavaliers relied heavily on Kyrie Irving to take and hit huge shots, even when he was partnered with LeBron James. Jrue Holiday is not fast so much as he is quick. His lateral movement and reaction time are exceptional, and thats indicated by his isolation defense. He is not a guy you would single out as an NBA player in a crowded room. It tracks the production of a players counterpart while he is on the court. Some players defined their positions. He applies his energy smartly. Our booby prize winner is pictured above. Despite making it to the Western Conference Finals last season, he is yet to make an appearance in the NBA Finals. Kevin Garnett 8. 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. Its still possible for him to make another All-Star squad, and it seems like hes on the path to doing so. 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. Its why Williams gives up .92 points per play in isolation, one of the worst averages among point guards. Gary Payton is one of the best ever. Among the greatest point guards of all time, Tiny is among the finest ever. Its like someone took a normal-sized person and stretched out the arms and hands to make him. For eight consecutive seasons, Cousy was the leagues top assist producer, and he was also one of the finest scorers in the league. 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). 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. After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. Players Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 1963-1964 MVP, 12x All-Star, 11x All-NBA Selection, 1960-1961 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Famer. He made everything go for those Lakers teams. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. Some would look at Conleys frontcourt and assumenot entirely incorrectlythat having Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to back him up pads his stats. 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. Occasionally hell chase the play after hes been beaten, but not always. On the other, he so rarely allows his opponent to get past him that he doesnt need to rely on it either. 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-D selection, co-Rookie of the Year (1994-95), Career stats Below is a list of the 25 Best point guards of the NBA. As a result of his hurling himself around the court with utter abandon, he was generally a positive when it came to help defense. His net defensive rating of 4.2 is an indication of both a lack of his helping and asking for help. When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. He doesnt use the shortest angles when running under picks, but he takes path of least resistance instead. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. He has trouble compensating for his lack of size when challenging jump shots. Hakeem Olajuwon 2. 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). Let's see who has made it to the top 10 best point guards of all time. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats According to Hoops Stats, in his MVP season, the Bulls gave up the fewest points to opposing point guards. The best way to track how effective a player is on the defensive end is by looking at their cumulative defensive win shares. His career averages of 27 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 7.0 APG were arguably the best ever put up by a point guard when he retired in 1974. As a point guard, Tim Hardaway was one of the most popular and respected players in the NBA during his time with the Miami Heat. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year. Since elite offensive players tend to have a higher usage rate, players that guard elite offensive players should also have more defensive plays. One aspect of Roses year-long absence that gets lost is how much the team suffered defensively without him. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. For all the hammering Im doing on Chalmers, it remains true that the Heat are better with him on the court than off of it, but its questionable if thats because hes on it. His 47.4 DWS is 54th overall, good for an average of 2.963 DWS per season, slightly edging Wade. In terms of career statistics and postseason accomplishments, he ranks as the NBAs fourth-best point guard of all time. But he jogs when he should run, is lackadaisical closing out shooters and goes through the motions when running through his rotations. This proves problematic, especially in isolation, where Williams usually just backs up. Players have a difficult time getting past him. MVP (2014-15), two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, Career stats Hes 63 with a 68 wingspan and an 83 standing reach. He spent his entire NBA career (19842003) as a point guard for the Utah Jazz, and the team made the playoffs in each of his 19 seasons. Pun intended. Hes a learning player, and his extensive time sitting last year may have helped his grasp of defense as well as offense. Thats because they can spend all their energy quickly, while starters have to pace themselves. 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. Paradoxically tough on the court and flashy off of it, Frazier epitomized the '70s-era backcourt style in which roles were less defined. 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5APG, .375 FG%, The player Just because someone gets past him doesnt mean theyre going to score. Hes only 63, which is relatively good size for a point guard, but he just seems bigger. No one was a better passer than him. -- Peterson, A menace on both ends of the court, Frazier was at his best in the 1970 NBA Finals when tallied 36 points, 19 assists, 7 rebounds in a title-clinching Game 7. Once he had the ball on the fastbreak, The Flash was gone. Top 20 best defensive midfielders in the world today: who are they? Smart people recognize their limitations. Stats dont tell the whole story and our eyes often only confirm what we already know. He uses his feet and body well, steering his man into the help defense when he knows hes not able to keep up. The scouting score was then combined with the WAM score to produce WAMS, with the scouting counting as one-third of the final score. Magic Johnson won the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award three times in his career. -- Adande, He led the NBA in assists nine straight seasons from 1987 to 1996. WAM is the foundation, and WAMS is the house. On the other hand, you cant deny what happened, regardless of how much you watch. While it does keep the opponent in front of him, it defeats the purpose if the opponent is still getting to the basket. He gives up too much space and still gets beaten. 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. If hes on the court, hes moving at full speed. 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. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. 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. Doc Rivers has had a lot of input into how Rondo plays the game. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. Fairly straightforward, this takes into account height, length and strength. There are few players on this list who can match his incredible scoring, rebounding, and playmaking prowess. Aware of his predilections, theyll pass the ball out to the perimeter, and simultaneous to the ball-handler catching it, theyll set a pick on Westbrook. When he lets it go, though, it seems calculated. -- 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. This year, without Rose, the Bulls were 23rd, at 21.0 points per game. Payton is one of two point guards to have ever won the Defensive Player of the Year, and his stats show it. My guess is that it has something to do with that. What color was his tie? 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. Pass-first points of the past have given way to dynamic creators who can score as well as set up teammates. You probably cant say right away, because you watched the storyline, not how Harvey dressed. 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. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. He had the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. Their primary job is to facilitate scoring opportunities for their team, or sometimes for themselves. Best Point Guard Defensive Rating 2022 | StatMuse Luka Doncic had the lowest defensive rating by a point guard in 2021-22, with a 106.5 rating. Speed is important; a speedy point guard is better able to create separation and space off the dribble, giving themselves room to work. The point guard is positioned on the perimeter of the play, so as to have the best view of the action. Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. Current NBA point guards known for their defensive prowess include Jrue Holiday, Mike Conley Jr., Marcus Smart, and Chris Paul. Lets see who has made it to the top 10 best point guards of all time. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. What he offers goes beyond the court. He also defends well against post-up plays, yielding just .54 points per play, although thats on an admittedly small 17-play sample size. Greg Monroe has talent on the offensive side of the ball but not a whole lot on the defensive side. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. Thats when you see him start to do things like not close out on shooters, merely waving his hand in the air instead. He has decent size for a point guard, at 63 but he doesnt have much of a vertical: 28.5.. He has two ways of guarding the isopray for help or flop. Thats the difference between what I call work intelligence and natural intelligence. Some people just have to work to pick things up. Nash is a top-ten point guard without a question. However, when he gets beaten,Serge Ibaka is a huge asset in help defense, altering the shots of many a shooter who has just blown past Westbrook. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. A point guard primarily defends on the perimeter, just as they primarily play on the perimeter on offense. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? 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. 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. He had the best peak for any point guard in NBA history, hands down. Of course, sometimes his opponent scored, too. But hes slightly built, and that raises some issues, especially when hes caught a fraction of a second behind a play. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. When he gets it going, hes unstoppable. There is no doubt about it: Steph Curry is the second-best in the top 10 point guards of all time. This score is to help alleviate that. In addition to the traditional role of the point guard, modern teams have found new ways to utilize the position. For each of the following metrics, click on the subhead to be taken to the source website for more details. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. Ultimately, Johnson's unselfishness earned him the title of greatest point guard of all time. The only thing keeping Thomas off this list is his brief career by star standards. When he was at his peak, Rose was one of the greatest point guards of all time, and he merits a spot in the top 15. That said, here are the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, based on their DWS. Aside from his offensive prowess, Johnson had the ability to hit for power and lead the offense at a high level. His net defensive rating is fairly close to even, and slightly above average for point guards. The Case For: Upper-tier defender (9x All Defensive Team, including 4 First Team selections). If you want the perfect picture of what Hinrich brings to the defensive end of the court, think of him tackling the runaway freight train, otherwise known as LeBron James, in the game which stopped the Miami Heats streak. Perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA history, Jordan decimated and demoralized his foes on the defensive end. He was a giant of a guard, but he had all the necessary talents, including the ability to dribble and pass. 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. Its not uncommon to see him challenge shots with both feet on the floor. Lin is 63 and 200 pounds, which is decent size for a point guard, in the neighborhood of Derrick Rose, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook. He owes his charitable demeanour to a group of elementary school parents. This is a necessity because of the point guard's many leadership obligations. Perhaps if hes in shoes and standing on a milk crate filled with milk, thats true. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. Per NBA.com/STATS, the Clippers were almost 10 points per 100 possessions better defensively while Lamar Odom was on the court instead of DeAndre Jordan, yet Paul was on the court three times as much with Jordan as Odom. Not only is Damian Lillard one of the most exciting players in the game today, he makes a strong case as one of the best point guards in NBA history. Hes like a runner trying to run a mile by alternating between walking and sprinting 100 yards at a time. A point guard that has enough ball-handling skill and quickness to be able to drive to the basket in a half-court set is also very valuable and considered by some to be a must for a successful offense. That earned him the nickname Mr. Despite his little size, he made up for it offensively by being lightning fast and had the whole attacking package. Interpreted as: best defensive rating with a minimum of 10000 minutes played point guards in NBA history. 18.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 9.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, The player Sometimes, measurables dont tell the whole story. Rondo consistently applies every bit of effort in him on the defensive end. Players Stats: 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 1989-1990 Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. Average players struggled, though. They were combined and adjusted to cover a range roughly between 18 and 22. When he gets set for a defensive play, he does a respectable job. As one of the elite point guards in the NBA, you would expect him to have elite athleticism, but he actually doesnt. A point guard specializes in certain skills, like other player positions in basketball. 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. Most of those come for one of two reasons: Either he bites on the fake and is too slow to recover, or the shooter shoots over him and he doesnt have the ups to challenge it. He always seems to know exactly where everyone is. Parker is a seasoned point guard who plays the game like a pro. With Doc Rivers in charge, things should turn around shortly, and next year his WAM score will be among the best in the league. Conley is generously listed at 61 and 180 pounds. If the team gives up more points while hes on the court, thats bad. There was always that kid in high school or college who tried so hard to get decent grades. He affected the paradigm for overseas guards trying to break into the NBA. He was an All-Star every year of his career and led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals appearances. Jason Kidd 9. Other defenders deficiencies are hidden by being put on weaker offensive players. In the last entry, we focused on the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, but now, we turn to the five best defensive shooting guards in NBA history. While he does benefit from help defense, its not as often as you might think. The point guard was always capable of scoring the ball at the . Then, over 10,000 video clips were viewed and players were evaluated based on subjective criteria. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. 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! Overall, hes ninth in steals with 2,207, and Drexlers 49.9 DWS is good for 45th all-time. Some players with tremendous athleticism just dont apply it on both ends of the court. That said, hes 61st all-time in steals with 1392 and he had six seasons in the top-20 in steals. Hes the closest thing in the world to Kevin Garnetts Mini-Me. After all, as his name implies, Billups was known for taking and making huge shots in order to help his team win. If youre a fan of the TV show Suits, you might agree that Harvey Specter dresses well. Bob Cousey 8. Watching a thing, and watching for a thing, are different. Sixth-greatest point guard in basketball history. Its like hes chosen the worst of both worlds. Kirk Hinrich wasnt the fastest player in the NBA when he came out of college. Jrue Holiday is making . Although Wade had an accomplished resume, if he had played one more season, he wouldve easily overtaken the next player on the list. 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 uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. If Williams had more pride in his defense, he would actually ask for, and depend on, help more than he does. If theres a weakness, though, its that when he comes up against the elite offensive point guards, he will get beaten in isolation. He seemed to keep ahead of the play, moving to the next rotation a fraction of a second before the play even developed in that direction. Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right, Latest Jonathan Isaac injury may signal end of his Magic career, Seven Cubs pitchers combine for spring no-hitter vs. Padres, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comments on Tony Pollard rumor, Ben Simmons suffers back injury while rehabilitating, Insider: It's Packers, Jets 'or bust' for Aaron Rodgers, QB Anthony Richardson doesn't understand his 'project' label, Vikings HC reveals 'crazy' thoughts about star WR, XFL player released for giving another team plays from own playbook. To say he gets pushed around would be generous. Although both Kidd and Paul were more accurate shooters, his passing range was broader than any of them. He doesnt try to make great plays, but he tries not to make mistakes, which is maybe what he should be concentrating on. If he didnt retire at 34, its interesting to see where Cousy could have landed all-time as he averaged 3.8 DWS per season. His Synergy numbers compared to some of his team numbers validate that. Even though Payton only played a little part in 2006, the Heats success would not have been possible without his defensive presence and leadership. 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. He is in charge of getting the ball into the hands of the shooters. To absolutely nobodys surprise, Michael Jordan is the best defensive shooting guard in NBA history. Lillard has been one of the NBA's most dangerous scorers, capable of striking shots from anywhere on the floor. He thinks hes the biggest man on the court. With his record of successes and pioneering point guard talents, Magic is at the top of the list. Moncrief is well known for his defensive prowess. The effect was that the Bulls' starters all looked inferior to their backups. He may be the finest defensive guard ever because of his awareness and abilities on the defensive end. The classic definition of a point guard, orchestrating offense and shooting when necessary. When it came to size, the main flaw in his game was that he was very fast and explosive with his handles. Jordan also had two seasons (86-87 and 87-88) where he was in the top-20 in blocks per game and seven seasons in the top-20 in defensive rating. 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. Who are the best defensive point guards in the NBA, and how are they determined? The perimeter player gets rewarded statistically for what the center did, even though he actually played shoddy defense. He also knew when he needed to score, as evidenced by his 42-point performance in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals for a Lakers team missing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. When people think of NBA point guards, he set the mold. Needless to say, you dont see a lot of LeBron-Jamesian-chase-down blocks from Conley. -- 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. 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. He was the league's Rookie of the Year in 1966-67 and was named to the All-NBA First Team twice and the Second Team once, and he appeared in seven NBA All-Star Games. Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. He just doesnt have the length to effectively guard against them. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. He stands third among the top 10 point guards of all time. Wilt Chamberlain 14. 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. 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. [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. He seems to get frustrated easily. Jack has good but not great effort. 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, .485 FG%, The player 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. Widely known as one of the best, if not the best, point guards of all time, Chris Pauls offensive exploits are well-documented. That Paul was able to keep the Clippers on track through much of the season with the ever-changing defensive schemes the team had is pretty miraculous. The players listed below are our picks for the best point guards in NBA history. The strength of this is that it shows what the other player does offensively. Lets say a perimeter defender gets beaten and then his center blocks the shot. Penny, a taller point guard, was an excellent dribbler and a great passer. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum top NBA quotes of the week. 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. He has the speed to get there, but not the length to disrupt the shot once he does. His quickness and slim frame allow him to slip through gaps in the defence and create more opportunities for himself. He has all the tools to be one: great reflexes and speed, and those long arms with big mitts on the end. For this reason, a point guard is usually, but not always, more skilled and focused on passing than shooting. -- Pelton, Today's children will ask, "Who was the Steph Curry before Steph Curry?" He didnt have an eye-popping number, but he was in the top 25 percent of players there. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. Neither of those is really a criticism of Parker, but its a reality. Not to mention that he is an elite finisher around the rim, shooting 61.5 per cent on 5-foot attempts. Hinrich always had a high basketball IQ. 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. 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. But hes just not very strong. 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. In the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player coaches. -- Peterson. He is entirely too aggressive. 1. Therefore, a lower score is superior. Each fails to realize that they are all right, and that the real answer is in the combination of what they all experienced. While Rose was fairly criticized for not playing hard defensively prior to Thibodeau, that criticism is no longer accurate. He picked up a complicated system almost immediately, and the Bulls were consistently a better defense with Hinrich on the court, in large part because of how well he understood the system.