Hell frequent the area at the top of the key, just above the free-throw line, and when a shooter starts to shoot, hell close out quickly to challenge the shot, regardless of where it is coming from. The defensive stats arent a good way to determine the totality of defense, but they are a factor and shouldnt be ignored. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. 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. Although both Kidd and Paul were more accurate shooters, his passing range was broader than any of them. However, a good jump shot and the ability to score off a drive to the basket are still valuable skills. 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. 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. His score represents the average of trying hard and not trying at all once the ball gets past him. He also used his incredible basketball IQ to steal the ball and defend at a high level. When he lets it go, though, it seems calculated. Players Stats: 18.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 10x All-Stars, 8x All-NBA Selection, 2005-2006 Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection. Whenever anyone imagines a point guard, chances are theyre thinking of Utah Jazz legend John Stockton. When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. You cant say that Westbrook doesnt try on defense, but you can say he doesnt show consistent effort on defense. The list of the best defensive NBA point guards for 2022-23 starts off with two of the elite perimeter defenders overall. From there, hes playing catch up. Magic Johnson 2. Chalmers is 62 and 190 pounds, which is about average size for a point guard. He affected the paradigm for overseas guards trying to break into the NBA. When Gibson played with the starters, the Bulls gave up 10 fewer points per 100 possessions. At 64, hes big enough to guard shooting guards, as well as point guards. Hes not going to get beaten back, and he doesnt give up in transition. That can create an illusion of great defense where there is none. You're the worst defensive point guard in the NBA!!! J.A. He needs more of the former and less of the latter. You dont see him take plays off, and you dont see him give up on plays. Nash was never known as a strong defender, but he was capable of bothering opposing point guards to some extent. The result is our all-time NBA Top 100. John Stockton 6. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. Thats a pretty large difference, and it shows he is at his best when he can utilize his quickness, while at his worst when he has to use his strength. Then, after a single down year, he had y straight years of 2 steals per . -- Adams, For nine consecutive years, Nash's teams led the NBA in offensive rating. His low foul rate of 4.5 percent is another indication that hes adept at getting into position quickly. Doc Rivers has had a lot of input into how Rondo plays the game. Players Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG. Conley is inconsistent in how he applies effort on the court. -- Pelton, No player his size, 6-foot-3, has ever bent defenses to his will as Curry does. Dennis Johnson. His most notable awards include five NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, nine All-NBA First Team selections, and 12 All-Star appearances. In many cases, I looked at their combine results. Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. I considered both their actual measurables and how well they used them. When he tries, Lowry can be a solid defensive player, but that whole when he tries qualifier is pretty significant. 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. Even though hes been injured a lot, Paul is averaging over two steals a game for his career. I doubt its much beyond his height. Russ is already on the verge of breaking into the top five of all time, but its going to be a challenge. He has the most assists and steals of any player in NBA history and is a master of the pick & roll. He also is tougher than most point guards to post up. This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission. The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. 11. Westbrooks Synergy numbers on the pick-and-roll (.75) and isolation (.7) suggest hes better than he actually is. You just dont see him make the wrong plays. He was an unstoppable offensive force who could score from anywhere on the court and in any way he wanted. Now hes in Phoenix, and well see how both he and Jeff Hornacek develop in their new roles. This is what I mean by ubiquity. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. This is one of those cases where scouting helps. Hakeem Olajuwon 2. Holiday wouldnt just go under the pick; he would go too far under the pick. Overall, hes ninth in steals with 2,207, and Drexlers 49.9 DWS is good for 45th all-time. -- Pelton, Today's children will ask, "Who was the Steph Curry before Steph Curry?" Coming over as a 25-year-old rookie, Ginobili only had two seasons where he had fewer than one steal per game and he averaged 1.3 steals for his career. Players Stats: 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, Honors: 1978-1979 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 9x All-Defense Selection, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, Hall of Famer. His contributions won him a spot on the NBA All-Time 50th Anniversary Team. Parker applies himself defensively in bursts, and this appears to be by design. He gets caught thinking, and while he makes the right decision, its a split second too late. "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. Whatever it was, Holiday was just not bringing effort on the defensive end last year. 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. 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. -- Doolittle, Cousy was an And-1 mix tape in black-and-white. That would make sense, but there are two reasons to choose the unconventional scale. A point guard should always look out for teammates and be able to pass well. Even when he gets switched up on opposing shooting guards trying to post him up, he does a solid job. Because Derrick Rose was the NBAs youngest MVP in 2009, its unfortunate that the guy isnt higher on this list. Cousy, in many respects, was the Celtics spirit at the moment. When he does do it, he does it half-heartedly. Later in his career, he even improved as an outside shooter, which contributed significantly to his longevity. Many consider Bob Cousy to be a passionate athlete who was the first All-Star and dominating player for the Boston Celtics squad that included legends like Bill Russell and Kevin Collier. Thats a difference of almost five points a game given up to point guards. Isaiah Thomas 5. 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. 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. 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. This proves problematic, especially in isolation, where Williams usually just backs up. To recap, Jason Kidd was the best defensive point guard, Michael Jordan skied above other shooting guards, John Havlicek paced all small forwards - for the time being - and the "Mailman . It seems to be down to less than once a game. Lets say a perimeter defender gets beaten and then his center blocks the shot. One of the great conundrums in rating defense is that teammates factor into it. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Hes the closest thing in the world to Kevin Garnetts Mini-Me. Thats just simply not true, and any amount of watching him play will verify that. In addition, Cousy, dubbed "The Houdini of the Hardwood," led the NBA in assists for 8 straight seasons, creating a whole new blend of ball-handling and passing skills for the league. Conley is generously listed at 61 and 180 pounds. For his time with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson is most known for his role alongside Charles Barkley. James is well-known for his incredible skill and ability to score big points, which frequently help his team win crucial games. Normally this would be a list of FAQs, but no one has ever asked any questions (since no one has ever seen it). Then again, the limited number of plays may be, in part, due to the fact that hes so hard to post up. Speaking about hard-nosed defense-first converted shooting guards, here is one more name to the list: Dennis Johnson, one of the all-time great Celtics and at the same time one of the most underrated players in the history of the NBA. They have value when there arent such extremes like the difference between Boozer and Gibson. WAMS includes scouting. -- Kevin Pelton, Teams The scouting score was then combined with the WAM score to produce WAMS, with the scouting counting as one-third of the final score. Its difficult to have a perfect rating system thats entirely objective, and even more difficult to have a realistic one that is purely subjective. That makes sense since Parker has assumed the primary responsibility on offense and theres no reason to wear himself out playing defense. Even when in position, he wont jump to challenge a shot. To read more, go here! Lennys passing and leadership on the floor were solid, but he also had a few great scoring years on the court. The Cleveland Cavaliers relied heavily on Kyrie Irving to take and hit huge shots, even when he was partnered with LeBron James. Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, two of the better perimeter defenders in the league, often take up the responsibility for guarding the best point guards. Despite the fact that he was unable to win an NBA championship, his charisma and dribbling prowess will never be forgotten. He is a natural playmaker with excellent point guard abilities, creating the ideal point guard prototype. Its like hes just punching the clock and collecting his wages. Magic Johnson won the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award three times in his career. Johnson had a knack for scoring against everyone and racked up impressive numbers throughout the course of his career. Although Wilkens is best known as a head coach, he was once an outstanding athlete. -- Adande, He led the NBA in assists nine straight seasons from 1987 to 1996. But Gary Payton did as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. Its possible for Nash to be the whole offense and to shoot 50-40-90 from the field on a continuous basis. The American former professional basketball player was born on August 9, 1928, and played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963 and shortly for the Cincinnati Royals during the 196970 season. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. 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). That makes him eligible for inclusion on this list of best point guards. He uses his feet and body well, steering his man into the help defense when he knows hes not able to keep up. Each touches a different part of the elephant, one an ear, another the torso and so on. Nevertheless, its just as important. How hard do they fight through them? Players Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 2x MVP, 8x All-Stars, 7x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. Fairly straightforward, this takes into account height, length and strength. The game has been graced by several incredible players whose names live on even after they retire. Scottie Pippen 5. Jrue Holiday is making . 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. In his rookie year, he was already averaging 2 steals per game with 0.2 blocks. By combining them, we can get a better picture of the whole elephant of a players defense. 5-on-5: Will Curry pass Magic as best PG ever? Sometimes, all that the on/off stats tell you is the difference between two players that play the same position. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. There are a number of different types of metrics available from various websites. And when hes on the bench, Eric Bledsoe, who is a 15th on this list, was with Odom. He appears to communicate the wisdom hes accrued to his teammates. Starter from the VCT lockin. He weighs in at only 175 pounds. 25. This is not so common anymore, as most coaches are now solely specialized in coaching and are non-players. Strictly speaking, he should have a score closer to 20, but because of all the help he is in the locker room and practice, he gets a little leeway. Its hard to notice his effort, though, because of the consistency with which he gets destroyed. But will he listen enough to a player he was just playing against to make that shift? 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. -- 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. The Case For: Upper-tier defender (9x All Defensive Team, including 4 First Team selections). He gives up too much space and still gets beaten. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. Aside from his offensive prowess, Johnson had the ability to hit for power and lead the offense at a high level. A decade of playing and a plethora of injuries havent helped him get any faster. Sometimes that happens, but not all that often. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, .485 FG%, The player Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. One of the greatest rebounding guards of all time. 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. On Wednesday, we will have the top 10 shooting guards of all time, followed by small forwards, power forwards and centers. Stats dont make a good argument, they make a good foundation for a good argument. Eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, seven-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (2005-06), Career stats Sometimes he wont give that much effort, and then the next moment hell be trying too hard. Golden State Warriors (2009-present), Honors The .72 points per play he gives up in isolation is elite-level defense. 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. Hes 63 with a 68 wingspan and an 83 standing reach. The Glove is hands down the best defender a the point guard position. Bill Russell 3. 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. -- 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. His shot-making and defense made him a top-tier point guard throughout his career. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. If a player tends to be the helper, he gets a better score. The players listed below are our picks for the best point guards in NBA history. -- Adande, Possessed incredible court vision and creativity, all while orchestrating the frenetic game pace of his era. Perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA history, Jordan decimated and demoralized his foes on the defensive end. Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. Jack has good but not great effort. 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. Hes led the league in steals per game five times in the last six years. Most players will take a little on-court breather now and then. Who's the best offensive point guard of all time? With both, its the combination of their size and speed that makes them so phenomenal. 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats Dennis Johnson. Anyways, we hope you enjoyed going through the rankings with Magic Johnson securing first place in the Top 10 NBA point guards of all time. Stephen Curry 4. If theres a weakness, though, its that when he comes up against the elite offensive point guards, he will get beaten in isolation. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. Its amazing he doesnt get punched sometimes. So the problem isnt a lack of speed; its a lack of applying it. 6 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963), Career stats They say that defense is mostly about effort. This is to avoid confusion if you want to go to the original source.). Since its neither, he gets an even score. Moncrief is well known for his defensive prowess. All the other tools and effort can be rendered useless by a little stupidity. He joined the NBA in 1960 and quickly established himself, averaging 30.5 points per game and winning Rookie of the Year. Bledsoe is not a great help defender, in spite of boasting a -4.9 net defensive rating. Alex Caruso. The best way to track how effective a player is on the defensive end is by looking at their cumulative defensive win shares. 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. Perhaps if hes in shoes and standing on a milk crate filled with milk, thats true. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. Micah Adams is the lead NBA research specialist for ESPN Stats and Info. But only once did he actually truly defend the play. His wingspan isnt much better at just 64. 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. Curry has developed into much more than a 3-point specialist. -- 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. His quick feet give him tremendous lateral movement. Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players By Clark Boinis | Jul 12, 2021, 4:05pm 1. Sometimes hell even rush to defend the wrong guy while his man is draining a wide-open three. 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. As the primary decision-maker for a team, a point guard's passing ability determines how well a point guard is able to put their decision into play. He can be stagnant when his man doesnt have the ball. 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. In balance he was a plus, but his deficiencies cant be ignored. Lin is a mixed bag when it comes to help defense. He may get beaten occasionally, and he might get outmuscled more frequently, but he never gets outhustled. Chalmers will fail at things, but not because he isnt trying. He gambles too much, and that often gets him caught out of the play. It looked like teams designed plays counting on him being lazy. Watching a thing, and watching for a thing, are different. Opponents dont have much success getting around him. Lets see who has made it to the top 10 best point guards of all time. Thats pretty much what you see with Conley. None of them qualified based on the 1,200 minutes, so their stats from 2012 were used instead. He always picks up on the switch. #VCTLOCKIN #Valorant #valorantagents #valorantgaming. He had absolutely no help backing him up, and that inflates his objective numbers. He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. Jerry West, one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, combines a lethal jump shot, tenacious defence, obsessive perfectionism, unwavering confidence, and an unwavering will to win. 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. Therefore, a lower score is superior. In his 20 seasons, Bryant averaged 2.5 DWS and 1.4 steals per year. Point guard from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America 3 Jason Kidd Point guard from California, United States of America 4 Walt Frazier Point guard from Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America 5 Dennis Johnson 6 Fat Lever Point guard and Shooting guard from Pine Bluff, Arkansas load more
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