Rob Peterson is an NBA editor for ESPN.com. All pre-draft measurements were obtained from the database hosted on Draft Express. You just dont see him make the wrong plays. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. You think, He cant be trying hard enough, but then you realize he is. On and off the court, Dave Bing was an excellent high-scoring NBA point guard who achieved greatness. 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. His record and effect on the game, particularly offensively, are legendary, and its easy to see why. He gambles too much, and that often gets him caught out of the play. Many times, the point guard is referred to by announcers, as a "coach on the floor" or a "floor general". The classic definition of a point guard, orchestrating offense and shooting when necessary. Six blind men all go to see an elephant which they'venever encountered before. After the opponent scores, it is typically the point guard who brings the ball down the court to begin an offensive play. Point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders. 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 was second among point guards in defensive rebounds per 36 minutes. -- Doolittle, The great Knicks ball-movement offense started with him. First, a range of 18 to 22 makes it easier to arrive at the eventual score of 100the baseline everything was weighted to. Isaiah Thomas 5. Neither of those is really a criticism of Parker, but its a reality. 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. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. While he does benefit from help defense, its not as often as you might think. The more often he is the primary defender, the more likely he is to be responsible for guarding the player who is getting the most plays offensively. James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022. Hes not just ordinary quick, either; hes pesky-quick, with fast hands that dart in and take the ball out of the ball-handler's dribble with alarming frequency. The facts need to come first. In the last entry, we focused on the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time. If he wins an NBA championship, Chris Paul, the current number one point guard, will rise even higher on this ranking. Hakeem Olajuwon 2. It might not seem like much, but for most players, this covered around 30-40 games' worth of defense. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. Allen Iverson 11. The scouting score was then combined with the WAM score to produce WAMS, with the scouting counting as one-third of the final score. Watson, Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson. Gary Payton was born on July 23, 1968, and is widely regarded as one of the best defensive point guards of all time. Does he rotate on time? Los Angeles Lakers (1979-91, 1995-96), Honors With his athleticism and speed, there is no way that Rose should get beaten off the dribble as often as he does. 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. Point guards must be able to maintain possession of the ball in crowded spaces and in traffic and be able to advance the ball quickly. 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats In all, Wade was a three-time All-Defensive Team selection (all on the 2nd team), his 1620 steals rank 31st all-time and hes had six seasons where he ranked top-20 in steals per game. Holiday wouldnt just go under the pick; he would go too far under the pick. By the time he was done, he had racked up 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-Defense selections, six All-NBA . Hes not looking at the ball-handler's chest, which makes him susceptible to fakes, so when his opponent breaks, Rose is momentarily frozen. He was transcendent. Some point guards are still given a great deal of leeway in the offense. It doesnt help to be fast if you dont use it, so Bledsoes score here is lower than you might expect. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive Second Team five times. J.A. All rights reserved. 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. Stockton was a member of two gold medal teams and twice reached the NBA finals during his remarkable career. When they do, he gets tangled up pretty badly; it happens so rarely, though, youd think he had eyes in the back of his head. On the other hand, you cant deny what happened, regardless of how much you watch. It is a testament to Jarrett Jack that he makes this list. 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. Meanwhile, another player has his numbers go up because he is capable. Steph's ball-handling abilities make him a lethal ball-handler, as he can shake a defender at any time. The ripple effect of that was that every single Bull had a worse defensive rating with Boozer than when playing with Gibson. A point guard specializes in certain skills, like other player positions in basketball. 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. Mentally subtract them from the rankings if you feel they shouldn'tbe included. Rose is arguably the most athletic point guard in the league, though Russell Westbrook could present a challenge. His offensive style has been revamped to incorporate a powerful mid-range jumper along with some range as well. He just cant do anything about it. New York Knicks (1967-1977), Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-1980), Honors: He could launch it from 30 feet or more with ease. His score represents the average of trying hard and not trying at all once the ball gets past him. Being big and strong doesnt mean players automatically got higher scores, though. Seemingly overhauling your system for every opponent is not. You cant build a house first, and then pour the foundation underneath it. Jeremy Lin is not one of the faster point guards in the NBA, and hes not particularly quick either. His issues related to intelligence, detailed later, compound this problem. Damian Lillard (2013-Present) AP Images. Lennys passing and leadership on the floor were solid, but he also had a few great scoring years on the court. 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. New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers, (2011-present), Honors I actually looked for him to do it and couldnt find it. Lowry is neither big nor strong, and he does little with what size he has. Thats the difference between what I call work intelligence and natural intelligence. Some people just have to work to pick things up. 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. Just because someone gets past him doesnt mean theyre going to score. In essence, hes athletic enough to do a respectable job of what hes asked to do. Current NBA point guards known for their defensive prowess include Jrue Holiday, Mike Conley Jr., Marcus Smart, and Chris Paul. 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. 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. -- Kevin Pelton, NBA Insider, May be the strongest point guard ever and consistently made everyone around him better. He gets easily overpowered when bigger point guards post him up. The explosiveness and rim-running ability of Damian Lillard extend beyond his ability to shoot the ball from a distance. 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. 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. 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. Rose had it all, including speed, explosiveness, and the ability to score when it mattered most. 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, .485 FG%, The player Johnson had a knack for scoring against everyone and racked up impressive numbers throughout the course of his career. When the pick gets set, he just hurls into it and uses the momentum of the bounce to send him in the right direction. Brandon Knight has work intelligence. Two-time All-Defensive First Team Four-time All-Star Before having his career derailed by drug use, Micheal Ray Richardson was one of the league's most feared defensive point. Great size made him impossible for most. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook. He led the NBA in scoring in only his second season, 1967-68, with 27.1 points per game. Each fails to realize that they are all right, and that the real answer is in the combination of what they all experienced. MVP (1963-64), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year (1960-61), Hall of Fame, Career stats After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. -- Adams, Combined savvy with underrated strength. While the Clippers were better when Paul was on the bench, it wasnt because he was on the bench. After watching Paul play defense for a while, what stands out over everything else is that he just never stops movingliterally. 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 . Its like someone took a normal-sized person and stretched out the arms and hands to make him. 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. For example, in the clutch, with the Rockets engaged in a playoff run, the team locked up in a tight battle with the San Antonio Spurs and the score close with less than five minutes remaining, Lin consistently showed the same 90 percent effort he always shows. Damian Lillard's nuclear 71-point explosion Sunday night was jaw-dropping and somehow not all that surprising. Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. As a Golden State Warrior and Miami Heat legend, Tim Hardaway may have the best crossover in basketball history. Perhaps it was the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers were having a disappointing season without their newly acquired star, Andrew Bynum. Teams Many remember Ginobili for his offense, but he was also a capable defender. Watching Parker play defense for a while, particularly zooming in on the pick-and-roll plays, his impressive court awareness stands out. But thats why we do the research. Does he pick up his man when switched? In the late 1980s, he was the face of the Bad Boys Pistons, who defeated Jordan's Bulls three times in a row in the playoffs. 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. This is a necessity because of the point guard's many leadership obligations. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. The result is our all-time NBA Top 100. Only two other players besides Moncrief have won the NBAs defensive player of the year award twice. If he's not on the slide and he played 1,200 minutes, he should be on this list somewhere. 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. 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. Mike Conley is exceptionally quick, virtually teleporting himself from one part of the court to another at times. -- Pelton, No player his size, 6-foot-3, has ever bent defenses to his will as Curry does. WAM is purely objective. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Did they get pushed around easily? His foot speed is as good as anyone's in the league, and you cant measure that. Widely known as one of the best, if not the best, point guards of all time, Chris Pauls offensive exploits are well-documented. -- Pelton, Perhaps the most incredible part of the Big O's triple-double season is that he finished third in MVP voting (behind winner Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 50.4 PPG). Conley is generously listed at 61 and 180 pounds. You probably cant say right away, because you watched the storyline, not how Harvey dressed. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Russ is already on the verge of breaking into the top five of all time, but its going to be a challenge. Johnson is widely recognized as one of the all-time great point guards, particularly for his defense. I like to compare it to the relationship between a foundation and a house. Therefore, its a Theoretically Asked Questions, or TAQ. Later in his career, he even improved as an outside shooter, which contributed significantly to his longevity. That can create an illusion of great defense where there is none. Interpreted as: best defensive rating with a minimum of 10000 minutes played point guards in NBA history. He affected the paradigm for overseas guards trying to break into the NBA. Players Stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 2010-2011 MVP, 3x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Selection, 2008-2009 Rookie of the Year. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. 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. He does such a good job of it while the ball is in front of him, theres no reason he couldnt do it after the ball-handler gets past him. Hes able to use that size advantage by being physical, playing close and aggressive, often forcing shooters into shots they arent comfortable taking. It only looks at the data. Chris Paul 13. However, a good jump shot and the ability to score off a drive to the basket are still valuable skills. The Clippers were 10 points better with Lamar Odom on the court than DeAndre Jordan according to NBA.com/STATS. He tends to be beaten off the dribble more often than he should be, considering his physical advantages, but he also uses his physical ability to recover when he is beaten. For example, the Spurs absolutely ate him alive in the playoffs with Tony Parker, who averaged 24.5 points for the series. Some players defined their positions. -- Peterson. 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. Dennis Johnson. 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. -- Haberstroh, Teams On the one hand, he doesnt seem cogent enough of his surroundings most of the time to really offer any. Hes pouring out effort every minute hes on the court. He owes his charitable demeanour to a group of elementary school parents. Eric Bledsoe has a reputation as being both quick and fast, even for a point guard, but he rarely shows it on defense. Jack has good but not great effort. Hes one of the most prolific players in the game. While it does keep the opponent in front of him, it defeats the purpose if the opponent is still getting to the basket. By my count, about 70 percent of the time, the ball-handler will get past him and get a shot off. He has a real grasp of the game, and he helps convey that to his teammates. The point guard is positioned on the perimeter of the play, so as to have the best view of the action. He sometimes gets tangled up and left hopelessly out of the play.
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