Overall, hes ninth in steals with 2,207, and Drexlers 49.9 DWS is good for 45th all-time. And I never saw him go in the wrong direction, not once. The most pure and one of the best point guards and playmakers in NBA History is John Stockton. Does he rotate on time? Isiah Thomas, born on April 30, 1961, and possibly the best player ever under 6-foot-1, combined talent with fierce competitiveness. They must also be able to adapt to what the defense is allowing and must control the pace of the game. The problem is that sometimes players are so inept, they skew the stats of other players. He applies his energy smartly. Since elite offensive players tend to have a higher usage rate, players that guard elite offensive players should also have more defensive plays. Having said that, he does play team defense, too, and he is part of the team. Hes able to use that size advantage by being physical, playing close and aggressive, often forcing shooters into shots they arent comfortable taking. 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. Since I always get asked "Where's ___________?" What he offers goes beyond the court. -- Haberstroh, Teams Bill Russell 3. Ultimately, Johnson's unselfishness earned him the title of greatest point guard of all time. Whether you like him or not (and I personally dont), you have to respect that he plays the game as hard as it can be played. 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. Exceptions were made for Derrick Rose, Danny Granger, Andrew Bynum and Kevin Love because they have all been All-Star players, and all are still, at least by age, in their prime. Although Drexler never made an All-Defensive Team in his career, he did average two steals per game for his 15-year career. His lateral quickness is below-average, and his straightaway speed isnt much either. If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. Adapting your system to every opponent and knowing their nuances is understandable. As a Golden State Warrior and Miami Heat legend, Tim Hardaway may have the best crossover in basketball history. -- Doolittle, Perhaps someday Paul will reach the conference finals and we can focus more on his incredible accomplishments as a scorer, distributor and defender and less on his teams' inability to turn them into deep playoff runs. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year. Im cheating a little here. His contributions won him a spot on the NBA All-Time 50th Anniversary Team. Apart from that, he seems to do what hes supposed to be doing when hes away from the ball. Rose had it all, including speed, explosiveness, and the ability to score when it mattered most. He gambles too much, and that often gets him caught out of the play. The Glove is hands down the best defender a the point guard position. For Rose, his biggest issues on both sides of the ball have to do with fundamentals and understanding. Curry has developed into much more than a 3-point specialist. The list of the best defensive NBA point guards for 2022-23 starts off with two of the elite perimeter defenders overall. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. And his athleticism gives him a leg up, which helps him dominate. Ranking the best point guards of all time and selecting the top 10 point guards of all time are two of the most difficult things to do. In fact, no drafted guard has ever measured a worse sprint, vertical and agility test. 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. Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. 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. Nash's sideways speed and power will be non-existent at some age, allowing for constant dribble. Occasionally hell chase the play after hes been beaten, but not always. The total numbers were then adjusted to arrive at a score ranging between 90 (best) and 110 (worst). 11. You probably cant say right away, because you watched the storyline, not how Harvey dressed. When the team is winning or the game is close, he puts in real effort, but if they are down, he shows noticeably less energy. When it comes to intangibles, Chris Paul is the elite point guard in the league. Sportbrief has published an article about James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. He arguably powers through picks better than any point guard in the league. But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. Holiday has ample size for a point guard, standing a shade over 64 in shoes, and weighing in at 205 pounds. After watching Paul play defense for a while, what stands out over everything else is that he just never stops movingliterally. He has the speed to get there, but not the length to disrupt the shot once he does. Johnson is widely recognized as one of the all-time great point guards, particularly for his defense. We have listed down 25 of the finest point guards, so lets see who makes it to the top 10 point guards of all time. 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. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. He was a giant of a guard, but he had all the necessary talents, including the ability to dribble and pass. 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 . From that, each player was scored in five different areas on a scale of 18 (best) to 22 (worst). Nash was never known as a strong defender, but he was capable of bothering opposing point guards to some extent. He always picks up on the switch. Still, Nash's greatest historical legacy will be paving the way for Stephen Curry and a new generation of point guards in a league that embraced point guards making plays with a wide-open court. Watching him rotate was watching perfection. 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. He averages 1.8 steals per game. His offensive style has been revamped to incorporate a powerful mid-range jumper along with some range as well. 6 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963), Career stats That would make sense, but there are two reasons to choose the unconventional scale. Watching Parker play defense for a while, particularly zooming in on the pick-and-roll plays, his impressive court awareness stands out. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. He doesnt make stupid mistakes, but he doesnt anticipate plays either. Pauls been an All-Defensive Team selection nine times, being selected to the 1st team seven times and the 2nd team twice. Now hes in Phoenix, and well see how both he and Jeff Hornacek develop in their new roles. On the other hand, he was frequently bailing out whoever was playing shooting guard on numerous occasions. In recent years, the sport's shift from a fundamental style of play to a more athletic, scoring-oriented game resulted in the proliferation of so-called combo guards at the point guard position. MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. Its hard to notice his effort, though, because of the consistency with which he gets destroyed. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. Whether this is a result of his reputation being undeserved or him not putting forth the effort isnt hard to determine. Both figures can be obtained by going to any players team page and then clicking on the appropriate name. 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. Hes controlled in how he plays hard. He also uses his quick hands to steal the dribble, and he does so without taking risks. As a result, he rarely gets tangled up with the pick-setter. For the purpose of this study, 82games was used because the net defensive rating was also easily available and it made for consistency. Stats dont tell the whole story and our eyes often only confirm what we already know. His net defensive rating of minus-7.7, combined with his lack of a defensively-solid backup big, is a strong indication of his value as a help defender. While he does benefit from help defense, its not as often as you might think. Other individual metrics and team metrics thin out the impact of those factors. Bledsoe is not a great help defender, in spite of boasting a -4.9 net defensive rating. Is that because Chalmers is a better team defender or is it because Cole isnt on the court with James as much? This typically involves setting up plays on the court, getting the ball to the teammate in the best position to score, and controlling the tempo of the game. Teams How hard do they fight through them? Archibald was the first player in league history to lead the league in both points scored and assists, making him a one-man offense. Notably, several modern point guards have used a successful style of post play, a tactic usually practiced by much larger centers and forwards. Holiday knows what to do, but he doesnt always do it. This mans achievements are indisputable, and the prospect of him winning a second NBA championship just adds to his greatness. Sometimes it doesnt. Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats An adamant multi-disciplinary journalist, Brian possesses the instincts that are comfortably intrigued by covering and writing the details as minor as the size of Kawhi Leonards hands and as significant as the Trends to watch out for in 2022. But he never does. Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. Paradoxically tough on the court and flashy off of it, Frazier epitomized the '70s-era backcourt style in which roles were less defined. 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. Players Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, Honors: 3x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 10x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. Marcus Smart. However, when the game is on the line, he makes the right decision. That all-around game made Kidd one of the league's top point guards for nearly 20 years. -- Adande, He led the NBA in assists nine straight seasons from 1987 to 1996. Some players get caught out of place, but they know theyre out of place. The official cause of death of Flashdance singer Irene Cara has been determined. Do the likes of Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry rise to the top of the point guard rankings, or is it possible for someone with undeniable natural skill like Penny Hardaway to crack the elite group? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13. What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. Parker is a seasoned point guard who plays the game like a pro. Hes only 63, which is relatively good size for a point guard, but he just seems bigger. Did they get pushed around easily? Holiday wouldnt just go under the pick; he would go too far under the pick. If youre a fan of the TV show Suits, you might agree that Harvey Specter dresses well. When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. Hes just over 60" without shoes but has a wingspan of 67.5. Only four players in the history of the combine are as short or shorter and have at least that kind of reach. Kirk Hinrich wasnt the fastest player in the NBA when he came out of college. Smart people recognize their limitations. At the point guard position, point guard Damian Lillard is one of the games most talented shooters and scorers. 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. West became synonymous with brilliant basketball during his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Adande, Brad Doolittle, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton are NBA writers for ESPN.com. Please check your email for a confirmation. Nate Archibald 14. They work harder, and they get things eventually, but not quite as well. Oscar Robertson was one of the NBA's greatest players in history. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. Dallas Mavericks (1994-96, 2008-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-2001), New Jersey Nets (2001-08), New York Knicks (2012-13), Honors He also only has a 65 wingspan, which is short of the other bigger point guards, but what he has, he uses well. Sometimes he wont give that much effort, and then the next moment hell be trying too hard. Honors: 1978-1979 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 9x All-Defense Selection, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, Hall of Famer. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. For this reason, a small penalty was exacted for every minute under 30 minutes, and a small bonus was provided over 30 minutes. I actually looked for him to do it and couldnt find it. Perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA history, Jordan decimated and demoralized his foes on the defensive end. Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy! The weakness is that it also includes some of what the other player does defensively, (e.g.. blocks, steals, and defensive rebounds). On Wednesday, we will have the top 10 shooting guards of all time, followed by small forwards, power forwards and centers. It probably tells the accurate story here. His length is better; he has a 65.75 wingspan. Bledsoe is a bit of a freak. Jrue Holiday is making . In the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player coaches. The other metrics help alleviate the extremes because they also indicate what a players personal defense does. He gave up just .87 points defending the spot-up (making him one of the few players to defend the spot-up better than the iso). He might physically play below the rim, but few can touch how he plays above the neck. WAM is the foundation, and WAMS is the house. Sometimes, all that the on/off stats tell you is the difference between two players that play the same position. Big Shot, is one of the finest point guard leaders in the NBA. 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. Big O is widely regarded as one of the best offensive point guards of all time. He and Chris Paul are the contenders for smartest defensive point guard in the game today. Some will just hang around waiting for the play to end, but Jack keeps track of his man and also helps if its needed. Per Synergy, he forces turnovers 18.5 percent of the time, and he does so barely giving up any points. At 63, with a wingspan of almost 68, he has decent size. Stockton is one of the greatest assist players in NBA history, if not the greatest. One of basketballs most dynamic and versatile point guards in the modern era. Injuries robbed Rose of the opportunity to become one of the games top five point guards. There was always that kid in high school or college who tried so hard to get decent grades. -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. The classic definition of a point guard, orchestrating offense and shooting when necessary. By taking the total number of plays and the total number of minutes (regular and postseason combined, because Synergy just throws it all together) we can determine how many times per 36 minutes a player was the initial defender on the play. His quick feet give him tremendous lateral movement. His score represents the average of trying hard and not trying at all once the ball gets past him. 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. But mostly he plays smartly with an occasional brain fart. He routinely gets blistered in isolation (.93 points per play), fails to close out well on shooters and lags when coming off of screens. A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. Even though he normally does, he shouldnt have to and wouldnt if he were playing smarter. In 2021, Paul became the first player in NBA history to score over 20,000 points and dish out over 10,000 assists before LeBron James followed suit later in 2022. MVP (1963-64), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year (1960-61), Hall of Fame, Career stats Damian Lillard (2013-Present) AP Images. He might not be the fastest guy in the world, but that doesnt keep him from trying to be. Nevertheless, its just as important. Magic had unparalleled vision; he could see players get open and deliver the ball before they even realized they were open. It doesnt help to be fast if you dont use it, so Bledsoes score here is lower than you might expect. In his 16-year career, Wade averaged 2.961 DWS per year and his 47.38 DWS is good for 55th overall. He tends to rely on his speed to compensate for his lack of mass. That helps him to dominate games defensively without having to leave the ground. He finished the game with the most career postseason points and the highest average in a playoff series. Watching a thing, and watching for a thing, are different. In fact, a player may have great individual numbers precisely because he is actually detrimental to his team. 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5APG, .375 FG%, The player He never stops moving. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. 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. Like last time, these shooting guards are ranked based on the cumulative defensive win shares (DWS). He tends to use that speed and athleticism well when hes in position, too. I considered both their actual measurables and how well they used them. Don't get me wrong: Steph is still the league's best shooter. 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. He had absolutely no help backing him up, and that inflates his objective numbers. He lacks the strength to effectively go over screens consistently, so he has to go under them. Hes just unable able to get high enough to legitimately challenge the shot. Only two NBA championships would make him the second-best player in NBA history. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. -- 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. Los Angeles Lakers late legend Kobe Bryant is often considered the greatest Laker ever and with good reason: Bryant is first in many of the Lakers statistical categories. He secures first place in the top 10 NBA point guards of all time. 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! -- Rob Peterson, One can only imagine how impressive his career totals might have been if not for the HIV virus. Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. Even his athletic scores dont indicate greatness. For that reason, subjective analysis was also included. 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. In the last entry, we focused on the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time. He averaged 3.9 win shares per season, totaling 75.1 DWS at the end of his 19-year career - good for 11th all-time. Although Wade had an accomplished resume, if he had played one more season, he wouldve easily overtaken the next player on the list. He averaged 3.9 win shares per season, totaling 75.1 DWS at the end of his 19-year career, good for 11th all-time. Do players go under picks when they should go over them? During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. Scroll below to see where Stephen Curry ranks among the best point guards in the NBA. In other words, giving up 15 points to Russell Westbrook is much more impressive than giving up 14 to Derek Fisher, but the raw stats dont tell you who was guarding whom. Because Derrick Rose was the NBAs youngest MVP in 2009, its unfortunate that the guy isnt higher on this list. Those are the questions I was looking to answer. Even when he gets switched up on opposing shooting guards trying to post him up, he does a solid job. Is he an effective flopper? With his limited speed, he is always in full throttle and getting himself around the court, pestering whoever has the ball. 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. 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. Knight gets almost no help whatsoever from help defense. -- 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. 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. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. Seemingly overhauling your system for every opponent is not. If theres a weakness, though, its that when he comes up against the elite offensive point guards, he will get beaten in isolation. Eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, seven-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (2005-06), Career stats -- Peterson, Teams Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors Kyrie Irving is unquestionably one of the greatest point guards of all time. He plays longer than he actually is. His helter-skelter wizziness has him flying around the court, and sometimes its good. Stockton embodied a true point guard: an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. On the one hand, he doesnt seem cogent enough of his surroundings most of the time to really offer any. Trail Blazers playoff failures have been a major blemish on both his game and his career so far. LeBron James, the best player in the NBA, is also the league's best point guard. Let me remind everyone, young and old, I played against @iamisiahthomas when he was hurt & hobbling on one leg and @iamisiahthomas still scored 25 points in one quarter in the NBA Finals! It will be interesting to see how well he does with Larry Sanders behind him in Milwaukee. But Gary Payton did as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. Other stats were determined by using my trusty sidekick, MS Excel, loaded up with standard stats available on most websites. Over the last decade, the best point guards such as Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and others have dominated the position. The average score by point guards was 16.1. All rights reserved. The relative value between players was not affected; they were merely weighted so that the metrics could be combined without any one metric dominating the others. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive 2nd Team five times. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. The only point guard to win Defensive Player of the Year, Payton was a defensive nightmare and he never had a DWS lower than 1.2 during his 17-year career. One of the most innovative offensive players, San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili was a very unique player. Having above-average size (height, muscle) is considered advantageous, although size is secondary to situational awareness, speed, quickness, and ball handling skills. While no one always guards the best player, some players are much more likely to be guarding the other teams elite players, which makes them appear weaker defensively. What are you crying about lmfao 03 Mar 2023 00:55:09 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. By the time he was done, he had racked up 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-Defense selections, six All-NBA . 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats Bob Cousey 8. The undisputed first great point guard, Cousy remains the only guard in NBA history to be named First-Team All-NBA in 10 straight seasons. To say he gets pushed around would be generous. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. As a result, hes 17th all-time with 1944 and had six seasons in the top-20 in steals. On the positive side, Rose does a decent job of understanding his role in a complex system. 1. However, despite Chris Paul and Jason Kidds prominence, Steve Nash became a two-time MVP who had no weaknesses on the offensive end. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. Coming off one of the best offensive seasons in NBA history, Curry takes the top spot on our list of the league's best point guards, followed closely by 22-year-old wunderkind Luka Doncic, who may . 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. 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. How much a player understands his role in the defense is measured here. He spends too much time getting back into the defensive play because he ran himself out of it. Hes like a runner trying to run a mile by alternating between walking and sprinting 100 yards at a time. He does an air-tight job of keeping players out of the perimeter. In his 20 seasons, Bryant averaged 2.5 DWS and 1.4 steals per year. Micah Adams is the lead NBA research specialist for ESPN Stats and Info. New York Knicks (1967-1977), Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-1980), Honors: When he was off the ball, it was spectacular. He stands third among the top 10 point guards of all time. Dennis Rodman 4. Additionally, Stockton was a fantastic shooter and defender, almost possessing no weaknesses on the floor at all. A decade of playing and a plethora of injuries havent helped him get any faster. During his career, he was selected to nine All-NBA Defensive Teams and five All-Star teams. Here he is. You're the worst defensive point guard in the NBA!!! While his pick-and-roll stats, according to Synergy, are excellent, at .68 points per play, half the time he seems to get bailed out by his frontcourt. Allen Iverson 11. Nevertheless, its just as important. Thats the difference between what I call work intelligence and natural intelligence. Some people just have to work to pick things up. 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. The best shooter ever not just in terms of accuracy but also in creatively getting looks with but a sliver's opening and with unlimited range.
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