When hes coming off screens, hes especially horrible, giving up 1.15 points per play. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. It was just his second season when he led the league in scoring with an average of 27.1 points per game, despite some serious injury setbacks. Some would argue that just because he went to Harvard, it doesnt mean he has a high basketball IQ, or that book intelligence isnt the same thing. Perhaps the best word to describe his defense is lollygaggy.. 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. His issues related to intelligence, detailed later, compound this problem. The number in the parentheses indicates where they ranked in that category. The Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 championship run would not have been possible without Kyrie Irving, who is a two-time NBA champion. As a result of his hurling himself around the court with utter abandon, he was generally a positive when it came to help defense. Players Stats: 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG, 0.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG, Honors: 1956-1957 MVP, 13x All-Star, 12x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. There are times where he makes a bone-headed gamble and loses, trying to get the extra steal, but thats about the only flaw there is with him mentally. His score would be much worse if it werent for help defense from Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Chris Andersen frequently coming to his aid. In terms of career statistics and postseason accomplishments, he ranks as the NBAs fourth-best point guard of all time. 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. His most notable awards include five NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, nine All-NBA First Team selections, and 12 All-Star appearances. Don't get me wrong: Steph is still the league's best shooter. While he is frequently noted for his ability to see the court and make the right play on offense, he doesnt get the same recognition on the defensive end. Jed Jacobsohn/AP Images. Penny, a taller point guard, was an excellent dribbler and a great passer. Perhaps he just grew weary of Doug Collins' act. There are a number of different types of metrics available from various websites. -- Peterson, Thomas' willingness to share the spotlight helped make the Bad Boy Pistons incredible, and he had a consistent ability to step up his game in the postseason during Detroit's title runs (and near miss in 1988). That would make sense, but there are two reasons to choose the unconventional scale. Then, over 10,000 video clips were viewed and players were evaluated based on subjective criteria. 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. Smart people recognize their limitations. Hes not as horrible as some people would make it sound. 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. Somehow, he seems to be able to get his hands in the way of a lot of shots and passes that should be out of reach. Alex Caruso. Nixon played 6 seasons with the Lakers, making the All-Star Teams in 1982 and 1982 when he posted 17.6 PPG and 17.2 PPG respectively. Nevertheless, its just as important. That concludes the WAP portion of our programming schedule. He made everything go for those Lakers teams. He tends to rely on his speed to compensate for his lack of mass. Thats the difference between what I call work intelligence and natural intelligence. Some people just have to work to pick things up. It is one thing to be able to recognize the player that is in a tactically advantageous position, but it is another thing entirely to be able to deliver the ball to that player. Jack has good but not great effort. He uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. Bob Cousy Bettman/Getty Images. Sixth-greatest point guard in basketball history. Players Stats: 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG. It will be interesting to see if his new coach, Jason Kidd, can help him to work on this, as Kidd was a terrific help defender. Later in his career, he even improved as an outside shooter, which contributed significantly to his longevity. Why not a normal scale of one to 10? Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors People that just do their job dont usually pitch in and help their co-workers. 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. Triple Double and for good reason: hes fourth all-time in triple-doubles with 107. His defensive usage was the highest of any player with at least 1,200 minutes. He did it not once, not twice, but three times. Some players defined their positions. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. He has decent size for a point guard, at 63 but he doesnt have much of a vertical: 28.5.. He could launch it from 30 feet or more with ease. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. He doesnt cheat in either direction, though. 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. Its not uncommon to see him challenge shots with both feet on the floor. The Best NBA Point Guards Of All Time - The Delite The foundation (the facts or stats) needs to be laid first, and then the house (opinions about how, or why, something is) is built on top of it. Even though Payton only played a little part in 2006, the Heats success would not have been possible without his defensive presence and leadership. Went from dominating games strictly with his passing to making the fifth-most 3-pointers in NBA history. (I know, but it is a part of defense these days.) He would find a way to beat his opponents, mentally and physically, and without his defensive tenacity, he wouldnt be considered the greatest of all-time. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. When he tries, Lowry can be a solid defensive player, but that whole when he tries qualifier is pretty significant. 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. Here he is. For each of the following metrics, click on the subhead to be taken to the source website for more details. The problem is he doesnt use that height or strength as well as youd like to see. The classic definition of a point guard, orchestrating offense and shooting when necessary. Stats dont make a good argument, they make a good foundation for a good argument. He is not a guy you would single out as an NBA player in a crowded room. 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. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook. He doesnt try to make great plays, but he tries not to make mistakes, which is maybe what he should be concentrating on. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. 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. Many times, the point guard is referred to by announcers, as a "coach on the floor" or a "floor general". When the pick gets set, he just hurls into it and uses the momentum of the bounce to send him in the right direction. Nash is a top-ten point guard without a question. 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. With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. Parker applies himself defensively in bursts, and this appears to be by design. Players Stats: 24.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 5x All-Stars, 4x All-NBA Selection, 2012-2013 Rookie of the Year. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. There was always that kid in high school or college who tried so hard to get decent grades. He doesnt have to race around to get in position because hes almost never out of position. 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. 1. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. He manages to defend the pick-and-roll reasonably well by doing something I can only call bouncing over picks. So the problem isnt a lack of speed; its a lack of applying it. Players Stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 2016-2017 MVP, 9x All-Star, 8x All-NBA Selection, 2x Scoring Champion. 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. But hes slightly built, and that raises some issues, especially when hes caught a fraction of a second behind a play. These combo point guards can surprise defenses. He never leaves his man to help a defender that doesnt need help, but he always seems to be there when help is needed. Thats the advantage of the scouting portion. He was an unstoppable offensive force who could score from anywhere on the court and in any way he wanted. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. Rondos lack of a need for help defense allows Garnett to help more elsewhere. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. The following are the five categories and what was considered for each of them: How fast players are from end to end is only a part of speed. He joined the NBA in 1960 and quickly established himself, averaging 30.5 points per game and winning Rookie of the Year. Archibald, who was just 61 tall, was able to consistently sink the ball despite his diminutive stature. 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. Hes led the league in steals per game five times in the last six years. 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 . 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. The total numbers were then adjusted to arrive at a score ranging between 90 (best) and 110 (worst). When going against point guards who have a respectable jump shot, that becomes problematic. He plays longer than he actually is. Bledsoe is a bit of a freak. More explosive and athletic point guards focus on scoring as opposed to play-making, forgoing assists and ball-movement, and often defense, for higher scoring numbers. Hell get to the corners to challenge threes; hell pick off passes; hell get rebounds; hell get some chase-down blocks. In fact, a player may have great individual numbers precisely because he is actually detrimental to his team. So I saddled up my workhorse, Synergy, and watched an hour or two of each of the top 15 WAM scores playing defense. Lets say a perimeter defender gets beaten and then his center blocks the shot. When he was off the ball, it was spectacular. His stellar pick-and-roll defensive score has more to do with being backed up by Omer Asik than it does his own play. Taj Gibson, his backup, is a tremendous defensive player, which only amplified the effect of Boozers shortcomings. Even when picks are set behind his back, he instinctively knows they are there and just steps over them seamlessly. Thats a difference of almost five points a game given up to point guards. Among the greatest point guards of all time, Tiny is among the finest ever. Isaiah Thomas 5. This is a necessity because of the point guard's many leadership obligations. Each touches a different part of the elephant, one an ear, another the torso and so on. He fights through picks, going over them when he can and under them when he cant. He has a real grasp of the game, and he helps convey that to his teammates. He never stops moving. He tends to do the right thing, but then hell do something kind of stupid that makes you wonder what hes thinkingeven if what hes thinking is right. The reason teams run so much pick-and-roll is that it works. Then, when players pull up and shoot, he doesnt use his length to close and get a hand in the face of the shooter. For each player, I watched between one and two hours of footage of defense, taking account of specific things and grading them in five different areas. 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. Rushmore of greatest postseason performances in league history. Thats good for 14th all-time in NBA history and he also had 10 seasons in the top 20 for steals per game. -- Adams, For nine consecutive years, Nash's teams led the NBA in offensive rating. Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. During his career, he was selected to nine All-NBA Defensive Teams and five All-Star teams. When he gets it going, hes unstoppable. Lennys passing and leadership on the floor were solid, but he also had a few great scoring years on the court. You can almost rate Chalmers improving basketball intelligence by how many times per game he gets yelled at by his superstar teammates. When he needs to button down, he does, but he also tends to take off the middle of games, relying heavily on the help defense.
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