It only looks at the data. "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. He doesnt help much, but he doesnt get a lot of help either, so its a bit of a wash. To his credit, he has the best WAM score of any point guard without a great defensive center to back him up. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. 18.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 9.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, The player 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. You just dont see him make the wrong plays. Because of his combination of length, speed and jumping ability, Rose has become an excellent team defender against the jump shot. Since the first time a professional basketball player dribbled a ball, weve seen some of the greatest point guards in history. Several sites track this, each in its slightly unique way, depending on its formula to calculate possessions. He doesnt play on the ball physically, utilizing that advantage. Notably, several modern point guards have used a successful style of post play, a tactic usually practiced by much larger centers and forwards. He needs more of the former and less of the latter. He could play any spot on the court as well. The biggest reason appears to be a fundamental one. His record and effect on the game, particularly offensively, are legendary, and its easy to see why. Seemingly overhauling your system for every opponent is not. 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. 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. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. -- Pelton, No player his size, 6-foot-3, has ever bent defenses to his will as Curry does. Even when in position, he wont jump to challenge a shot. 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. Kevin Durant, surprisingly, also bails out his co-star a lot. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. The strength of this is that it shows what the other player does offensively. Hell overshoot passing lanes, gambling for the steal. When hes coming off screens, hes especially horrible, giving up 1.15 points per play. He has 12 All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA selections, nine All-Defensive Team selections, and a second-place MVP finish in his third season at 22. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. In fact, a player may have great individual numbers precisely because he is actually detrimental to his team. Walt Frazier 10. Chris Paul fell into the same kind of trap last season. Although Wilkens is best known as a head coach, he was once an outstanding athlete. These combo point guards can surprise defenses. MVP (1963-64), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year (1960-61), Hall of Fame, Career stats Bledsoes defensive numbers would be far worse if he werent getting helped out by Odom all the time. But Gary Payton did as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. 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. Getting paired with Tom Thibodeau has made it even better. 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. Its like hes chosen the worst of both worlds. 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. He plays way too far off the ball, supposedly so he wont get beaten, but since he perpetually gets beaten like a drum anyway, why not play closer up so he can at least do a better job of defending the jump shot? J.A. In essence, hes athletic enough to do a respectable job of what hes asked to do. In his 20 seasons, Bryant. By: HoopsHype. Chasing down balls, hell reach from behind and disrupt the dribble. 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. When it came to size, the main flaw in his game was that he was very fast and explosive with his handles. Seriously, you should hear Mark Jackson rave about him. He is going to get beaten, without question. On the other, he so rarely allows his opponent to get past him that he doesnt need to rely on it either. The Cleveland Cavaliers relied heavily on Kyrie Irving to take and hit huge shots, even when he was partnered with LeBron James. Kevin Garnett 8. Damian Lillard (2013-Present) AP Images. In the MVP vote for the 1967-1968 season, he finished second behind the unstoppable Wilt Chamberlain. Here are the answers to some questions readers are likely to have. While it does keep the opponent in front of him, it defeats the purpose if the opponent is still getting to the basket. In the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player coaches. In the history of the combine, only nine players have recorded better sprint and agility scores, and of those, only three had a better vertical than his 37.5 inches. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. On Detroits 2004 NBA championship squad, he led the likes of Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace to victory over the LA Lakers superteam. If he had just a little more strength and could get through the screens just a tad bit quicker, then that ground could be eaten up ever so fractionally sooner, and he would be able to have that smidgen of success needed to effectively challenge those three-point shots. This is also manifested in his spot-up defense. In case you missed it, Jason Kidd was tops on our point guard list with 75.1 defensive win shares, good for 11th all-time. In fact, its probably the most important thing. Of course, sometimes his opponent scored, too. He also defends well against post-up plays, yielding just .54 points per play, although thats on an admittedly small 17-play sample size. -- Peterson, He was the forerunner of Magic Johnson and LeBron James, and it's telling that both of those stars revere the Big O. Do they get their hands up and use their length? Phoenix Suns (1996-98, 2004-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-15), Honors The five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection has averaged more than 24 points per game since being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012. Like last time, these shooting guards are ranked based on the cumulative defensive win shares (DWS). 6 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963), Career stats Penny is deserving of a much better ranking just because he is such a gifted one. One aspect of Roses year-long absence that gets lost is how much the team suffered defensively without him. He actually plays his best games against his best opponents. Even so, combo guards still require above-average passing skill, but not as much as possessed by "pure" point guards (which is what those in the traditional mold of a point guard are referred to). 3. He yields a whopping 41.5 three-point percentage on the spot-up, which is just not good. Eventually, that learning has to become instinct, though. Eric Bledsoe has a reputation as being both quick and fast, even for a point guard, but he rarely shows it on defense. 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. Stats dont make a good argument, they make a good foundation for a good argument. Jumping ability, body control and agility were all considered as well. When he applies it, he does so effectively, especially in isolation and the pick-and-roll. Above all, the point guard must understand and accept their coach's game plan; in this way, the position can be compared to a quarterback in American football. Parker has a hefty 1.05 points per play against defending the jumper, even though he typically gets there and challenges shots. My guess is that it has something to do with that. -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. 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. 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. He doesnt disrupt team defense with unnecessary gambles. Bing, despite having one of his eyes injured, was an attacking force to be reckoned with. Williams needs to do a better job of forcing opponents out of the middle and into the strong side of his defense, but he tends to fall straight back instead, letting them into the lane, which allows for easy scores. For that reason, subjective analysis was also included. He could be better than he is, but its hard to blame only him. 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. The corresponding WAM or WAMS scores indicate how many points a group of like-skilled players on the court would theoretically give up in 100 possessions. The reason teams run so much pick-and-roll is that it works. -- Adams, Combined savvy with underrated strength. That said, here are the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, based on their DWS. Holiday knows what to do, but he doesnt always do it. Sometimes, all that the on/off stats tell you is the difference between two players that play the same position. When people think of NBA point guards, he set the mold. This year, without Rose, the Bulls were 23rd, at 21.0 points per game. Offense is so much more than just scoring. He had the best peak for any point guard in NBA history, hands down. Players Stats: 15.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 5x All-Defensive Selection, Hall of Famer. Chalmers will fail at things, but not because he isnt trying. This is also from the various sources we have used. The other metrics help alleviate the extremes because they also indicate what a players personal defense does. 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. 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. 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. Current NBA point guards known for their defensive prowess include Jrue Holiday, Mike Conley Jr., Marcus Smart, and Chris Paul. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the team's offense seamlessly. The debate over whether it should have been a flagrant is mootclearly that got into James head because he was talking about it after the game. For Rose, his biggest issues on both sides of the ball have to do with fundamentals and understanding. That concludes the WAP portion of our programming schedule. As a point guard, Frazier was one of the greatest in NBA history. Thats just simply not true, and any amount of watching him play will verify that. They have value when there arent such extremes like the difference between Boozer and Gibson. Parker is a seasoned point guard who plays the game like a pro. Born on July 15, 1990, Damian is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. There arent many point guards in the league who can match Roses pure size and strength. As a result, the picks work extremely well. I suspect that some of this might be by design, as Holiday bore a leading part of the burden on both ends of the court for his team, so its understandable to a point, but not to the extent I saw. But he never does. -- Adande, Possessed incredible court vision and creativity, all while orchestrating the frenetic game pace of his era. ALL-TIME #NBARANK, 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25, The player Think: Dennis Rodman. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. -- 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. 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. He plays longer than he actually is. Generally speaking, the point guard is the player in possession of the ball for the most time during a game and is responsible for maintaining possession of the ball for their team in the face of any pressure from the opponents. He is a natural playmaker with excellent point guard abilities, creating the ideal point guard prototype. The most striking thing about Hinrich is just how often he is the initial defender on the play. Players have a difficult time getting past him. 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. Oscar Robertson was one of the NBA's greatest players in history. Chris Paul is widely considered to be one of the best point guards of the 2010s. Widely known as one of the best, if not the best, point guards of all time, Chris Pauls offensive exploits are well-documented. 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 By my count, about 70 percent of the time, the ball-handler will get past him and get a shot off. And his athleticism gives him a leg up, which helps him dominate. He stands third among the top 10 point guards of all time. Yet somehow he manages to compensate and do a reasonably fair job of defending, even in isolation. He also shows poor awareness at times, getting surprised by picks as if the setter had just popped up from out of the floor like a Whac-A-Mole. 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. 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5APG, .375 FG%, The player Sounds great, right? The .72 points per play he gives up in isolation is elite-level defense. If a player tends to be the helper, he gets a better score. People that just do their job dont usually pitch in and help their co-workers. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13. The greatest point guard in NBA history. Additionally, Stockton was a fantastic shooter and defender, almost possessing no weaknesses on the floor at all. Below is a list of the 25 Best point guards of the NBA. He doesnt use the shortest angles when running under picks, but he takes path of least resistance instead. WAMS includes scouting. 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. Kawhi Leonard 11. 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, .428 3P%, The player Hes able to stay in front of all but the quickest point guards in the league. 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. Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. Scouting isnt the same as just watching games. While hes able to keep himself from getting pushed around when point guards, or even shooting guards, try and post up on him, hes not able to dig through picks the way the other three are. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. Conley looked away from Billups and was pointing vehemently to Paul, trying to tell Allen to get over there and cover him. Apart from that, he seems to do what hes supposed to be doing when hes away from the ball. What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. He had the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. You can almost rate Chalmers improving basketball intelligence by how many times per game he gets yelled at by his superstar teammates. Jack has good but not great effort. 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? A point guard specializes in certain skills, like other player positions in basketball. Having said that, when hes playing off the ball, he knows where hes supposed to be, and hes usually there. He is in charge of getting the ball into the hands of the shooters. Neither of those is really a criticism of Parker, but its a reality. Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. Six blind men all go to see an elephant which they'venever encountered before. Chris Paul 13. It is really hard to say anything about Lowrys help defense. LeBron James, the best player in the NBA, is also the league's best point guard. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? Let's see who has made it to the top 10 best point guards of all time. If you are a basketball freak, you might be interested in knowing about NBA and other Best Basketball Leagues in the World. He weighs in at only 175 pounds. They were combined and adjusted to cover a range roughly between 18 and 22. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. Holiday wouldnt just go under the pick; he would go too far under the pick. 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player He gets a higher score here than he technically deserves because he tries so hard. He was the primary defender on 1,127 plays last year in all, surpassed only by Stephen Curry among point guards. They average the number of points a player gives up when he is the initial defender, and this is represented by defensive points per play. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. He doesnt just bring effort to every game; he brings it in all the right ways. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive 2nd Team five times. Its frustrating watching Holiday play because when he gets out of position, it doesnt appear that its because hes caught out of position in the sense that he doesnt know where to be. The former professional basketball player was born on March 26, 1962, and is regarded as one of the best passing point guards. Do players go under picks when they should go over them? Top NBA point guards for 2022-23: Ranking all 30 starters | Sporting News TMGNNS LEBRON Sun, 4:30p DEN CLE 2/23, 4:00p BOS IND 2/23, 4:00p DET ORL 2/23, 4:00p MEM PHI 2/23, 4:30p NOP TOR. Hes able to use that size advantage by being physical, playing close and aggressive, often forcing shooters into shots they arent comfortable taking. Jeremy Lin is not one of the faster point guards in the NBA, and hes not particularly quick either. If the team gives up more points while hes on the court, thats bad. 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. After all, as his name implies, Billups was known for taking and making huge shots in order to help his team win. Brandon Knight has exceptional speed and quickness. 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. Meanwhile, we are presenting the top 10 by position. Brandon Knight has work intelligence. To read more, go here! Smart people recognize their limitations. Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena denies outrageous Egypt claims, Brooklyn Nets comeback from 28 down to stun Boston Celtics, Alex Iwobi: Nigerian star set for possible exit at English Premier League club Everton, Premier League player caught inhaling laughing gas after a night out, Real Madrid identify Premier League star as 'Plan B' if Bellingham deal fails, Top 15 most handsome football players in the world in 2023. He and Chris Paul are the contenders for smartest defensive point guard in the game today. Scroll below to see where Stephen Curry ranks among the best point guards in the NBA. One of the best -- and quickest -- lob passers the game has ever seen. For a full game, Moncrief was capable of shutting down almost any guard in NBA history. Adapting your system to every opponent and knowing their nuances is understandable. 1. What is the difference between WAM and WAMS? Widely known as one of the best, if not the best, point guards of all time, Chris Pauls offensive exploits are well-documented. An All-Star in every full season that he played for the Boston Celtics, six-time NBA champion Bob Cousy was an all-around player: he averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. Average players struggled, though. His 47.4 DWS is 54th overall, good for an average of 2.963 DWS per season, slightly edging Wade. Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players By Clark Boinis | Jul 12, 2021, 4:05pm 1. -- Adams, An early ballhandling wizard, he was a point guard who was a focal point at a time when the game was dominated by big men. 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. 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. When he gets set for a defensive play, he does a respectable job. 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. Top 10 Point Guards of All Time Best NBA Point Guards, NBA and other Best Basketball Leagues in the World, Facebook and Twitter takedown hackers targeting Ukraine political figures and military officials via fake accounts, Britney Spears called out Fans that She felt Sick to her stomach after Family plans Intervention, Stephen tWitch Boss passed away intestate, wife Allison Holker has filed Estate Control. Honors: 6x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Selection, 2011-2012 Rookie of the Year, Players Stats: 22.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG. 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. He is easily one of the physically weaker players in the league, even for his position. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74), Honors Watching him rotate was watching perfection. His helter-skelter wizziness has him flying around the court, and sometimes its good. The other thing thats surprising about Rondo with his size is how well he fights over picks. Big Shot, is one of the finest point guard leaders in the NBA. Cousy, in many respects, was the Celtics spirit at the moment. When you combine that with his 40-inch vertical, you have a player that gets higher (139 inches) than any point guard in the leagueeven Russell Westbrook. Rondo may not be big, but he doesnt know that. 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats Therefore, a lower score is superior. That deceptive length helps him nab 2.5 steals per 36 minutes and grab a ridiculous number of rebounds for a person his height. All that was due to Bryant emulating Jordans relentless drive to win on both sides of the floor. 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, .490 FG%, The player Dont be surprised to see him as a head coach someday. The average score by point guards was 16.1. The only time hell go under a pick is when hes supposed to. A decade of playing and a plethora of injuries havent helped him get any faster. 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. One of the greatest rebounding guards of all time. Also with both, theyve shown more success utilizing their physical attributes on the offensive end than the defensive end. Watching a thing, and watching for a thing, are different.