Chris is also a leader on the defensive end of the court, having been named to nine All-Defensive Teams. It is the same with his mental engagement in the game. What are you crying about lmfao 03 Mar 2023 00:55:09 Between his height, lack of real effort on closing out and taking too long to figure out where hes supposed to be (if he ever figures it out all), he becomes the perfect storm for easy pickins. He just cant do anything about it. That earned him the nickname Mr. In essence, hes athletic enough to do a respectable job of what hes asked to do. Overall, hes ninth in steals with 2,207, and Drexlers 49.9 DWS is good for 45th all-time. In order to answer that, we introduce Weighted Averaged Metrics (WAM) and WAM with Scouting (WAMS), a pair of advanced defensive metrics which combine other stats and metrics, weight them so that each represents an equal relative value, and then use them all to derive a final score. He works well within a system where there are no real defensive weaknesses. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. He does an air-tight job of keeping players out of the perimeter. The NBA's best European guard, Tony Parker, monopolised opposing backcourt players with speed and agility, a tight crossover, and a gorgeous tear-drop floater in the lane. Top 20 best defensive midfielders in the world today: who are they? Scouting isnt the same as just watching games. Interpreted as: best defensive rating with a minimum of 10000 minutes played point guards in NBA history. -- Pelton, Today's children will ask, "Who was the Steph Curry before Steph Curry?" What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. Gary Payton, widely regarded as one of the best defensive point guards in NBA history, saw a similar decline in his defensive abilities after the age of 35. He made everything go for those Lakers teams. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the team's offense seamlessly. Of course having book smarts doesnt preclude you from knowing what youre doing on the court either. There is no doubt about it: Steph Curry is the second-best in the top 10 point guards of all time. -- 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. 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. 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. -- Adande, Teams 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. With his record of successes and pioneering point guard talents, Magic is at the top of the list. Lillard would likely be at the top of this list if measured as an offensive package as a whole. Its what separates him from being a valuable, slightly overrated defender, and an elite defender. If he tends to be the helped, he gets a worse score. Michael Cooper was a great defensive guard, evident when he won the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award in 1987, and James Worthy is a top-ten Small Forward of all-time and was one of the . Lowry just seems to be lost on defense much of the time. Rondo likes to do this chest bump thing where he meets the opponent past the half-court line and just bumps his chest into him repeatedly. Along with leadership and a general basketball acumen, ball-handling is a skill of great importance to a point guard. You probably cant say right away, because you watched the storyline, not how Harvey dressed. He has trouble compensating for his lack of size when challenging jump shots. This implies that the point guard serves as an extension of their coach on the court, and he or she is accountable for making the right plays every night. In his 20 seasons, Bryant. This is where everything focuses on Westbrook. Paradoxically tough on the court and flashy off of it, Frazier epitomized the '70s-era backcourt style in which roles were less defined. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. This is a necessity because of the point guard's many leadership obligations. 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. Hed also be more willing to provide it. 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. While he was doing that, Billups, who actually had the ball the whole time, just stepped back behind the three-point line and drained the three. Therefore, a lower score is superior. 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. It will be interesting to see how well he does with Larry Sanders behind him in Milwaukee. Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. Even the fastest point guards tend to get bottled up. Gary Payton 12. 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. 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. (Most defenders let the opponent by more than half the time. He gets a ton of help from his teammates and isnt asked to give a lot back. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? 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. It only looks at the data. He bulls through picks well and is not afraid to go over them. The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Even when in position, he wont jump to challenge a shot. Fairly straightforward, this takes into account height, length and strength. 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. He wont even try and fight over a pick if he gets caught in one, but just quits on the play. Jrue Holiday. In terms of career statistics and postseason accomplishments, he ranks as the NBAs fourth-best point guard of all time. Bill Russell 3. 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. Can they play bigger than they really are? Johnsons style of play made him especially successful since he was noted for tip-ins and post play around the rim. If the team gives up more points while hes on the court, thats bad. 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. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. Neither of those is really a criticism of Parker, but its a reality. MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships The advantage of defensive rating is that it accounts for the things that dont show up in box scores. The disadvantage is that sometimes its not the player doing those things, and hes getting credit for someone elses great defense. Pass-first points of the past have given way to dynamic creators who can score as well as set up teammates. He might have Silly Putty for a father. As a result, the picks work extremely well. Sometimes, all that the on/off stats tell you is the difference between two players that play the same position. James is well-known for his incredible skill and ability to score big points, which frequently help his team win crucial games. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. -- Adams, Combined savvy with underrated strength. Players Stats: 15.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG, Honors: 4x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection. He picked up a complicated system almost immediately, and the Bulls were consistently a better defense with Hinrich on the court, in large part because of how well he understood the system. It is akin to the blind men and the elephant in the Indian fable adapted to a poem by John Godfrey Saxe. 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. MVP (1963-64), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year (1960-61), Hall of Fame, Career stats Golden State Warriors (2009-present), Honors Each touches a different part of the elephant, one an ear, another the torso and so on. Although Wade had an accomplished resume, if he had played one more season, he wouldve easily overtaken the next player on the list. How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. Chris Paul had the awkward situation this year of being smarter than his head coach, Vinny Del Negro. SHOCKING one of the best defensive point guards of all time played great defense on a 20 year project old player. He doesnt try to make great plays, but he tries not to make mistakes, which is maybe what he should be concentrating on. Conley looked away from Billups and was pointing vehemently to Paul, trying to tell Allen to get over there and cover him. His issues related to intelligence, detailed later, compound this problem. 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. 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. Rushmore of greatest postseason performances in league history. He could launch it from 30 feet or more with ease. This mans achievements are indisputable, and the prospect of him winning a second NBA championship just adds to his greatness. In all, Jordans 64.1 DWS rank him 21st all-time. 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. 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. That Paul was able to keep the Clippers on track through much of the season with the ever-changing defensive schemes the team had is pretty miraculous. Here are the answers to some questions readers are likely to have. He also has such superior court awareness that most picks dont catch him squarely, and he just glides over them. Then there was that kid who just read the assignment on the bus and got straight As. Do players go under picks when they should go over them? 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. Taj Gibson, his backup, is a tremendous defensive player, which only amplified the effect of Boozers shortcomings. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats 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. Chalmers will fail at things, but not because he isnt trying. However, when the game is on the line, he makes the right decision. Does he make stupid fouls or smart fouls? His defensive usage was the highest of any player with at least 1,200 minutes. Sometimes, thats just not enough, especially if hes left to guard in isolation, where hes horrid, giving up .92 points per play. Hell overshoot passing lanes, gambling for the steal. 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. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. 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! READ ALSO: James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. His wingspan isnt much better at just 64. 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. Hes not looking at the ball-handler's chest, which makes him susceptible to fakes, so when his opponent breaks, Rose is momentarily frozen. And, there are also times when he does the bailing out. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. Did they get pushed around easily? Also with both, theyve shown more success utilizing their physical attributes on the offensive end than the defensive end. Aside from the centre, having the best point guard is critical to improving your game because every play starts with him. The values for the various metrics which comprised the WAM score and scouting scores are also available on each slide. He plays longer than he actually is. What color was his tie? Since elite offensive players tend to have a higher usage rate, players that guard elite offensive players should also have more defensive plays. He gave up 1.01 points per play on the spot-up last year. Hes only 63, which is relatively good size for a point guard, but he just seems bigger. The defensive stats arent a good way to determine the totality of defense, but they are a factor and shouldnt be ignored. Not to mention that he is an elite finisher around the rim, shooting 61.5 per cent on 5-foot attempts. 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. Even though hes been injured a lot, Paul is averaging over two steals a game for his career. For Rose, his biggest issues on both sides of the ball have to do with fundamentals and understanding. 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. By: HoopsHype. 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. He has decent size for a point guard, at 63 but he doesnt have much of a vertical: 28.5.. Players Stats: 13.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 10x All-Star, 11x All-NBA Selection, 5x All-Defensive Team Selection, Hall of Famer. He was a giant of a guard, but he had all the necessary talents, including the ability to dribble and pass. Its probably no coincidence that Stephen Currys defense took a giant step forward this season playing alongside Jack, and you might see a similar progression from Kyrie Irving next year. In his heyday, Parker could score 25 points a night and seldom made poor choices with the ball. He didnt have an eye-popping number, but he was in the top 25 percent of players there. On the other, he so rarely allows his opponent to get past him that he doesnt need to rely on it either. Chris Paul fell into the same kind of trap last season. All-Time #NBArank: Top 10 point guards ever, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. However, who are the all-time top point guards? Once he had the ball on the fastbreak, The Flash was gone. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. It would be beneficial for Westbrook to even things out and play at a consistent level throughout the game. Closing out on shooters, hell go sailing past them. Lets say a perimeter defender gets beaten and then his center blocks the shot. To read more, go here! All-Time #NBArank continues with a countdown of the best shooting guards in NBA history. If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. Kirk Hinrich wasnt the fastest player in the NBA when he came out of college. This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission. Sportbrief has published an article about James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. Micah Adams is the lead NBA research specialist for ESPN Stats and Info. 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. Instead of passing after bringing up the ball they quickly drive to the basket or step back for an outside shot. New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers, (2011-present), Honors Thats largely true. The explosiveness and rim-running ability of Damian Lillard extend beyond his ability to shoot the ball from a distance. -- Pelton. Jed Jacobsohn/AP Images. For his time with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson is most known for his role alongside Charles Barkley. 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. In the MVP vote for the 1967-1968 season, he finished second behind the unstoppable Wilt Chamberlain.