His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. 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. It seems to be down to less than once a game. 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. This is what I mean by ubiquity. Some players defined their positions. He has a real grasp of the game, and he helps convey that to his teammates. A point guard specializes in certain skills, like other player positions in basketball. Their primary job is to facilitate scoring opportunities for their team, or sometimes for themselves. You dont get the sense in watching him that theres a point of pride in it. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Curry has developed into much more than a 3-point specialist. Both figures can be obtained by going to any players team page and then clicking on the appropriate name. Its like someone took a normal-sized person and stretched out the arms and hands to make him. He stands third among the top 10 point guards of all time. In the NBA, point guards generally range from 6ft 1in (1.85m) to 6ft 4in (1.93m) whereas in the WNBA, point guards are usually 5ft 9in (1.75m) or shorter. Walt Frazier 10. WAM is the foundation, and WAMS is the house. Lowry just seems to be lost on defense much of the time. He thinks hes the biggest man on the court. Closing out on shooters, hell go sailing past them. Lowry is neither big nor strong, and he does little with what size he has. You never have to question his effort or commitment. By combining them, we can get a better picture of the whole elephant of a players defense. For his career, Jordan averaged 2.3 steals (third all-time) and 4.2 DWS per year. Thats rarely going to be because of a mental error, though. Per Synergy, he forces turnovers 18.5 percent of the time, and he does so barely giving up any points. Rajon Rondo is probably the most athletic player in the league who plays most of his game below the rim. Being big and strong doesnt mean players automatically got higher scores, though. Meanwhile, we are presenting the top 10 by position. Theres nothing wrong with knowing when you need it. NBA: Ranking top 10 point guards ever - ESPN.com 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 . 8. On the other, he so rarely allows his opponent to get past him that he doesnt need to rely on it either. The five best defensive NBA shooting guards of all time - Sportsnaut From there, hes playing catch up. OPER is the Opponents Player Efficiency Rating and has been tracked by 82games.com since 2008. He benefits tremendously from help defense as previously mentioned, but that doesnt mean he doesnt also provide help defense. Hed also be more willing to provide it. He finished the game with the most career postseason points and the highest average in a playoff series. Thats because they can spend all their energy quickly, while starters have to pace themselves. Gary Payton is one of the best ever. The Best NBA Point Guards Of All Time - The Delite Its amazing he doesnt get punched sometimes. He was a giant of a guard, but he had all the necessary talents, including the ability to dribble and pass. The .72 points per play he gives up in isolation is elite-level defense. 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, .520 FG%, The player Why not a normal scale of one to 10? It is the same with his mental engagement in the game. Do they get their hands up and use their length? Players Stats: 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG. The same applies to any decent basketball argument (or any other kind, for that matter). Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats He literally may be the least athletic guard in the Association. Probably the most versatile point guard in NBA history, and perhaps a tad underrated given that the focus on his assists overshadowed how valuable his defense was. I counted off over 20 plays, specifically watching to see if Chalmers would stop the ball-handler, and he only did once. -- Adams, Thomas was as tough as they come, could score with the best of them (such a sweet stroke) and, make no mistake, was the baddest of the Bad Boys. He arguably makes more plays on his feet, both offensively and defensively, than anyone else. Ranking 50 Greatest Point Guards in NBA History 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. 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. Can they play bigger than they really are? The Glove was a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection, making the 1st team all nine times. He is going to get beaten, without question. 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. The explosiveness and rim-running ability of Damian Lillard extend beyond his ability to shoot the ball from a distance. What is the difference between WAM and WAMS? At 61 and 171 pounds, Rondo is pretty small by NBA standards, but he plays much tougher than his size. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. (As an aside, in the slides, you will only see the original metric value, not the weighted number to determine the WAM. Since its neither, he gets an even score. 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. 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player Jeremy Lin is not one of the faster point guards in the NBA, and hes not particularly quick either. Bledsoe is a bit of a freak. Top NBA point guards for 2022-23: Ranking all 30 starters 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. As a result, he has received numerous awards, including the 'NBA Most Valuable Player' (MVP) award and the "PAC Player of the Year." Its difficult to have a perfect rating system thats entirely objective, and even more difficult to have a realistic one that is purely subjective. Aside from his offensive prowess, Johnson had the ability to hit for power and lead the offense at a high level. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum top NBA quotes of the week. 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. As a result, hes 17th all-time with 1944 and had six seasons in the top-20 in steals. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. Great size made him impossible for most. 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. Hakeem Olajuwon 2. It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. This is also from the various sources we have used. This is also manifested in his spot-up defense. Please check your email for a confirmation. Lillard, on the other hand, is generally able to get things going from the perimeter anytime he wants. Adapting your system to every opponent and knowing their nuances is understandable. Scroll below to see where Stephen Curry ranks among the best point guards in the NBA. He owes his charitable demeanour to a group of elementary school parents. His MVP season, he had the second-best block total by a point guard in history (although John Wall exceeded that total last year.). He tends to use that speed and athleticism well when hes in position, too. James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022. Paul gets caught in a trap that WAM cant entirely avoid because it can only look at what happens, not why it happens. He has above-average size and strength, but he doesnt play like it. Chris Paul fell into the same kind of trap last season. Taj Gibson, his backup, is a tremendous defensive player, which only amplified the effect of Boozers shortcomings. That all-around game made Kidd one of the league's top point guards for nearly 20 years. Then, when players pull up and shoot, he doesnt use his length to close and get a hand in the face of the shooter. It probably tells the accurate story here. For the purpose of this study, 82games was used because the net defensive rating was also easily available and it made for consistency. Paul is just listed at just 60, and that might be generous. Interpreted as: best defensive rating with a minimum of 10000 minutes played point guards in NBA history. Hes able to use that size advantage by being physical, playing close and aggressive, often forcing shooters into shots they arent comfortable taking. Its safe to say that Kidd is one of the greatest guards to ever play on the basketball floor. 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. His foot speed is as good as anyone's in the league, and you cant measure that. He affected the paradigm for overseas guards trying to break into the NBA. He did it not once, not twice, but three times. He doesnt try to make great plays, but he tries not to make mistakes, which is maybe what he should be concentrating on. His ability to score and create plays made him an NBA superstar. Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers, (2011-present), Honors At 64, hes big enough to guard shooting guards, as well as point guards. You can find him juggling the ball every Sunday on the field, with FIFA on his PlayStation as the night drill. As a result, hes been a member of the All-Defensive 1st Team four times and a member of the All-Defensive 2nd Team five times. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. 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. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. According to Hoops Stats, in his MVP season, the Bulls gave up the fewest points to opposing point guards. Not to mention that he is an elite finisher around the rim, shooting 61.5 per cent on 5-foot attempts. He merits a high score here. 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. The Greatest Defensive PG's in NBA History! - ranker.com He manages to defend the pick-and-roll reasonably well by doing something I can only call bouncing over picks. His on-court coaching and leadership is probably the biggest reason the Clippers had the eighth most-efficient defense in the NBA last year. The five best defensive point guards of all time | Yardbarker Its like hes chosen the worst of both worlds. Conley also has crazy hops, measuring a 40.5-inch vertical at the combine, and he is one of the quickest point guards in the league. 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. 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. The facts need to come first. It tracks the production of a players counterpart while he is on the court. Best Point Guard Defensive Rating 2022 | StatMuse Luka Doncic had the lowest defensive rating by a point guard in 2021-22, with a 106.5 rating. Although both Kidd and Paul were more accurate shooters, his passing range was broader than any of them. Hes controlled in how he plays hard. 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. Parker has a hefty 1.05 points per play against defending the jumper, even though he typically gets there and challenges shots. -- Adande, Teams Hes not looking at the ball-handler's chest, which makes him susceptible to fakes, so when his opponent breaks, Rose is momentarily frozen. 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. Robertson amassed 26,710 points and 9,887 assists during his 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. We compiled a list of the top 15 point guards of all time using wholly subjective metrics from the list of active players and a few other legends. Starter from the VCT lockin. Kevin Durant, surprisingly, also bails out his co-star a lot. -- Adande, Teams For this reason, a small penalty was exacted for every minute under 30 minutes, and a small bonus was provided over 30 minutes. Defensive Rating (DRtg) is the average number of points per 100 possessions a players team surrenders while he is on the court. He has all the tools to be one: great reflexes and speed, and those long arms with big mitts on the end. Other individual metrics and team metrics thin out the impact of those factors. He uses his speed well, as long as hes engaged in the game. In systems like the Grizzlies play, the point guard is the first line of defense. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. Perhaps the best word to describe his defense is lollygaggy.. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. Blake Griffin was 21st out of 47 power forwards, and Jordan was 23rd out of 38 centers. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. 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. Opponents dont have much success getting around him. Phoenix Suns (1996-98, 2004-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-15), Honors All pre-draft measurements were obtained from the database hosted on Draft Express. He gets crossed over pretty easily, and not just by the Associations elite point guards. When he went up and challenged DeAndre Jordan, and then got blown up, the entire basketball world acted like theyd just seen the greatest basketball play ever. Players Stats: 18.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 10x All-Stars, 8x All-NBA Selection, 2005-2006 Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection. MVP (1963-64), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year (1960-61), Hall of Fame, Career stats 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. As a result, opponents shot 42.9 percent from deep against him in the pick-and-roll. That has more to do with the second-string frontcourt, led by Lamar Odom, backing him up than it does his team defense. Top 10 Point Guards of All Time - Point Guard Rankings - Observer Desk Perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA history, Jordan decimated and demoralized his foes on the defensive end. After watching Paul play defense for a while, what stands out over everything else is that he just never stops movingliterally. It is akin to the blind men and the elephant in the Indian fable adapted to a poem by John Godfrey Saxe. 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. The five best defensive point guards of all time - Sportsnaut But only once did he actually truly defend the play. You just dont see him make the wrong plays. Because he is the one who touches the basketball first on every possession, the NBAs point guard has long been considered its most vital position. His wingspan isnt much better at just 64. He leaves talented shooters alone to go double-team bad shooters. The point guard was always capable of scoring the ball at the . When he applies it, he does so effectively, especially in isolation and the pick-and-roll. While Rose was fairly criticized for not playing hard defensively prior to Thibodeau, that criticism is no longer accurate. Last season, when Rose was healthy early on, they gave up the thirdmost, 16.3 points. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. He spends too much time getting back into the defensive play because he ran himself out of it. What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. Isaiah Thomas 5. Normally this would be a list of FAQs, but no one has ever asked any questions (since no one has ever seen it). Its not uncommon to see him challenge shots with both feet on the floor. Its got to be annoying, but its also disruptive, and being disruptive is positive on defense. For the time being, his lack of effectiveness and poor decision-making precludes him from being considered one of the top five point guards. The Miami HEATs best player in franchise history, Dwyane Wade was an offensive maestro.