best defensive point guards of all time

His high rebound rate, while partly indicative of his speed is also a result of positioning, which relates to his IQ. Sometimes hell even rush to defend the wrong guy while his man is draining a wide-open three. He has trouble compensating for his lack of size when challenging jump shots. 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. The result is our all-time NBA Top 100. Point guards must be able to maintain possession of the ball in crowded spaces and in traffic and be able to advance the ball quickly. Being big and strong doesnt mean players automatically got higher scores, though. He was the league's third player to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson). Eventually, that learning has to become instinct, though. Even his athletic scores dont indicate greatness. He yields a whopping 41.5 three-point percentage on the spot-up, which is just not good. But only once did he actually truly defend the play. Does he rotate on time? But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. ESPN ranked the Top 10 PGs of all time & they have @iamisiahthomas ranked 5th. Injuries robbed Rose of the opportunity to become one of the games top five point guards. Teams The true driving force of his partnership with Karl Malone. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. 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. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. You're the worst defensive point guard in the NBA!!! You dont see him take plays off, and you dont see him give up on plays. 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 just doesnt have the physical tools to play at an elite level. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. Having above-average size (height, muscle) is considered advantageous, although size is secondary to situational awareness, speed, quickness, and ball handling skills. Speaking about hard-nosed defense-first converted shooting guards, here is one more name to the list: Dennis Johnson, one of the all-time great Celtics and at the same time one of the most underrated players in the history of the NBA. 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. Jacks presence on a team is one of those things. And his athleticism gives him a leg up, which helps him dominate. Thats largely true. 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. Dont be surprised to see him as a head coach someday. -- Doolittle, The great Knicks ball-movement offense started with him. You can look at why things happen and offset the misleading things. Meanwhile, we are presenting the top 10 by position. Players have a difficult time getting past him. Despite his little size, he made up for it offensively by being lightning fast and had the whole attacking package. While Rose is slightly faster, Westbrook is slightly bigger. Two-time MVP (2004-05, 2005-06), eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, Career stats Hes fearless, and no matter how large the big setting the pick is, he wont back down. J.A. He was transcendent. During his career, he was selected to nine All-NBA Defensive Teams and five All-Star teams. 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. Jack is one of those players that a lot of people dont know what he brings to a team in the locker room. Notably, several modern point guards have used a successful style of post play, a tactic usually practiced by much larger centers and forwards. Big Shot, is one of the finest point guard leaders in the NBA. 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. 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. In his first season, he specialized in defense and could stop almost every point guard in the league on a regular basis. That deceptive length helps him nab 2.5 steals per 36 minutes and grab a ridiculous number of rebounds for a person his height. Closing out on shooters, hell go sailing past them. Lin plays with consistent effort on defense, but hes stuck in fourth gear. Ranked: Top 25 male fitness influencers to follow in 2023, Howe dodges row over Newcastle's Saudi ownership, Former Chelsea boss spotted in Munich with his new lover, Bam Adebayo makes bold claim about the last two DPOY awards, Gary Neville ignites debate after stating ideal price for holding midfielder, Huge Ballon dOr scandal as player claims his votes were changed to Lionel Messi. Once he had the ball on the fastbreak, The Flash was gone. Players Stats: 15.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 2006-2007 Finals MVP, 6x All-Star, 4x All-NBA Selection. Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring. We ranked the best point guards, determining the list with the help of B-R's position splits. What are you crying about lmfao 03 Mar 2023 00:55:09 It tracks the production of a players counterpart while he is on the court. Like last time, these shooting guards are ranked based on the cumulative defensive win shares (DWS). Thats the advantage of the scouting portion. 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. In nine seasons with the Detroit Pistons, plus two with the Washington Bullets and one with the Boston Celtics, Bing gathered 18,327 points in 901 competitions (20.3 ppg). He seems to get frustrated easily. -- Pelton, Perhaps the most incredible part of the Big O's triple-double season is that he finished third in MVP voting (behind winner Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 50.4 PPG). Getting paired with Tom Thibodeau has made it even better. Just because someone gets past him doesnt mean theyre going to score. 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. Tony Parker is one of the fastest players in the league if youre going by pure speed. If he tends to be the helped, he gets a worse score. Nevertheless, its just as important. 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. He could play any spot on the court as well. 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. Great size made him impossible for most. Ultimately, Johnson's unselfishness earned him the title of greatest point guard of all time. He could create at an elite level while also scoring off the dribble from the midrange. -- Haberstroh, Honors With his limited speed, he is always in full throttle and getting himself around the court, pestering whoever has the ball. Gary Payton 12. I actually looked for him to do it and couldnt find it. Stats dont make a good argument, they make a good foundation for a good argument. While he does benefit from help defense, its not as often as you might think. 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. Bledsoe repeatedly got beatenmuch more frequently than Paulyet Odom consistently had his back, blocking or altering shots. Blake Griffin was 21st out of 47 power forwards, and Jordan was 23rd out of 38 centers. However, when he gets beaten,Serge Ibaka is a huge asset in help defense, altering the shots of many a shooter who has just blown past Westbrook. He actually plays his best games against his best opponents. Moncrief is well known for his defensive prowess. Although Drexler never made an All-Defensive Team in his career, he did average two steals per game for his 15-year career. Jumping ability, body control and agility were all considered as well. Robertson amassed 26,710 points and 9,887 assists during his 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. Surely the most underappreciated great player in NBA history because he was quietly dependable rather than flashy and never broke through on the biggest stage. But his lack of any vertical leap kills him on the jump shot. It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. A defensive point guard will try to accomplish this with constant pressure on the ball, making it difficult to maintain possession. Its safe to say that Kidd is one of the greatest guards to ever play on the basketball floor. 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. No one was a better passer than him. He can be stagnant when his man doesnt have the ball. Whenever anyone imagines a point guard, chances are theyre thinking of Utah Jazz legend John Stockton. Even when picks are set behind his back, he instinctively knows they are there and just steps over them seamlessly. In case you missed it, Jason Kidd was tops on the list with 75.1 DWS, good for 11th all-time. 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. But he never does. For many of these metrics, sample size becomes crucial. To say he gets pushed around would be generous. He could be better than he is, but its hard to blame only him. Bledsoe runs through his rotations, but he rounds them off or overruns them. Over the last decade, the best point guards such as Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and others have dominated the position. Its got to be annoying, but its also disruptive, and being disruptive is positive on defense. If he wins an NBA championship, Chris Paul, the current number one point guard, will rise even higher on this ranking. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13. Chris Paul had the awkward situation this year of being smarter than his head coach, Vinny Del Negro. What is the difference between WAM and WAMS? Why did you choose such a weird number scale? As a result, he rarely gets tangled up with the pick-setter. 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 needs more of the former and less of the latter. And, there are also times when he does the bailing out. The Clippers were 10 points better with Lamar Odom on the court than DeAndre Jordan according to NBA.com/STATS. Triple Double and for good reason: hes fourth all-time in triple-doubles with 107. During each of his five NBA championship rings, he was one of the finest players in the league. Players Stats: 17.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 8.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection. Bucks: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Rockets vs. Spurs: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Hawks vs. Heat: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Pistons vs. Cavaliers: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Raptors vs. Wizards: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Russell Westbrook still wants Sixth Man of Year award from time with Lakers, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Some point guards are still given a great deal of leeway in the offense. 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. Nash was never known as a strong defender, but he was capable of bothering opposing point guards to some extent. 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. Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. He spent his entire NBA career (19842003) as a point guard for the Utah Jazz, and the team made the playoffs in each of his 19 seasons. For that reason, subjective analysis was also included. The values for the various metrics which comprised the WAM score and scouting scores are also available on each slide. Nash is the answer. Jordans inclusion as the best defensive shooting guard isnt surprising considering his relentless attitude to winning. Thats pretty much what you see with Conley. 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. So the problem isnt a lack of speed; its a lack of applying it. He sometimes gets tangled up and left hopelessly out of the play. Our booby prize winner is pictured above. 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 might not be the fastest guy in the world, but that doesnt keep him from trying to be. 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! That earned him the nickname Mr. He finished the game with the most career postseason points and the highest average in a playoff series. 6 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963), Career stats Finally, both are improving on the defensive side of the ball. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. Pun intended. In the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player coaches. He has become one of the hardest working point guards in the league on both ends. Walt Frazier 10. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. Players Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG. Rondos lack of a need for help defense allows Garnett to help more elsewhere. Aside from the centre, having the best point guard is critical to improving your game because every play starts with him. Marcus Smart. 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. Offense is so much more than just scoring. Jack has good but not great effort. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. That earned him the nickname Mr. Both figures can be obtained by going to any players team page and then clicking on the appropriate name. As a result, opponents shot 42.9 percent from deep against him in the pick-and-roll. Hes pouring out effort every minute hes on the court. -- Peterson. Most players will take a little on-court breather now and then. Players Stats: 23.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 2x MVP, 6x All-Star, 6x All-NBA Selection, 2015-2016 Scoring Champion. In the MVP vote for the 1967-1968 season, he finished second behind the unstoppable Wilt Chamberlain. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Because Derrick Rose was the NBAs youngest MVP in 2009, its unfortunate that the guy isnt higher on this list. -- 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. For his time with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson is most known for his role alongside Charles Barkley. 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. Rose is arguably the most athletic point guard in the league, though Russell Westbrook could present a challenge. -- Adande, Teams Trail Blazers playoff failures have been a major blemish on both his game and his career so far. 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. You can be the best shooter in the world, but you can't score if you don't get the ball. He benefits tremendously from help defense as previously mentioned, but that doesnt mean he doesnt also provide help defense. As previously stated, he gets the help from Green and Leonard to guard the top point guards.

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