As a rookie, Bill Russell relied on Cousy to lead the league in assists, and he won the MVP Award for his efforts. 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? Sportbrief has published an article about James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. He may be the finest defensive guard ever because of his awareness and abilities on the defensive end. Paul gets caught in a trap that WAM cant entirely avoid because it can only look at what happens, not why it happens. MVP (2014-15), two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, Career stats 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. The effect was that the Bulls' starters all looked inferior to their backups. 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. Despite the fact that hes just 35, he has a limited amount of time left. He works well within a system where there are no real defensive weaknesses. The weakness is that it also includes some of what the other player does defensively, (e.g.. blocks, steals, and defensive rebounds). Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. It only looks at the data. Teams At 5ft 3in (1.60m) the shortest player in NBA history, Muggsy Bogues enjoyed 889 games in a 14-year career as a point guard. Some point guards are still given a great deal of leeway in the offense. There are few players on this list who can match his incredible scoring, rebounding, and playmaking prowess. Although Wilkens is best known as a head coach, he was once an outstanding athlete. He is tremendous at using that muscle to his advantage, too. Holiday has ample size for a point guard, standing a shade over 64 in shoes, and weighing in at 205 pounds. Its not uncommon to see him challenge shots with both feet on the floor. While Rose was fairly criticized for not playing hard defensively prior to Thibodeau, that criticism is no longer accurate. No question hell be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and hes one of the greatest rim-attacking players in NBA history. He had the best peak for any point guard in NBA history, hands down. He literally may be the least athletic guard in the Association. 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. -- Doolittle, Over the past season and a half, Curry has played point guard as well as anyone else in NBA history. He only gave up .66 points per play in isolation, but he yielded .86 to the ball-handler on the pick-and-roll. (Most defenders let the opponent by more than half the time. -- Adams, Combined savvy with underrated strength. He never leaves his man to help a defender that doesnt need help, but he always seems to be there when help is needed.
The five best defensive centers of all time - Sportsnaut Here are the answers to some questions readers are likely to have. Sometimes hell even rush to defend the wrong guy while his man is draining a wide-open three. He uses quickness to capably guard the perimeter, but thats in large part because hes not always defending the elite point guards. Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. Players like Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving and John Wall blew by him fairly consistently. -- Rob Peterson, One can only imagine how impressive his career totals might have been if not for the HIV virus. We ranked the best point guards, determining the list with the help of B-R's position splits. Occasionally hell chase the play after hes been beaten, but not always. 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 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. Magic Johnson 2.
50 Greatest NBA Point Guards of All Time - Bleacher Report Hinrich always had a high basketball IQ. Then, when players pull up and shoot, he doesnt use his length to close and get a hand in the face of the shooter. He bulls through picks well and is not afraid to go over them. Hes listed at 62 which seems about right, and hes broad-shouldered and strong for his height, but he also seems to have shorter limbs, although I cant find his wingspan listed on Draft Express. Penny Hardaway was well recognized for his relationship with Shaquille ONeal when he was only a kid. Although Jordan won that battle, theres nothing wrong with being named the third-best defensive player at his position and one of the best shooting guards of all time. Just because someone gets past him doesnt mean theyre going to score. Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. By: HoopsHype. Another major evaluation factor is the assist-to-turnover ratio, which reflects the decision-making skills of the player. It is a testament to Jarrett Jack that he makes this list. Top 20 best defensive midfielders in the world today: who are they? If youre not interested in that, feel free to skip ahead. Other individual metrics and team metrics thin out the impact of those factors. -- Pelton, If he had played with The Mailman or a defense as stout as the Pistons, he might have made a couple of Finals by now. You dont see him take plays off, and you dont see him give up on plays. Johnson will go down as one of the top 25 all-time point guards because of his defensive presence. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. He has trouble compensating for his lack of size when challenging jump shots.
The five best defensive point guards of all time | Yardbarker One of basketballs most dynamic and versatile point guards in the modern era. Hes led the league in steals per game five times in the last six years.
50 Greatest Point Guards In NBA History - msn.com But hes slightly built, and that raises some issues, especially when hes caught a fraction of a second behind a play. Thats a strong indication that Rose was not relying on help defense because that same help was there for C.J. In the NBA, Isiah Thomas is an amazing leader and is truly the most competitive force on the court that we have seen from a tiny guy. All rights reserved. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. The Case For: Upper-tier defender (9x All Defensive Team, including 4 First Team selections). He doesnt disrupt team defense with unnecessary gambles. There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. For each of the following metrics, click on the subhead to be taken to the source website for more details. The explosiveness and rim-running ability of Damian Lillard extend beyond his ability to shoot the ball from a distance. Even though injuries caught up with him toward the end of his illustrious career, Bryant still battled as a defender when needed. 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. He gets a ton of help from his teammates and isnt asked to give a lot back. WAM is purely objective. In his 20 seasons, Bryant.
Derrick Rose 15. Walt Frazier 10. Blake Griffin was 21st out of 47 power forwards, and Jordan was 23rd out of 38 centers. The five best defensive point guards of all time Jarrod Castillo Dec 16, 2019; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) directs his team during a play against the. Jed Jacobsohn/AP Images. The greatest point guard in NBA history. Bledsoe is a bit of a freak. This is where everything focuses on Westbrook. If hes on the court, hes moving at full speed. He merits a high score here. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. His wingspan isnt much better at just 64. 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-D selection, co-Rookie of the Year (1994-95), Career stats 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. One of the greatest point guards ever, Jason Kidd could make the flashy pass or the simple play with the best of them while also loving to hightail it in transition to wear opponents down in. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. He also only has a 65 wingspan, which is short of the other bigger point guards, but what he has, he uses well. Averaging 1.5 steals per game, Wade could block transition shots as well with the best of them. Is he an effective flopper? For Rose, his biggest issues on both sides of the ball have to do with fundamentals and understanding. On the other hand, no matter how solid the foundation is, you cant move into it. Two-time MVP (2004-05, 2005-06), eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, Career stats Rondo may not be big, but he doesnt know that. You can be the best shooter in the world, but you can't score if you don't get the ball. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. 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.
Greatest NBA point guards of all-time: Where Russell - Sportsnaut You need to build something on it. Hes the closest thing in the world to Kevin Garnetts Mini-Me. After the opponent scores, it is typically the point guard who brings the ball down the court to begin an offensive play. The only thing is that the Bulls actually gave up 8.6 more points while he was on the court. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. One aspect of Roses year-long absence that gets lost is how much the team suffered defensively without him. Lowry is neither big nor strong, and he does little with what size he has. Lillard would likely be at the top of this list if measured as an offensive package as a whole. He gets crossed over pretty easily, and not just by the Associations elite point guards. 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. Top 50 Point Guards of All-Time: Magic, The Big O and Curry top the List By Jeff McDaniel | Jul 16, 2020, 5:35pm 1. Since the first time a professional basketball player dribbled a ball, weve seen some of the greatest point guards in history. 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). He uses his feet and body well, steering his man into the help defense when he knows hes not able to keep up. Each touches a different part of the elephant, one an ear, another the torso and so on. His net defensive rating of minus-7.7, combined with his lack of a defensively-solid backup big, is a strong indication of his value as a help defender. Thomas was ultra-quick with the ball and, at any moment, could pull up for a deadly jump shot. Jumping ability, body control and agility were all considered as well. In the 13 seasons in which he played more than 60 games, mostly with the Chicago Bulls, the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year was a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection all first-team honors and a three-time steals champion. Now hes in Phoenix, and well see how both he and Jeff Hornacek develop in their new roles. 'Whatever seed we are, we're ready': Is there room for Cleveland among the East elite? In fact, no drafted guard has ever measured a worse sprint, vertical and agility test. Only two NBA championships would make him the second-best player in NBA history. He has a high basketball IQ, and he has that veteran savvy thing going for him, too. He can be stagnant when his man doesnt have the ball. Ben Wallace 12. For this reason, a point guard is usually, but not always, more skilled and focused on passing than shooting. James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player It will be interesting to see how well he does with Larry Sanders behind him in Milwaukee. But his lack of any vertical leap kills him on the jump shot. He could play any spot on the court as well. Paul was able to keep you at bay on one side of the court while dominating the other with his scoring and passing abilities. Thats when you see him start to do things like not close out on shooters, merely waving his hand in the air instead. Jack has good but not great effort. Thats good for 14th all-time in NBA history and he also had 10 seasons in the top 20 for steals per game. Holiday wouldnt just go under the pick; he would go too far under the pick. If you dont want to consider them, then dont. 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. 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats 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. He has two ways of guarding the isopray for help or flop. When defending the isolation play, he gives up a nauseating .94 points per play, a strong indication of that.
The Best NBA Point Guards Of All Time - The Delite 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. The next three slides will tell how this particular sausage was made. 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. 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. -- Tom Haberstroh, NBA writer, No guard in NBA history pulled down more rebounds than Kidd, who finished with more career rebounds than Willis Reed and Alonzo Mourning, among others. Perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA history, Jordan decimated and demoralized his foes on the defensive end. (As an aside, in the slides, you will only see the original metric value, not the weighted number to determine the WAM. However, when the game is on the line, he makes the right decision. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Stockton is one of the greatest assist players in NBA history, if not the greatest. 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. 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.