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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. Starter from the VCT lockin. 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. Jrue Holiday is making . Teams Now hes in Phoenix, and well see how both he and Jeff Hornacek develop in their new roles. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. He only gave up .66 points per play in isolation, but he yielded .86 to the ball-handler on the pick-and-roll. He has trouble compensating for his lack of size when challenging jump shots. With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. On top of that, when Parkers man slips past him, he has one of the best defenders in the history of the universe, Tim Duncan, to help him out. The Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 championship run would not have been possible without Kyrie Irving, who is a two-time NBA champion. Closing out on jumpers is an issue, especially when coming off screens, where he yields a 46.7 shooting percentage from the three-point line. Robertson's offensive ability transformed the point guard stereotype from a passer and floor general to a scorer and offensive weapon. By taking the total number of plays and the total number of minutes (regular and postseason combined, because Synergy just throws it all together) we can determine how many times per 36 minutes a player was the initial defender on the play. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. His score represents the average of trying hard and not trying at all once the ball gets past him. 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. The point guard is positioned on the perimeter of the play, so as to have the best view of the action. One way of offsetting the problems of defensive rating is looking at on/off stats, meaning how many points does the defense give up while a player is on the court versus when he is off the court? Even though he normally does, he shouldnt have to and wouldnt if he were playing smarter. The average score by point guards was 16.1. (I know, but it is a part of defense these days.) For example, the Spurs absolutely ate him alive in the playoffs with Tony Parker, who averaged 24.5 points for the series. He had the best peak for any point guard in NBA history, hands down. On and off the court, Dave Bing was an excellent high-scoring NBA point guard who achieved greatness. 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. The total numbers were then adjusted to arrive at a score ranging between 90 (best) and 110 (worst). -- 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). 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. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. Jed Jacobsohn/AP Images. Oscar Robertson 3. His lateral quickness is below-average, and his straightaway speed isnt much either. Ben Wallace 12. The effect was that the Bulls' starters all looked inferior to their backups. Chris Paul 13. 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player Even his athletic scores dont indicate greatness. Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade won the NBA championship in 2006 with him as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. 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. Similarly, while each of the advanced and/or traditional metrics has value, each also misses something. His defensive usage was the highest of any player with at least 1,200 minutes. The Clippers never quite seemed to have a true defensive identity, even if they were improved. In other words, giving up 15 points to Russell Westbrook is much more impressive than giving up 14 to Derek Fisher, but the raw stats dont tell you who was guarding whom. Refusing to back down because youre afraid of being put on a poster is a good thing, not a bad thing. For his time with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson is most known for his role alongside Charles Barkley. 1. 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. He had absolutely no help backing him up, and that inflates his objective numbers. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13. Hes controlled in how he plays hard. Instead of passing after bringing up the ball they quickly drive to the basket or step back for an outside shot. Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players By Clark Boinis | Jul 12, 2021, 4:05pm 1. You cant build a house first, and then pour the foundation underneath it. While he recovers most of the time, its worth asking why he gets beaten. Players Stats: 15.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 2003-2004 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection, 2x All-Defensive Team Selection. He closed out on jump-shooters half-heartedly, which is bad enough, but when you combine that with the way he played pick-and-roll plays, it was even worse. Jrue Holiday. Some contend its not his fault that hes short, but its not Jarrett Jacks fault that hes slow either. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. The true driving force of his partnership with Karl Malone. Damian Lillard (2013-Present) AP Images. 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. 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. He merits a high score here. Ultimately, Johnson's unselfishness earned him the title of greatest point guard of all time. Whatever else you want to say about Brandon Knight, just dont say he never tries. His career averages of 27 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 7.0 APG were arguably the best ever put up by a point guard when he retired in 1974. Stats dont tell the whole story and our eyes often only confirm what we already know. With his athleticism and speed, there is no way that Rose should get beaten off the dribble as often as he does. Chris Paul fell into the same kind of trap last season. After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. WAM is purely objective. The classic definition of a point guard, orchestrating offense and shooting when necessary. Bing, despite having one of his eyes injured, was an attacking force to be reckoned with. Its safe to say that Kidd is one of the greatest guards to ever play on the basketball floor. Wilt Chamberlain 14. Hes one of the slower point guards in the league now, but in spite of that, hes almost ubiquitous at times. In all, Jordans 64.1 DWS rank him 21st all-time. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, They said it! Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. One of the great conundrums in rating defense is that teammates factor into it. Among the greatest point guards of all time, Tiny is among the finest ever. Scroll below to see where Stephen Curry ranks among the best point guards in the NBA. 24. Gary Payton. 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). Rushmore of greatest postseason performances in league history. Its possible for Nash to be the whole offense and to shoot 50-40-90 from the field on a continuous basis. -- Adande, Teams On the flip side, Westbrook's 4.13 turnovers per game average is the highest all-time, with Johnson (3. . (Most defenders let the opponent by more than half the time. Coaches are responsible for developing young players, and it would have been fun to watch him grow under Doc Rivers. The best way to track how effective a player is on the defensive end is by looking at their cumulative defensive win shares. Its more than that. On the other hand, hes not tremendously athletic. Fairly straightforward, this takes into account height, length and strength. Other individual metrics and team metrics thin out the impact of those factors. 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. Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, two of the better perimeter defenders in the league, often take up the responsibility for guarding the best point guards. -- Doolittle, Cousy was an And-1 mix tape in black-and-white. Lets see who has made it to the top 10 best point guards of all time. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats With his record of successes and pioneering point guard talents, Magic is at the top of the list. Aside from his offensive prowess, Johnson had the ability to hit for power and lead the offense at a high level. A point guard primarily defends on the perimeter, just as they primarily play on the perimeter on offense. Seriously, you should hear Mark Jackson rave about him. He doesnt play on the ball physically, utilizing that advantage. Then, when players pull up and shoot, he doesnt use his length to close and get a hand in the face of the shooter. 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. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year. 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, .428 3P%, The player How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. -- Pelton, Today's children will ask, "Who was the Steph Curry before Steph Curry?" Normally this would be a list of FAQs, but no one has ever asked any questions (since no one has ever seen it). He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. 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. Adande, Brad Doolittle, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton are NBA writers for ESPN.com. Thats the difference between what I call work intelligence and natural intelligence. Some people just have to work to pick things up. The same applies to any decent basketball argument (or any other kind, for that matter). Honors: 7x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection, 1966-1967 Rookie of the Year, 1967-1968 Scoring Champion, Hall of Famer. It is one thing to be able to recognize the player that is in a tactically advantageous position, but it is another thing entirely to be able to deliver the ball to that player. And, there are also times when he does the bailing out. His 47.4 DWS is 54th overall, good for an average of 2.963 DWS per season, slightly edging Wade. He doesnt just bring effort to every game; he brings it in all the right ways. 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. 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. 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. These combo point guards can surprise defenses. When it came to size, the main flaw in his game was that he was very fast and explosive with his handles. 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. Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. Even though Payton only played a little part in 2006, the Heats success would not have been possible without his defensive presence and leadership. 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. 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, .520 FG%, The player Magic Johnson. Although Wilkens is best known as a head coach, he was once an outstanding athlete. A point guard that has enough ball-handling skill and quickness to be able to drive to the basket in a half-court set is also very valuable and considered by some to be a must for a successful offense. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. Perhaps if hes in shoes and standing on a milk crate filled with milk, thats true. Rob Peterson is an NBA editor for ESPN.com. It will be interesting to see if his new coach, Jason Kidd, can help him to work on this, as Kidd was a terrific help defender. Lin is 63 and 200 pounds, which is decent size for a point guard, in the neighborhood of Derrick Rose, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook. No question hell be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and hes one of the greatest rim-attacking players in NBA history. Kevin Durant, surprisingly, also bails out his co-star a lot. Only two NBA championships would make him the second-best player in NBA history. Mr. Parker has a hefty 1.05 points per play against defending the jumper, even though he typically gets there and challenges shots. I considered both their actual measurables and how well they used them. Kyle Lowry has exceptional speed and athleticism. He is going to get beaten, without question. On defense, the point guard is tasked with making the opposing point guard as ineffective as possible. Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. Its still possible for him to make another All-Star squad, and it seems like hes on the path to doing so. 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. 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. Not to mention that he is an elite finisher around the rim, shooting 61.5 per cent on 5-foot attempts. He is a natural playmaker with excellent point guard abilities, creating the ideal point guard prototype. Hes one of the most prolific players in the game. He surpassed the achievements of every other guard in NBA history, except Russell Westbrooks achievements. Holiday knows what to do, but he doesnt always do it. Teams Whether this is a result of his reputation being undeserved or him not putting forth the effort isnt hard to determine. The Case For: Upper-tier defender (9x All Defensive Team, including 4 First Team selections). From there, hes playing catch up. I gave Paul the highest possible score here to offset the total ineptness of the coaching staff, and the frontcourt help he got last season, but he would have a high score regardless. Sounds great, right? Our booby prize winner is pictured above. Over 90 percent of the time, the ball-handler gets by him. New York Knicks (1967-1977), Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-1980), Honors: Lennys passing and leadership on the floor were solid, but he also had a few great scoring years on the court. Can they play bigger than they really are? Pass-first points of the past have given way to dynamic creators who can score as well as set up teammates. He didnt have an eye-popping number, but he was in the top 25 percent of players there. David Robinson 6. As one of the elite point guards in the NBA, you would expect him to have elite athleticism, but he actually doesnt. The only time hell go under a pick is when hes supposed to. 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. Follow Sports Brief on Twitter for more trending and breaking news! For many of these metrics, sample size becomes crucial. Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors Williams needs to have a bit of a paradigm shift in the direction of team defense. He sometimes gets tangled up and left hopelessly out of the play. It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. He is entirely too aggressive. Although both Kidd and Paul were more accurate shooters, his passing range was broader than any of them. Phoenix Suns (1996-98, 2004-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-15), Honors Sometimes that happens, but not all that often. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. All the other tools and effort can be rendered useless by a little stupidity. First, a range of 18 to 22 makes it easier to arrive at the eventual score of 100the baseline everything was weighted to. On those, there is no link available. Some players get caught out of place, but they know theyre out of place. As a result, he has received numerous awards, including the 'NBA Most Valuable Player' (MVP) award and the "PAC Player of the Year." If you just look at his measurables, Chris Paul is not impressive. Curry has developed into much more than a 3-point specialist. He was the primary defender on 1,127 plays last year in all, surpassed only by Stephen Curry among point guards. Players like Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving and John Wall blew by him fairly consistently. Hes like a runner trying to run a mile by alternating between walking and sprinting 100 yards at a time. Hes fearless, and no matter how large the big setting the pick is, he wont back down. He has the most assists and steals of any player in NBA history and is a master of the pick & roll. Conley is inconsistent in how he applies effort on the court. Scottie Pippen 5. -- Peterson. These were calculated using the raw stats available on any site carrying basic stats. There's no way Stockton & Curry are better than Isiah. Still, hes one of the best point guards of all time, and his stats show that hes a deserved All-Star. But will he listen enough to a player he was just playing against to make that shift? Other defenders deficiencies are hidden by being put on weaker offensive players. Even when he has to go under the pick, which is most of the time, hes so fast that hes able to close the distance before the ball-handler has time to do something with it. They say that defense is mostly about effort. One conundrum has always been how to account for who is guarding the best player on the other team. Chris Paul had the awkward situation this year of being smarter than his head coach, Vinny Del Negro. What color was his tie? At 64, hes big enough to guard shooting guards, as well as point guards. Since elite offensive players tend to have a higher usage rate, players that guard elite offensive players should also have more defensive plays. Therefore, its a Theoretically Asked Questions, or TAQ. 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. -- 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. However, when the game is on the line, he makes the right decision. A point guard specializes in certain skills, like other player positions in basketball. Jrue Holiday is not fast so much as he is quick. His lateral movement and reaction time are exceptional, and thats indicated by his isolation defense. Thats where we naturally focus our attention, so when it comes to things like help defense, we only notice if were looking for it, or if its extreme. 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. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum top NBA quotes of the week. Of course having book smarts doesnt preclude you from knowing what youre doing on the court either. Needless to say, you dont see a lot of LeBron-Jamesian-chase-down blocks from Conley. These point guard rankings will be the first of five articles. 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. One of the most famous point guards of all time, Jason Kidd, could make a dazzling pass or a simple play with the finest in the game while also adoring to hightail it in transition to wear opponents down. Players Stats: 16.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 9x All-Stars, 9x All-NBA Selection, 1990-1991 Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection, 1995-1996 Defensive Player of the Year, Hall of Famer. Second, having a five-point range on a 22-point scale prevents any one statistic from overly dominating the others. However his brilliant and consistent team defense team keeps passing lanes secure and helps prevent a lot of plays from developing the way they normally would. 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. Is he an effective flopper? Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. Penny is deserving of a much better ranking just because he is such a gifted one. He was also an outstanding playmaker and a solid scorer with a strong mid-range game. 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. 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. His helter-skelter wizziness has him flying around the court, and sometimes its good. 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. But mostly he plays smartly with an occasional brain fart. The "Big O" was capable of doing it all. READ ALSO: James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. In many cases, I looked at their combine results. Hes only 63, which is relatively good size for a point guard, but he just seems bigger. Nash is the answer. We ranked the best point guards, determining the list with the help of B-R's position splits. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. The list of the best defensive NBA point guards for 2022-23 starts off with two of the elite perimeter defenders overall. But Gary Payton did as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. Defensive Points per Play Synergy tracks every play of every game of the season and, when possible (as it is not always possible), they assign an. Jordans inclusion as the best defensive shooting guard isnt surprising considering his relentless attitude to winning. 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. He still struggles against the spot-up, though, because of issues that will be addressed later. Who's the best offensive point guard of all time? Overall, he is more of a gives-help defender than a needs-help defender. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. But only once did he actually truly defend the play.