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. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. 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. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. 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. Lin is a mixed bag when it comes to help defense. Opponents dont have much success getting around him. He could create at an elite level while also scoring off the dribble from the midrange. Some would look at Conleys frontcourt and assumenot entirely incorrectlythat having Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to back him up pads his stats. 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 has two ways of guarding the isopray for help or flop. He also only has a 65 wingspan, which is short of the other bigger point guards, but what he has, he uses well. Although Drexler never made an All-Defensive Team in his career, he did average two steals per game for his 15-year career. Magic had unparalleled vision; he could see players get open and deliver the ball before they even realized they were open. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. The relative value between players was not affected; they were merely weighted so that the metrics could be combined without any one metric dominating the others. 76ers vs. 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. That said, here are the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, based on their DWS. NBA: Ranking top 10 shooting guards ever - ESPN.com Kevin Durant, surprisingly, also bails out his co-star a lot. 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, .428 3P%, The player He has above-average size and strength, but he doesnt play like it. On the positive side, Rose does a decent job of understanding his role in a complex system. The average score by point guards was 16.1. Total Defensive Plays per 36 Minutes, or TDP/36 is simply the total number of defensive rebounds, steals and blocks a player accrues every 36 minutes. 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. 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. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. This is what I mean by ubiquity. By my count, about 70 percent of the time, the ball-handler will get past him and get a shot off. Still, a first-rate point guard should also have a reasonably effective jump shot. Parker applies himself defensively in bursts, and this appears to be by design. Ergo, a negative number is a positive thing, and a positive number is a negative thing. Did they get pushed around easily? He surpassed the achievements of every other guard in NBA history, except Russell Westbrooks achievements. Being big and strong doesnt mean players automatically got higher scores, though. 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. Starter from the VCT lockin. The greatest point guard in NBA history. On the other hand, no matter how solid the foundation is, you cant move into it. You can look at why things happen and offset the misleading things. 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. 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. 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. -- Haberstroh, Honors Hes still learning to apply that tremendous athleticism on the defensive end of the court, though. While Rose was fairly criticized for not playing hard defensively prior to Thibodeau, that criticism is no longer accurate. These point guard rankings will be the first of five articles. -- J.A. In terms of career statistics and postseason accomplishments, he ranks as the NBAs fourth-best point guard of all time. Hes incredibly focused while on the court, but hes always working things out in his head; they dont come automatically, and that costs him time. Players Stats: 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, Honors: 1978-1979 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 9x All-Defense Selection, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, Hall of Famer. He doesnt put a lot of effort into chasing his man through screens. Players Stats: 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. 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. Above all, the point guard must understand and accept their coach's game plan; in this way, the position can be compared to a quarterback in American football. 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. He seems to get frustrated easily. After the All-Star break, when Rose hardly played, that number fell to 17.8 and the Bulls dropped to ninth. On the other hand, he was frequently bailing out whoever was playing shooting guard on numerous occasions. He doesnt have to race around to get in position because hes almost never out of position. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on February 7, 1974, to a Welsh mother, Jean, and an English father, John. Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats All pre-draft measurements were obtained from the database hosted on Draft Express. Even point guards who are not given this much freedom, however, are still extensions of their coach on the floor and must display good leadership skills. This score is to help alleviate that. How much a player understands his role in the defense is measured here. If you just look at his measurables, Chris Paul is not impressive. Two-time All-Defensive First Team Four-time All-Star Before having his career derailed by drug use, Micheal Ray Richardson was one of the league's most feared defensive point. With both, its the combination of their size and speed that makes them so phenomenal. His net defensive rating is fairly close to even, and slightly above average for point guards. -- Doolittle, The great Knicks ball-movement offense started with him. When he needs to button down, he does, but he also tends to take off the middle of games, relying heavily on the help defense. This year, without Rose, the Bulls were 23rd, at 21.0 points per game. All the other tools and effort can be rendered useless by a little stupidity. Meanwhile, another player has his numbers go up because he is capable. He falls into his rotations smoothly. One of the great conundrums in rating defense is that teammates factor into it. Hes only 63, which is relatively good size for a point guard, but he just seems bigger. Best Point Guard Defensive Rating 2022 | StatMuse Cousy, in many respects, was the Celtics spirit at the moment. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. Considering his challenges with speed, he did reasonably well with the pick-and-roll, again because of his size and strength to fight through picks. Adande, Brad Doolittle, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton are NBA writers for ESPN.com. Born on July 15, 1990, Damian is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. Seriously, you should hear Mark Jackson rave about him. He was a master at leading the fastbreak, which led to Celtics titles. Do players go under picks when they should go over them? Kevin Garnett 8. It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. 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. 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. He uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. Its safe to say that Kidd is one of the greatest guards to ever play on the basketball floor. Frequently, teams would set the screen, and the point guard would just step behind the three-point line while Holiday was still underneath it (often all the way into the center of the lane) and drain wide-open treys. In the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player coaches. Jrue Holiday is making . Trail Blazers playoff failures have been a major blemish on both his game and his career so far. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? He uses his speed well, as long as hes engaged in the game. Also with both, theyve shown more success utilizing their physical attributes on the offensive end than the defensive end. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. 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. He gets a higher score here than he technically deserves because he tries so hard. 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. A point guard specializes in certain skills, like other player positions in basketball. You cant say that Westbrook doesnt try on defense, but you can say he doesnt show consistent effort on defense. In many cases, I looked at their combine results. Its got to be annoying, but its also disruptive, and being disruptive is positive on defense. Even when picks are set behind his back, he instinctively knows they are there and just steps over them seamlessly. 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. The Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 championship run would not have been possible without Kyrie Irving, who is a two-time NBA champion. That makes sense since Parker has assumed the primary responsibility on offense and theres no reason to wear himself out playing defense. Hed also be more willing to provide it. The Top 100 will begin to roll out next week. Instead of passing after bringing up the ball they quickly drive to the basket or step back for an outside shot. In his 20 seasons, Bryant averaged 2.5 DWS and 1.4 steals per year. He didnt have an eye-popping number, but he was in the top 25 percent of players there. Honors: 1978-1979 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 9x All-Defense Selection, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, Hall of Famer. 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. Lowry just seems to be lost on defense much of the time. 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. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. Oscar Robertson was one of the NBA's greatest players in history. 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, .490 FG%, The player Once he had the ball on the fastbreak, The Flash was gone. The biggest reason appears to be a fundamental one. From that, each player was scored in five different areas on a scale of 18 (best) to 22 (worst). That can create an illusion of great defense where there is none. That being said, Joakim Noah was frequently required to bail him out of trouble. His net defensive rating of 4.2 is an indication of both a lack of his helping and asking for help. In the late 1980s, he was the face of the Bad Boys Pistons, who defeated Jordan's Bulls three times in a row in the playoffs. -- Adande, Possessed incredible court vision and creativity, all while orchestrating the frenetic game pace of his era. Aside from his offensive prowess, Johnson had the ability to hit for power and lead the offense at a high level. Its like someone took a normal-sized person and stretched out the arms and hands to make him. When he applies it, he does so effectively, especially in isolation and the pick-and-roll. With Doc Rivers in charge, things should turn around shortly, and next year his WAM score will be among the best in the league. They tried just as hard as the valedictorian, but all they got were Bs. Not everything about a players value can be seen even through advanced stats, or even while hes on the court. Nowadays, the point guard is expected to do more than simply run plays; he or she must also be the teams offensive leader by putting up big numbers every night! He is suitable at keeping most players out on the perimeter, but against elite point guards he has more problems. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. 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. Nash's sideways speed and power will be non-existent at some age, allowing for constant dribble. Paul gets caught in a trap that WAM cant entirely avoid because it can only look at what happens, not why it happens. Get to know about the top 15 all time best point guards in the NBA in Other individual metrics and team metrics thin out the impact of those factors. And I never saw him go in the wrong direction, not once. As a point guard, Tim Hardaway was one of the most popular and respected players in the NBA during his time with the Miami Heat. You can be the best shooter in the world, but you can't score if you don't get the ball. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. Previously, Id had the impression that Rondo was beaten more often than he actually is and that Kevin Garnett just constantly bailed him out, which made his numbers look better than they are. That concludes the WAP portion of our programming schedule. My guess is that it has something to do with that. No question hell be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and hes one of the greatest rim-attacking players in NBA history. Hes led the league in steals per game five times in the last six years. Kyrie Irving is unquestionably one of the greatest point guards of all time. Phoenix Suns (1996-98, 2004-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-15), Honors Top NBA point guards for 2022-23: Ranking all 30 starters Can they play bigger than they really are? He needs more of the former and less of the latter. All that was due to Bryant emulating Jordans relentless drive to win on both sides of the floor. -- Pelton, No player his size, 6-foot-3, has ever bent defenses to his will as Curry does. All rights reserved. Players Stats: 18.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, 1972-1973 Scoring Champion, Hall of Famer. Whenever anyone imagines a point guard, chances are theyre thinking of Utah Jazz legend John Stockton. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. Russ is already on the verge of breaking into the top five of all time, but its going to be a challenge. The number in the parentheses indicates where they ranked in that category. He and Chris Paul are the contenders for smartest defensive point guard in the game today. Its like hes chosen the worst of both worlds. -- Pelton. Some contend its not his fault that hes short, but its not Jarrett Jacks fault that hes slow either. When he tries, Lowry can be a solid defensive player, but that whole when he tries qualifier is pretty significant. Either way he chases the ball until he catches it. His score would be much worse if it werent for help defense from Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Chris Andersen frequently coming to his aid. However, despite Chris Paul and Jason Kidds prominence, Steve Nash became a two-time MVP who had no weaknesses on the offensive end. Steve Nash 7. Normally this would be a list of FAQs, but no one has ever asked any questions (since no one has ever seen it). 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? 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. As a result of his hurling himself around the court with utter abandon, he was generally a positive when it came to help defense. You can almost rate Chalmers improving basketball intelligence by how many times per game he gets yelled at by his superstar teammates. That earned him the nickname Mr. And, there are also times when he does the bailing out. Still, Nash's greatest historical legacy will be paving the way for Stephen Curry and a new generation of point guards in a league that embraced point guards making plays with a wide-open court. Lets see who has made it to the top 10 best point guards of all time. James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022. Hes so undersized, youd think he was just some regular guy. Robertson's offensive ability transformed the point guard stereotype from a passer and floor general to a scorer and offensive weapon. When the game is on the line, you like to see players find fifth, but Lin never does. Hes fearless, and no matter how large the big setting the pick is, he wont back down. 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. 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. If youre not interested in that, feel free to skip ahead. Thats a pretty large difference, and it shows he is at his best when he can utilize his quickness, while at his worst when he has to use his strength. Therefore, with a few exceptions, players were only considered if they played at least 1,200 minutes last season (which comes out to around 30 percent of possible minutes). Each touches a different part of the elephant, one an ear, another the torso and so on. Wilt Chamberlain 14. Whatever it was, Holiday was just not bringing effort on the defensive end last year. He manages to defend the pick-and-roll reasonably well by doing something I can only call bouncing over picks. 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. For his time with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson is most known for his role alongside Charles Barkley. For a player who lacks lateral quickness and a player that has been in the league as long as he has, you would think Williams would have learned to do a better job of steering opponents into the help defense. Hinrich has a bit more going for him in terms of size. -- 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). Dennis Johnson. 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.

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best defensive point guards of all time