He leaves talented shooters alone to go double-team bad shooters. He never stops moving. Jason Kidd 9. As a result, he rarely gets tangled up with the pick-setter. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. The problem is he doesnt use that height or strength as well as youd like to see. He is a natural playmaker with excellent point guard abilities, creating the ideal point guard prototype. -- Peterson, Teams The weakness is that it also includes some of what the other player does defensively, (e.g.. blocks, steals, and defensive rebounds). Paul gets caught in a trap that WAM cant entirely avoid because it can only look at what happens, not why it happens. 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. But his lack of any vertical leap kills him on the jump shot.
The five best defensive NBA shooting guards of all time - Sportsnaut Even the fastest point guards tend to get bottled up. There are few players on this list who can match his incredible scoring, rebounding, and playmaking prowess. He tends to rely on his speed to compensate for his lack of mass.
Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats It tracks the production of a players counterpart while he is on the court. Sixth-greatest point guard in basketball history. He arguably powers through picks better than any point guard in the league. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. In his rookie year, he was already averaging 2 steals per game with 0.2 blocks. Steph's ball-handling abilities make him a lethal ball-handler, as he can shake a defender at any time. If the team gives up more points while hes on the court, thats bad. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive 2nd Team five times. What color was his tie? He still struggles against the spot-up, though, because of issues that will be addressed later. According to Hoops Stats, in his MVP season, the Bulls gave up the fewest points to opposing point guards.
Take, for example, Carlos Boozer in 2012. Having said that, when hes playing off the ball, he knows where hes supposed to be, and hes usually there. Wayne Gretzky on the court, Nash could hurt opponents by getting rid of the ball quickly or by holding on to it for so long that the defense finally made a mistake. Overall, he is more of a gives-help defender than a needs-help defender. Perhaps the best word to describe his defense is lollygaggy.. Players Stats: 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 1989-1990 Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. And do they try and recover when they get beaten? Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring. What is the difference between WAM and WAMS? Sometimes hell even rush to defend the wrong guy while his man is draining a wide-open three. Hell go flying outside the play, right as his man catches the ball, and then hell not only have to make up that ground, but hell also have to fight through the pick. 43 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from BabyYo: NRG VS KOI Highlights. The best shooter ever not just in terms of accuracy but also in creatively getting looks with but a sliver's opening and with unlimited range. Per NBA.com/STATS, the Clippers were almost 10 points per 100 possessions better defensively while Lamar Odom was on the court instead of DeAndre Jordan, yet Paul was on the court three times as much with Jordan as Odom. Theres a running debate over the relative importance of stats versus watching. Stats tell you what happened, but you cant know why it happened unless you watch. He owes his charitable demeanour to a group of elementary school parents. The undisputed first great point guard, Cousy remains the only guard in NBA history to be named First-Team All-NBA in 10 straight seasons. Just because someone gets past him doesnt mean theyre going to score.
Top NBA point guards for 2022-23: Ranking all 30 starters The only thing is that the Bulls actually gave up 8.6 more points while he was on the court. New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers, (2011-present), Honors Therefore, its a Theoretically Asked Questions, or TAQ. 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5APG, .375 FG%, The player But hes just not very strong. Emailed daily. Westbrooks Synergy numbers on the pick-and-roll (.75) and isolation (.7) suggest hes better than he actually is. He might have Silly Putty for a father. However, who are the all-time top point guards? Nash is a top-ten point guard without a question. Some point guards are still given a great deal of leeway in the offense. In essence, hes athletic enough to do a respectable job of what hes asked to do. Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. He had unusual strength for his size, quick feet, elite hands, and timing to help him hold down opponents one-on-one and rack up steals. 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. He doesnt have to race around to get in position because hes almost never out of position. Moncrief is well known for his defensive prowess. Did they get pushed around easily? Magic Johnson. MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. Bledsoe spent the majority of his time with Odom, while Chris Paul spent the majority of his time with Jordan, which confuses the on/off ratings. 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. 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats 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. 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. WAM is the foundation, and WAMS is the house. He literally may be the least athletic guard in the Association. Hes only 63, which is relatively good size for a point guard, but he just seems bigger. Rondo may not be big, but he doesnt know that. Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players By Clark Boinis | Jul 12, 2021, 4:05pm 1. What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. -- Adande, Teams Ben Wallace 12. With his limited speed, he is always in full throttle and getting himself around the court, pestering whoever has the ball. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Some contend its not his fault that hes short, but its not Jarrett Jacks fault that hes slow either. Either way he chases the ball until he catches it. 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. The American former professional basketball player was born on August 9, 1928, and played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963 and shortly for the Cincinnati Royals during the 196970 season.
Top 5 Defensive Point Guards in NBA History - Basketball Articles They were combined and adjusted to cover a range roughly between 18 and 22. There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. It also helps him to have the second-most defensive plays per 36 minutes of any of the point guards on this list. 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, .485 FG%, The player The only time hell go under a pick is when hes supposed to. The perimeter player gets rewarded statistically for what the center did, even though he actually played shoddy defense. James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022.
The Best NBA Point Guards Of All Time - The Delite The Glove is hands down the best defender a the point guard position. If a player tends to be the helper, he gets a better score. A decade of playing and a plethora of injuries havent helped him get any faster. MVP (2014-15), two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, Career stats Isiah Thomas, born on April 30, 1961, and possibly the best player ever under 6-foot-1, combined talent with fierce competitiveness. This implies that the point guard serves as an extension of their coach on the court, and he or she is accountable for making the right plays every night. After all, as his name implies, Billups was known for taking and making huge shots in order to help his team win. Despite the fact that hes just 35, he has a limited amount of time left. Chauncey Billups, or Mr. When Gibson played with the starters, the Bulls gave up 10 fewer points per 100 possessions. With his record of successes and pioneering point guard talents, Magic is at the top of the list. His net defensive rating of 4.2 is an indication of both a lack of his helping and asking for help. Scoring point guards typically look to score first, thus preventing teammates from getting the ball.
The 25 greatest point guards of all time | Yardbarker One aspect of Roses year-long absence that gets lost is how much the team suffered defensively without him. Stockton is one of the greatest assist players in NBA history, if not the greatest. Then, over 10,000 video clips were viewed and players were evaluated based on subjective criteria. He has two ways of guarding the isopray for help or flop. 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. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. Those are the questions I was looking to answer. As one of the elite point guards in the NBA, you would expect him to have elite athleticism, but he actually doesnt. On the other hand, you cant deny what happened, regardless of how much you watch. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. Over the last decade, the best point guards such as Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and others have dominated the position. The best way to track how effective a player is on the defensive end is by looking at their cumulative defensive win shares. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. For each of the following metrics, click on the subhead to be taken to the source website for more details. The result is our all-time NBA Top 100. MVP (1963-64), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year (1960-61), Hall of Fame, Career stats Interpreted as: best defensive rating with a minimum of 10000 minutes played point guards in NBA history. 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. 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. Lin plays with consistent effort on defense, but hes stuck in fourth gear. And when hes on the bench, Eric Bledsoe, who is a 15th on this list, was with Odom. Golden State Warriors (2009-present), Honors Defensive Rating (DRtg) is the average number of points per 100 possessions a players team surrenders while he is on the court. Still, a first-rate point guard should also have a reasonably effective jump shot. Russ is already on the verge of breaking into the top five of all time, but its going to be a challenge. Thanks for signing up. If you want the perfect picture of what Hinrich brings to the defensive end of the court, think of him tackling the runaway freight train, otherwise known as LeBron James, in the game which stopped the Miami Heats streak. While Gregg Popovich and his brilliant system deserve a lot of the credit, Tony is a Finals MVP and is a multiple NBA champion who deserves to be recognised for his role in the legendary Spurs dynasty. Meanwhile, we are presenting the top 10 by position.
The five best defensive NBA shooting guards of all time He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. Follow Sports Brief on Twitter for more trending and breaking news! In terms of point guards, Magic is the finest there has ever been. He also knew when he needed to score, as evidenced by his 42-point performance in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals for a Lakers team missing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. When going against point guards who have a respectable jump shot, that becomes problematic. That concludes the WAP portion of our programming schedule. As a result, the picks work extremely well. For many of these metrics, sample size becomes crucial. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. He doesnt just bring effort to every game; he brings it in all the right ways. [2], Learn how and when to remove this template message, National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award, "The Olympic history of UConn's Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi", "Top 10 point guards in the NBA right now", FOXSports.com - Best all-time point guards, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Point_guard&oldid=1142307492, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 17:58. As a Golden State Warrior and Miami Heat legend, Tim Hardaway may have the best crossover in basketball history. Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what.
Top 10 Point Guards of All Time - Point Guard Rankings - Observer Desk Back in the 80s and 90s as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets, Clyde The Glide Drexler and Michael Jordan constantly battled for the title of best shooting guard. In order to claim that title, both players had to play defense as well. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. He gives up too much space and still gets beaten. Over the next four weeks, well unveil the rankings for the other four positions. He does such a good job of it while the ball is in front of him, theres no reason he couldnt do it after the ball-handler gets past him. On the other hand, he was frequently bailing out whoever was playing shooting guard on numerous occasions. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. In fact, no drafted guard has ever measured a worse sprint, vertical and agility test. Some players with tremendous athleticism just dont apply it on both ends of the court. Hes a learning player, and his extensive time sitting last year may have helped his grasp of defense as well as offense. Don't get me wrong: Steph is still the league's best shooter. J.A. We ranked the best point guards, determining the list with the help of B-R's position splits. Johnson had a knack for scoring against everyone and racked up impressive numbers throughout the course of his career. He uses quickness to capably guard the perimeter, but thats in large part because hes not always defending the elite point guards. Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74), Honors He applies every bit of failing athleticism he has all the time.
Greatest NBA point guards of all-time: Where Russell - Sportsnaut Injuries robbed Rose of the opportunity to become one of the games top five point guards. If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. An All-Star in every full season that he played for the Boston Celtics, six-time NBA champion Bob Cousy was an all-around player. He gave up just .87 points defending the spot-up (making him one of the few players to defend the spot-up better than the iso). However, despite Chris Paul and Jason Kidds prominence, Steve Nash became a two-time MVP who had no weaknesses on the offensive end. Seemingly overhauling your system for every opponent is not. They say that defense is mostly about effort. Williams needs to have a bit of a paradigm shift in the direction of team defense. Both figures can be obtained by going to any players team page and then clicking on the appropriate name. Gary Payton is one of the best ever. He could be better than he is, but its hard to blame only him. As a result, hes been a member of the All-Defensive First Team four times and a member of the All-Defensive Second Team five times. -- 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. It only looks at the data. Tim Duncan Since I always get asked "Where's ___________?"
Ranking the Best Defensive Point Guards in the NBA James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. Watson, Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson. At 61 and 171 pounds, Rondo is pretty small by NBA standards, but he plays much tougher than his size. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. On the other hand, hes not tremendously athletic. My guess is that it has something to do with that. 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. It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. Rushmore of greatest postseason performances in league history. 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. Curry has won three NBA championships and cemented his status as the finest shooter in NBA history since becoming a superstar and two-time MVP. He actually plays his best games against his best opponents. Walt Frazier 10. 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. 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.