As a result, hes 17th all-time with 1944 and had six seasons in the top-20 in steals. For the purpose of this study, 82games was used because the net defensive rating was also easily available and it made for consistency. He has all the tools to be one: great reflexes and speed, and those long arms with big mitts on the end. Some contend its not his fault that hes short, but its not Jarrett Jacks fault that hes slow either. Once he had the ball on the fastbreak, The Flash was gone. [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. -- Adande, Nash is the only player in history to go 50-40-90 while averaging 10 assists per game. -- Adams, Honors Have a look! 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. According to Hoops Stats, in his MVP season, the Bulls gave up the fewest points to opposing point guards. You never have to question his effort or commitment. His most notable awards include five NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, nine All-NBA First Team selections, and 12 All-Star appearances. Adapting your system to every opponent and knowing their nuances is understandable. He arguably makes more plays on his feet, both offensively and defensively, than anyone else. 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. Honors: 7x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection, 1966-1967 Rookie of the Year, 1967-1968 Scoring Champion, Hall of Famer. This is also from the various sources we have used. 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. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. 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. Kyle Lowry has exceptional speed and athleticism. When we watch basketball, we get general impressions of defense, but the storyline is whats happening with the ball. Brandon Knight has exceptional speed and quickness. -- Adande, The only players in NBA history with more games with 20 points and 10 assists are Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. He doesnt use the shortest angles when running under picks, but he takes path of least resistance instead. Even though injuries caught up with him toward the end of his illustrious career, Bryant still battled as a defender when needed. 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. 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. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. That said, here are the NBAs five best defensive shooting guards of all-time, based on their DWS. The bulk of his thefts came by stealing the dribble, not by shooting the passing lanes. The next three slides will tell how this particular sausage was made. For eight consecutive seasons, Cousy was the leagues top assist producer, and he was also one of the finest scorers in the league. 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. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. -- Brad Doolittle, Robertson's averaging a triple-double in 1961-62 is probably overrated because it was a product of the fast-paced play in the 1960s, but his role in the Milwaukee Bucks' early '70s championship run is probably underrated. He just doesnt have the length to effectively guard against them. The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. 21.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, .441 3P%, We counted down the greatest players in NBA history. In the last entry, we focused on the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, but now, we turn to the five best defensive shooting guards in NBA history. 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. Nash's sideways speed and power will be non-existent at some age, allowing for constant dribble. On and off the court, Dave Bing was an excellent high-scoring NBA point guard who achieved greatness. Even though he was 38 years old when he won his first NBA championship with the Mavericks, he had two trips to the NBA Finals with the Nets. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. 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. That earned him the nickname Mr. He applies every bit of failing athleticism he has all the time. Kawhi Leonard 11. He was the league's third player to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson). But hes slightly built, and that raises some issues, especially when hes caught a fraction of a second behind a play. The Miami HEATs best player in franchise history, Dwyane Wade was an offensive maestro. 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. -- 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. He also is tougher than most point guards to post up. He is easily one of the physically weaker players in the league, even for his position. Having said that, when hes playing off the ball, he knows where hes supposed to be, and hes usually there. He may get beaten occasionally, and he might get outmuscled more frequently, but he never gets outhustled. He always seems to know exactly where everyone is. See the criteria for scouting on the next slide. 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats This is to avoid confusion if you want to go to the original source.). Passing skills, ball handling, and court vision are crucial. Parker applies himself defensively in bursts, and this appears to be by design. Even the fastest point guards tend to get bottled up. Although Wilkens is best known as a head coach, he was once an outstanding athlete. Mar 6, 2020; New York, New York, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) reacts during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. All pre-draft measurements were obtained from the database hosted on Draft Express. He also only has a 65 wingspan, which is short of the other bigger point guards, but what he has, he uses well. However, who are the all-time top point guards? 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. 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. 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. While blocks and steals can be misleading when taken to exclusively represent defense, they are an aspect of it, so they shouldnt be discounted entirely. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. 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. 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player For Rose, his biggest issues on both sides of the ball have to do with fundamentals and understanding. Its safe to say that Kidd is one of the greatest guards to ever play on the basketball floor. They work harder, and they get things eventually, but not quite as well. 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. Johnsons style of play made him especially successful since he was noted for tip-ins and post play around the rim. He could be better than he is, but its hard to blame only him. Defensive Rating (DRtg) is the average number of points per 100 possessions a players team surrenders while he is on the court. 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, .428 3P%, The player Magic Johnson won the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award three times in his career. Those are the questions I was looking to answer. As a result, the picks work extremely well. Aside from the centre, having the best point guard is critical to improving your game because every play starts with him. He was the primary defender on 1,127 plays last year in all, surpassed only by Stephen Curry among point guards. Whenever anyone imagines a point guard, chances are theyre thinking of Utah Jazz legend John Stockton. -- Adams, Combined savvy with underrated strength. He actually plays his best games against his best opponents. A decade of playing and a plethora of injuries havent helped him get any faster. Chris is also a leader on the defensive end of the court, having been named to nine All-Defensive Teams. ESPN ranked the Top 10 PGs of all time & they have @iamisiahthomas ranked 5th. But mostly he plays smartly with an occasional brain fart. If a player tends to be the helper, he gets a better score. So I saddled up my workhorse, Synergy, and watched an hour or two of each of the top 15 WAM scores playing defense. From there, hes playing catch up. Still, hes one of the best point guards of all time, and his stats show that hes a deserved All-Star. He uses his speed well, as long as hes engaged in the game. He stands third among the top 10 point guards of all time. There arent many point guards in the league who can match Roses pure size and strength. When it comes to intangibles, Chris Paul is the elite point guard in the league. His quickness and slim frame allow him to slip through gaps in the defence and create more opportunities for himself. 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. 43 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from BabyYo: NRG VS KOI Highlights. -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. The Clippers never quite seemed to have a true defensive identity, even if they were improved. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? Rondos lack of a need for help defense allows Garnett to help more elsewhere. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. The perimeter player gets rewarded statistically for what the center did, even though he actually played shoddy defense. Speed is important; a speedy point guard is better able to create separation and space off the dribble, giving themselves room to work. 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. Several sites track this, each in its slightly unique way, depending on its formula to calculate possessions. For each player, I watched between one and two hours of footage of defense, taking account of specific things and grading them in five different areas. He doesnt have to race around to get in position because hes almost never out of position. Fairly straightforward, this takes into account height, length and strength. Dennis Johnson. WAM is purely objective. He appears to communicate the wisdom hes accrued to his teammates. In the NBA, point guards generally range from 6ft 1in (1.85m) to 6ft 4in (1.93m) whereas in the WNBA, point guards are usually 5ft 9in (1.75m) or shorter. When the pick gets set, he just hurls into it and uses the momentum of the bounce to send him in the right direction. 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. Hinrich always had a high basketball IQ. On the other hand, he was frequently bailing out whoever was playing shooting guard on numerous occasions. He made everything go for those Lakers teams. For his time with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson is most known for his role alongside Charles Barkley. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Nevertheless, its just as important. He bulls through picks well and is not afraid to go over them. When going against point guards who have a respectable jump shot, that becomes problematic. He gave up 1.01 points per play on the spot-up last year. The "Big O" was capable of doing it all. Many times, the point guard is referred to by announcers, as a "coach on the floor" or a "floor general". If it gives up fewer points, thats good. He doesnt cheat in either direction, though. By the time he was done, he had racked up 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-Defense selections, six All-NBA . The biggest reason appears to be a fundamental one. Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. He owes his charitable demeanour to a group of elementary school parents. Curry has developed into much more than a 3-point specialist. Perhaps he just grew weary of Doug Collins' act. Hes controlled in how he plays hard. This is especially true when closing out on defenders. 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. Whats remarkable is how quickly he gets to the shooter and gets a hand in his face, even if its all the way to the corner three and the shooter is setting when Rose takes off. In many cases, I looked at their combine results. DWS are how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. Broadly speaking, over 7,000 pieces of data on 226 players, in 16 different categories, were compiled into a database. 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. On the other hand, hes not tremendously athletic. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. Point guard from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America 3 Jason Kidd Point guard from California, United States of America 4 Walt Frazier Point guard from Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America 5 Dennis Johnson 6 Fat Lever Point guard and Shooting guard from Pine Bluff, Arkansas load more Cousy, in many respects, was the Celtics spirit at the moment. Rajon Rondo is probably the most athletic player in the league who plays most of his game below the rim. What he offers goes beyond the court. With both, its the combination of their size and speed that makes them so phenomenal. The more often he is the primary defender, the more likely he is to be responsible for guarding the player who is getting the most plays offensively. Many consider Bob Cousy to be a passionate athlete who was the first All-Star and dominating player for the Boston Celtics squad that included legends like Bill Russell and Kevin Collier. One of the most innovative offensive players, San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili was a very unique player. That has more to do with the second-string frontcourt, led by Lamar Odom, backing him up than it does his team defense. On those, there is no link available. Holiday knows what to do, but he doesnt always do it. By combining them, we can get a better picture of the whole elephant of a players defense. FOXSports.com - Best all-time point guards at the Wayback Machine (archived July 12, 2005), accessed 2008-02-09 This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 17:58 . Penny is deserving of a much better ranking just because he is such a gifted one. Sometimes his teammates bailed him out; sometimes the shot just didnt go in. If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. Also with both, theyve shown more success utilizing their physical attributes on the offensive end than the defensive end. One of the great conundrums in rating defense is that teammates factor into it. His Synergy numbers compared to some of his team numbers validate that. Then there was that kid who just read the assignment on the bus and got straight As. Nash is the answer. 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. Similarly, while each of the advanced and/or traditional metrics has value, each also misses something. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. His wingspan isnt much better at just 64. Rose is arguably the most athletic point guard in the league, though Russell Westbrook could present a challenge. He is in charge of getting the ball into the hands of the shooters. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. The players are ranked according to their WAMS. And do they try and recover when they get beaten? -- Peterson, He's one of only a few players in history who has been deemed too good for the sport's own good. Per Synergy, he forces turnovers 18.5 percent of the time, and he does so barely giving up any points. -- Doolittle, The great Knicks ball-movement offense started with him. With his athleticism and speed, there is no way that Rose should get beaten off the dribble as often as he does. 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. Tim Duncan 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. Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy! His issues related to intelligence, detailed later, compound this problem. 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, .384 3P%, The player Humility can often be a sign of intelligence at work, and it is with Hinrich. Watching specifically for this, I found only three instances in 50 plays where Garnett bailed out Rondo on isolation plays, a rate which is lower than most point guards receiving help. At 61 and 171 pounds, Rondo is pretty small by NBA standards, but he plays much tougher than his size. He only gave up .66 points per play in isolation, but he yielded .86 to the ball-handler on the pick-and-roll. 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. But thats why we do the research. Thats pretty much what you see with Conley. But, there is one only shooting guard that leapfrogged over all others. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. -- Kevin Pelton, Teams After all, as his name implies, Billups was known for taking and making huge shots in order to help his team win. 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. The Clippers were 10 points better with Lamar Odom on the court than DeAndre Jordan according to NBA.com/STATS. -- Adande, Teams He tends to do the right thing, but then hell do something kind of stupid that makes you wonder what hes thinkingeven if what hes thinking is right. It probably tells the accurate story here. All-Time #NBArank: Top 10 point guards ever, 'Not going out this way': Nets, down 28, stun C's, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Owner: Snyder, Fields will bring Hawks success, Isaac has surgery on adductor, done for season, Clips' Powell out at least a week to treat shoulder, LeBron to have tendon injury checked in 3 weeks. Dallas Mavericks (1994-96, 2008-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-2001), New Jersey Nets (2001-08), New York Knicks (2012-13), Honors This could be something that Monty Williams, a coach with outstanding player development skills, can work on in New Orleans now that Holiday is with the Pelicans. Overall, he is more of a gives-help defender than a needs-help defender. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. Blake Griffin was 21st out of 47 power forwards, and Jordan was 23rd out of 38 centers. Even when in position, he wont jump to challenge a shot. However, hes not the slowest point guard in the league either, and when hes not biting on the crossovers, hes able to do a decent job of staying in front of most average point guards. One of the best -- and quickest -- lob passers the game has ever seen. Jeremy Lin is not one of the faster point guards in the NBA, and hes not particularly quick either. The ripple effect of that was that every single Bull had a worse defensive rating with Boozer than when playing with Gibson. But he never does. Synergy tracks every play of every game of the season and, when possible (as it is not always possible), they assign an initial defender on a play. There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. 11. Ultimately, Johnson's unselfishness earned him the title of greatest point guard of all time. In fact, Rondo gives more help than he getscontrary to my previous opinion. Hell frequent the area at the top of the key, just above the free-throw line, and when a shooter starts to shoot, hell close out quickly to challenge the shot, regardless of where it is coming from. There is no doubt that Stephen Curry inherited his incredible shooting ability from his father, Dell, who was a successful NBA marksman himself, but the younger Curry's game is more diverse than Dell's. Hell get to the corners to challenge threes; hell pick off passes; hell get rebounds; hell get some chase-down blocks. He lacks the strength to effectively go over screens consistently, so he has to go under them. Of course, sometimes his opponent scored, too. It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. (Most defenders let the opponent by more than half the time. Teams 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 also used his incredible basketball IQ to steal the ball and defend at a high level. 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. Trail Blazers playoff failures have been a major blemish on both his game and his career so far. Others with less physical prowess can dominate defensively simply because they pour everything into it. His length is better; he has a 65.75 wingspan. Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. Players Stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 2010-2011 MVP, 3x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Selection, 2008-2009 Rookie of the Year. Whatever it was, Holiday was just not bringing effort on the defensive end last year. Gary Payton 12. The house would collapse. All the other tools and effort can be rendered useless by a little stupidity. Even players like Derek Fisher will hang him up and then hit him with the step-back. 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. You probably cant say right away, because you watched the storyline, not how Harvey dressed. Chasing down balls, hell reach from behind and disrupt the dribble. Not everything about a players value can be seen even through advanced stats, or even while hes on the court. The Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 championship run would not have been possible without Kyrie Irving, who is a two-time NBA champion. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. He fights through picks, going over them when he can and under them when he cant. Great size made him impossible for most. Lee Rose has described a point guard as a coach on the floor, who can handle and distribute the ball to teammates. In balance he was a plus, but his deficiencies cant be ignored. Pun intended. When hes coming off screens, hes especially horrible, giving up 1.15 points per play. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. Sometimes it doesnt. Do players go under picks when they should go over them? As a Golden State Warrior and Miami Heat legend, Tim Hardaway may have the best crossover in basketball history. Players Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 1963-1964 MVP, 12x All-Star, 11x All-NBA Selection, 1960-1961 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Famer. A point guard needs always to have in mind the times on the shot clock and the game clock, the score, the numbers of remaining timeouts for both teams, etc. I like to compare it to the relationship between a foundation and a house. Knight gets almost no help whatsoever from help defense. On the other hand, no matter how solid the foundation is, you cant move into it. On the one hand, he doesnt seem cogent enough of his surroundings most of the time to really offer any. Players Stats: 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. He does add a lot, but its not frenetic, its just frantic. Its more than that. Michael Cooper was a great defensive guard, evident when he won the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award in 1987, and James Worthy is a top-ten Small Forward of all-time and was one of the . In the MVP vote for the 1967-1968 season, he finished second behind the unstoppable Wilt Chamberlain. If Williams had more pride in his defense, he would actually ask for, and depend on, help more than he does. Please check your email for a confirmation. Either way he chases the ball until he catches it. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. He doesnt try to make great plays, but he tries not to make mistakes, which is maybe what he should be concentrating on. Strictly speaking, he should have a score closer to 20, but because of all the help he is in the locker room and practice, he gets a little leeway. Triple Double was so far ahead of his time in terms of size, speed, strength and stats. 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. Despite the fact that hes just 35, he has a limited amount of time left. 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. 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. Triple Double and for good reason: hes fourth all-time in triple-doubles with 107. These were calculated using the raw stats available on any site carrying basic stats. 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 routinely gets blistered in isolation (.93 points per play), fails to close out well on shooters and lags when coming off of screens. If you are a basketball freak, you might be interested in knowing about NBA and other Best Basketball Leagues in the World. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. Greg Monroe has talent on the offensive side of the ball but not a whole lot on the defensive side.
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