He didnt have an eye-popping number, but he was in the top 25 percent of players there. There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. He doesnt disrupt team defense with unnecessary gambles. Why not a normal scale of one to 10? Im cheating a little here. Nash is a top-ten point guard without a question. When he applies it, he does so effectively, especially in isolation and the pick-and-roll. The best way to track how effective a player is on the defensive end is by looking at their cumulative defensive win shares. 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. I considered both their actual measurables and how well they used them. The former professional basketball player was born on March 26, 1962, and is regarded as one of the best passing point guards. He doesnt try to make great plays, but he tries not to make mistakes, which is maybe what he should be concentrating on. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. Johnsons style of play made him especially successful since he was noted for tip-ins and post play around the rim. 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. 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. But, there is one only shooting guard that leapfrogged over all others. That makes him eligible for inclusion on this list of best point guards. 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. "The Logo" Jerry West was an NBA Champion, a 14 time All-Star, ten time All-NBA First team selection, four time All-Defensive team selection, NBA scoring champion and an NBA assist leader. In his 20 seasons, Bryant averaged 2.5 DWS and 1.4 steals per year. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 13. 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. Hes one of the slower point guards in the league now, but in spite of that, hes almost ubiquitous at times. Its amusing that some people say Rose doesnt apply himself on defense. Holiday wouldnt just go under the pick; he would go too far under the pick. If hes on the court, hes moving at full speed. If youre a fan of the TV show Suits, you might agree that Harvey Specter dresses well. He might not be the fastest guy in the world, but that doesnt keep him from trying to be. -- Peterson, Teams 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. Rob Peterson is an NBA editor for ESPN.com. 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. Notable point guards of the WNBA include five-time champion Sue Bird, her Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi (the only two basketball players of either gender to earn five Olympic gold medals for basketball[1]) and Courtney Vandersloot. All you have to do is watch him on offense to know he has all kinds of speed. And do they try and recover when they get beaten? Does he rotate on time? Players Stats: 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG, 0.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG, Honors: 1956-1957 MVP, 13x All-Star, 12x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. He needs more of the former and less of the latter. 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. 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. Alex Caruso. Paradoxically tough on the court and flashy off of it, Frazier epitomized the '70s-era backcourt style in which roles were less defined. Sometimes it doesnt. Russell is regarded as one of the best point guard finishers of all time. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. In fact, no drafted guard has ever measured a worse sprint, vertical and agility test. As previously discussed, it is true that purely objective analysis does not, and cannot, tell the whole story, especially when it comes to something as dynamic as defense. Watching video on Lin gave me one impression that stood out above everything else: his awareness of where he was on the court and where he needed to be. When defending the isolation play, he gives up a nauseating .94 points per play, a strong indication of that. The five best defensive point guards of all time | Yardbarker This is to avoid confusion if you want to go to the original source.). He doesnt play on the ball physically, utilizing that advantage. He uses his speed well, as long as hes engaged in the game. Some contend its not his fault that hes short, but its not Jarrett Jacks fault that hes slow either. Stats dont tell the whole story and our eyes often only confirm what we already know. Norris Coles individual numbers are all better than Chalmers, but he gets docked with lower team numbers. By: HoopsHype. He led the league in total steals this year and did so without playing a lot of gambling defense. He is going to get beaten, without question. 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. Thats rarely going to be because of a mental error, though. Rose had it all, including speed, explosiveness, and the ability to score when it mattered most. He literally may be the least athletic guard in the Association. The Case For: Upper-tier defender (9x All Defensive Team, including 4 First Team selections). Doc Rivers has had a lot of input into how Rondo plays the game. If it gives up fewer points, thats good. Bledsoes defensive numbers would be far worse if he werent getting helped out by Odom all the time. 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. He is easily one of the physically weaker players in the league, even for his position. The five best defensive NBA shooting guards of all time MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships David Robinson 6. Brandon Knight has exceptional speed and quickness. 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. During his career, he was selected to nine All-NBA Defensive Teams and five All-Star teams. 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. Pauls been an All-Defensive Team selection nine times, being selected to the 1st team seven times and the 2nd team twice. Either way he chases the ball until he catches it. That said, here are the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, based on their DWS. 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. For his career, Jordan averaged 2.3 steals (third all-time) and 4.2 DWS per year. Smart people recognize their limitations. 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 is akin to the blind men and the elephant in the Indian fable adapted to a poem by John Godfrey Saxe. As one of the elite point guards in the NBA, you would expect him to have elite athleticism, but he actually doesnt. Knight gets almost no help whatsoever from help defense. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. It probably tells the accurate story here. 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. And, there are also times when he does the bailing out. A 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, a nine-time 1st team All-Defense and three-time 2nd team All-Defense, Bryant's 50.6 DWS ranks him 43rd overall. If someone goes past him, hell usually just wave goodbye. Between his height, lack of real effort on closing out and taking too long to figure out where hes supposed to be (if he ever figures it out all), he becomes the perfect storm for easy pickins. Hes so undersized, youd think he was just some regular guy. Seriously, you should hear Mark Jackson rave about him. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. Passing skills, ball handling, and court vision are crucial. One of the greatest point guards ever, Jason Kidd could make the flashy pass or the simple play with the best of them while also loving to hightail it in transition to wear opponents down in. Mr. He just doesnt have the physical tools to play at an elite level. He just cant do anything about it. He still struggles against the spot-up, though, because of issues that will be addressed later. To absolutely nobodys surprise, Michael Jordan is the best defensive shooting guard in NBA history. The "Big O" was capable of doing it all. Whatever it was, Holiday was just not bringing effort on the defensive end last year. Kawhi Leonard 11. Its more than that. He led the NBA in scoring in only his second season, 1967-68, with 27.1 points per game. He uses quickness to capably guard the perimeter, but thats in large part because hes not always defending the elite point guards. What is the difference between WAM and WAMS? Therefore, its a Theoretically Asked Questions, or TAQ. 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats NRG VS KOI Highlights. Starter from the VCT lockin. #VCTLOCKIN # Opponents dont have much success getting around him. This score is to help alleviate that. All-Time #NBArank continues with a countdown of the best shooting guards in NBA history. The Best NBA Point Guards Of All Time - The Delite 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, .490 FG%, The player However, a good jump shot and the ability to score off a drive to the basket are still valuable skills. Other stats were determined by using my trusty sidekick, MS Excel, loaded up with standard stats available on most websites. Sometimes even when hes being smart, he gets a little dumb. Hes just unable able to get high enough to legitimately challenge the shot. Since the first time a professional basketball player dribbled a ball, weve seen some of the greatest point guards in history. Hes a learning player, and his extensive time sitting last year may have helped his grasp of defense as well as offense. Over 90 percent of the time, the ball-handler gets by him. 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. Other individual metrics and team metrics thin out the impact of those factors. Since I always get asked "Where's ___________?" Even when picks are set behind his back, he instinctively knows they are there and just steps over them seamlessly. In case you missed it, Jason Kidd was tops on the list with 75.1 DWS, good for 11th all-time. Even the fastest point guards tend to get bottled up. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. At the very least, he could stab those quick hands of his at some more balls and disrupt the dribble from behind. Aside from the centre, having the best point guard is critical to improving your game because every play starts with him. 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. That being said, Joakim Noah was frequently required to bail him out of trouble. Hes still learning to apply that tremendous athleticism on the defensive end of the court, though. When he does do it, he does it half-heartedly. On those, there is no link available. Nate Archibald 14. When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. Williams tends to play defense, but he only seems to do the minimum. Lennys passing and leadership on the floor were solid, but he also had a few great scoring years on the court. SHOCKING one of the best defensive point guards of all time played great defense on a 20 year project old player. -- Adande, The only players in NBA history with more games with 20 points and 10 assists are Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. -- Doolittle, Cousy was an And-1 mix tape in black-and-white. In the MVP vote for the 1967-1968 season, he finished second behind the unstoppable Wilt Chamberlain. Players Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG. The only thing is that the Bulls actually gave up 8.6 more points while he was on the court. He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. 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. Wilt Chamberlain 14. The NBA is flush with dominant point guards. He arguably powers through picks better than any point guard in the league. But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. Williams needs to have a bit of a paradigm shift in the direction of team defense. Like last time . 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 has a high basketball IQ, and he has that veteran savvy thing going for him, too. He actually plays his best games against his best opponents. He also plays through to the end of the play when his man doesnt have the ball, which is not something you see all point guards do. These point guard rankings will be the first of five articles. The reason teams run so much pick-and-roll is that it works. The ripple effect of that was that every single Bull had a worse defensive rating with Boozer than when playing with Gibson. Perhaps if hes in shoes and standing on a milk crate filled with milk, thats true. Honors: 1978-1979 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 9x All-Defense Selection, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, Hall of Famer. That has more to do with the second-string frontcourt, led by Lamar Odom, backing him up than it does his team defense. Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players By Clark Boinis | Jul 12, 2021, 4:05pm 1. Those are the questions I was looking to answer. On the other hand, hes not tremendously athletic. Its also a big part of why he has the most defensive plays per 36 minutes, using his quickness to get to those long rebounds. Watching him rotate was watching perfection. Stephen Curry 4. This is one of those cases where scouting helps. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Stockton was a member of two gold medal teams and twice reached the NBA finals during his remarkable career. Marcus Smart. His high rebound rate, while partly indicative of his speed is also a result of positioning, which relates to his IQ. Point guard - Wikipedia Bledsoe just doesnt bring much energy to the defensive side of the court, which is a shame, because if he did, hed be a ball hawk. 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 . The 15 best points guards in the NBA right now, ranked - Insider A decade of playing and a plethora of injuries havent helped him get any faster. In fact, its probably the most important thing. All rights reserved. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. Congratulations, Brian Roberts! They are available for those who want to know where they fit, and it doesn'thurt anyone to include them. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. 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. From there, hes playing catch up. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. Ranking the Best Defensive Point Guards in the NBA He also uses his quick hands to steal the dribble, and he does so without taking risks. In terms of career statistics and postseason accomplishments, he ranks as the NBAs fourth-best point guard of all time. What are you crying about lmfao 03 Mar 2023 00:55:09 He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. Overall, hes ninth in steals with 2,207, and Drexlers 49.9 DWS is good for 45th all-time. Scottie Pippen 5. -- Adande, Teams Additionally, Stockton was a fantastic shooter and defender, almost possessing no weaknesses on the floor at all. Most of those come for one of two reasons: Either he bites on the fake and is too slow to recover, or the shooter shoots over him and he doesnt have the ups to challenge it. Perhaps next year the Raptors will see better times, and well see less of that kind of behavior, but its a harmful habit to have picked up. Since elite offensive players tend to have a higher usage rate, players that guard elite offensive players should also have more defensive plays. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. 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. Parker applies himself defensively in bursts, and this appears to be by design. His issues related to intelligence, detailed later, compound this problem. Top 10 Point Guards of All Time - Point Guard Rankings - Observer Desk Kyrie Irving is unquestionably one of the greatest point guards of all time. 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats 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. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. Overall, he is more of a gives-help defender than a needs-help defender. The greatest point guard in NBA history. Dont be surprised to see him as a head coach someday. Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena denies outrageous Egypt claims, Brooklyn Nets comeback from 28 down to stun Boston Celtics, Alex Iwobi: Nigerian star set for possible exit at English Premier League club Everton, Premier League player caught inhaling laughing gas after a night out, Real Madrid identify Premier League star as 'Plan B' if Bellingham deal fails, Top 15 most handsome football players in the world in 2023. The classic definition of a point guard, orchestrating offense and shooting when necessary. Mike Conley is exceptionally quick, virtually teleporting himself from one part of the court to another at times. He could play any spot on the court as well. By the time he was done, he had racked up 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-Defense selections, six All-NBA . Nixon played 6 seasons with the Lakers, making the All-Star Teams in 1982 and 1982 when he posted 17.6 PPG and 17.2 PPG respectively. 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. Defensive rebounds are generally undervalued, although its also true that all defensive rebounds arent the same. Penny, a taller point guard, was an excellent dribbler and a great passer. He always picks up on the switch. Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook. Thats good for 14th all-time in NBA history and he also had 10 seasons in the top 20 for steals per game. Defensive Rating (DRtg) is the average number of points per 100 possessions a players team surrenders while he is on the court. DJ, standing 6'4, started playing point for Boston in the second half of his basketball career and was often tasked with shutting down . Widely known as one of the best, if not the best, point guards of all time, Chris Pauls offensive exploits are well-documented. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. Its still possible for him to make another All-Star squad, and it seems like hes on the path to doing so. Adapting your system to every opponent and knowing their nuances is understandable. Jason Kidd 9. Penny is deserving of a much better ranking just because he is such a gifted one. The Best NBA Point Guards Of All Time - The Delite On Wednesday, we will have the top 10 shooting guards of all time, followed by small forwards, power forwards and centers. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. To say he gets pushed around would be generous. He would find a way to beat his opponents, mentally and physically, and without his defensive tenacity, he wouldnt be considered the greatest of all-time. Do they get their hands up and use their length? Some point guards are still given a great deal of leeway in the offense. Players Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA Selection, 1994-1995 Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection, Hall of Famer. The perimeter player gets rewarded statistically for what the center did, even though he actually played shoddy defense. Damian Lillard's nuclear 71-point explosion Sunday night was jaw-dropping and somehow not all that surprising. 21.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, .441 3P%, We counted down the greatest players in NBA history. Starter from the VCT lockin. Players Stats: 24.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 5x All-Stars, 4x All-NBA Selection, 2012-2013 Rookie of the Year.

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