For this reason, a point guard is usually, but not always, more skilled and focused on passing than shooting. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. But hes slightly built, and that raises some issues, especially when hes caught a fraction of a second behind a play. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. While he recovers most of the time, its worth asking why he gets beaten. -- Adams, Combined savvy with underrated strength. John Stockton 6. From there, hes playing catch up. Triple Double was so far ahead of his time in terms of size, speed, strength and stats. In all, Wade was a three-time All-Defensive Team selection (all on the 2nd team), his 1620 steals rank 31st all-time and hes had six seasons where he ranked top-20 in steals per game. But he never does. WAM is purely objective. If theres a weakness, though, its that when he comes up against the elite offensive point guards, he will get beaten in isolation. What is the difference between WAM and WAMS? Moncrief is well known for his defensive prowess. 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. Oscar is the first triple-double king and is one of the greatest NBA players of all time, no matter what position he is playing. After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade won the NBA championship in 2006 with him as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. He seemed to keep ahead of the play, moving to the next rotation a fraction of a second before the play even developed in that direction. The number in the parentheses indicates where they ranked in that category. Williams needs to do a better job of forcing opponents out of the middle and into the strong side of his defense, but he tends to fall straight back instead, letting them into the lane, which allows for easy scores. His quickness and slim frame allow him to slip through gaps in the defence and create more opportunities for himself. As a rookie, Bill Russell relied on Cousy to lead the league in assists, and he won the MVP Award for his efforts. 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. He is easily one of the physically weaker players in the league, even for his position. Still, hes one of the best point guards of all time, and his stats show that hes a deserved All-Star. His shot-making and defense made him a top-tier point guard throughout his career. But he jogs when he should run, is lackadaisical closing out shooters and goes through the motions when running through his rotations. 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player This score is to help alleviate that. Sometimes it doesnt. 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. When the game is on the line, you like to see players find fifth, but Lin never does. He never leaves his man to help a defender that doesnt need help, but he always seems to be there when help is needed. He is tremendous at using that muscle to his advantage, too. As a result, the picks work extremely well. Chris is also a leader on the defensive end of the court, having been named to nine All-Defensive Teams. Dame is better than ever, but the Blazers are stuck in quicksand Do the likes of Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry rise to the top of the point guard rankings, or is it possible for someone with undeniable natural skill like Penny Hardaway to crack the elite group? There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. Gary Payton 12. He uses quickness to capably guard the perimeter, but thats in large part because hes not always defending the elite point guards. -- 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). In his 16-year career, Wade averaged 2.961 DWS per year and his 47.38 DWS is good for 55th overall. When going against point guards who have a respectable jump shot, that becomes problematic. 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. He was a giant of a guard, but he had all the necessary talents, including the ability to dribble and pass. He was an unstoppable offensive force who could score from anywhere on the court and in any way he wanted. Hes a learning player, and his extensive time sitting last year may have helped his grasp of defense as well as offense. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. In the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player coaches. Dennis Johnson. If youre not interested in that, feel free to skip ahead. In his first season, he specialized in defense and could stop almost every point guard in the league on a regular basis. 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. 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. He spent his entire NBA career (19842003) as a point guard for the Utah Jazz, and the team made the playoffs in each of his 19 seasons. He literally may be the least athletic guard in the Association. He is in charge of getting the ball into the hands of the shooters. 20 greatest point guards ever: The HoopsHype list | HoopsHype Its like someone took a normal-sized person and stretched out the arms and hands to make him. His ability to score and create plays made him an NBA superstar. The reason teams run so much pick-and-roll is that it works. In case you missed it, Jason Kidd was tops on our point guard list with 75.1 defensive win shares, good for 11th all-time. A point guard primarily defends on the perimeter, just as they primarily play on the perimeter on offense. Players Stats: 23.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 2016-2017 MVP, 9x All-Star, 8x All-NBA Selection, 2x Scoring Champion. For the time being, his lack of effectiveness and poor decision-making precludes him from being considered one of the top five point guards. It will be interesting to see if his new coach, Jason Kidd, can help him to work on this, as Kidd was a terrific help defender. -- Peterson, Thomas' willingness to share the spotlight helped make the Bad Boy Pistons incredible, and he had a consistent ability to step up his game in the postseason during Detroit's title runs (and near miss in 1988). That said, here are the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, based on their DWS. 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. 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 is entirely too aggressive. Triple Double and for good reason: hes fourth all-time in triple-doubles with 107. When he went up and challenged DeAndre Jordan, and then got blown up, the entire basketball world acted like theyd just seen the greatest basketball play ever. Stockton was a member of two gold medal teams and twice reached the NBA finals during his remarkable career. Jed Jacobsohn/AP Images. 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. 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. LeBron James, the best player in the NBA, is also the league's best point guard. With his athleticism and speed, there is no way that Rose should get beaten off the dribble as often as he does. You can look at why things happen and offset the misleading things. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. It just feels like there should be another notch where pride kicks in, he gets passionateor even angryand he hits another level. Dr. A's weekly risers and fallers: Jeremy Sochan, Christian Wood make the list, NBA Power Rankings: Kevin Durant's return could rock the West, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, They said it! However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. He doesnt have to race around to get in position because hes almost never out of position. Defensive rebounds are generally undervalued, although its also true that all defensive rebounds arent the same. 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. In order to answer that, we introduce Weighted Averaged Metrics (WAM) and WAM with Scouting (WAMS), a pair of advanced defensive metrics which combine other stats and metrics, weight them so that each represents an equal relative value, and then use them all to derive a final score. 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. Closing out on shooters, hell go sailing past them. "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. 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 averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. Having said that, he does play team defense, too, and he is part of the team. I like to compare it to the relationship between a foundation and a house. We ranked the best point guards, determining the list with the help of B-R's position splits. Steve Nash 7. Some players defined their positions. Stockton embodied a true point guard: an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. He could create at an elite level while also scoring off the dribble from the midrange. The same applies to any decent basketball argument (or any other kind, for that matter). He doesnt cheat in either direction, though. His length is better; he has a 65.75 wingspan. Russ is already on the verge of breaking into the top five of all time, but its going to be a challenge. Adande, Brad Doolittle, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton are NBA writers for ESPN.com. There arent many point guards in the league who can match Roses pure size and strength. The other metrics help alleviate the extremes because they also indicate what a players personal defense does. Some players get caught out of place, but they know theyre out of place. Does he rotate on time? Stockton was the. A decade of playing and a plethora of injuries havent helped him get any faster. Jordans inclusion as the best defensive shooting guard isnt surprising considering his relentless attitude to winning. But, there is one only shooting guard that leapfrogged over all others. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? It is really hard to say anything about Lowrys help defense. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. 6 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963), Career stats He weighs in at only 175 pounds. Not Paul. That has more to do with the second-string frontcourt, led by Lamar Odom, backing him up than it does his team defense. His net defensive rating is fairly close to even, and slightly above average for point guards. He has become one of the hardest working point guards in the league on both ends. Nate Archibald 14. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats 8. Then, when players pull up and shoot, he doesnt use his length to close and get a hand in the face of the shooter. Despite his little size, he made up for it offensively by being lightning fast and had the whole attacking package. Top 50 Point Guards of All-Time: Magic, The Big O and Curry top the List By Jeff McDaniel | Jul 16, 2020, 5:35pm 1. Despite the fact that hes just 35, he has a limited amount of time left. For his time with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson is most known for his role alongside Charles Barkley. 1. On the other hand, hes not tremendously athletic. Point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders. Hes one of the slower point guards in the league now, but in spite of that, hes almost ubiquitous at times. 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. When he applies it, he does so effectively, especially in isolation and the pick-and-roll. He secures first place in the top 10 NBA point guards of all time. 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. Having said that, when hes playing off the ball, he knows where hes supposed to be, and hes usually there. Ranked: Top 25 male fitness influencers to follow in 2023, Howe dodges row over Newcastle's Saudi ownership, Former Chelsea boss spotted in Munich with his new lover, Bam Adebayo makes bold claim about the last two DPOY awards, Gary Neville ignites debate after stating ideal price for holding midfielder, Huge Ballon dOr scandal as player claims his votes were changed to Lionel Messi. Hopefully he can break it. His net defensive rating of 4.2 is an indication of both a lack of his helping and asking for help. He applies his energy smartly. Even though Payton only played a little part in 2006, the Heats success would not have been possible without his defensive presence and leadership. He actually plays his best games against his best opponents. He never stops moving. A 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, a nine-time 1st team All-Defense and three-time 2nd team All-Defense, Bryants 50.6 DWS ranks him 43rd overall. Thats good for 14th all-time in NBA history and he also had 10 seasons in the top 20 for steals per game. -- Peterson. It is easy to have the numbers skewed by a smaller sample size. Nash was never known as a strong defender, but he was capable of bothering opposing point guards to some extent. That said, here are the NBAs five best defensive shooting guards of all-time, based on their DWS. Sometimes hell even rush to defend the wrong guy while his man is draining a wide-open three. If youre a fan of the TV show Suits, you might agree that Harvey Specter dresses well. Did they get pushed around easily? 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? A point guard should always look out for teammates and be able to pass well. There are few players on this list who can match his incredible scoring, rebounding, and playmaking prowess. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. Right now, Westbrook's 11.2 assists and 47.5% assist rate leads the league this season. An indication of this is the fact that hes had only nine dunks in his career, the last of which was over seven years ago. The scouting score was then combined with the WAM score to produce WAMS, with the scouting counting as one-third of the final score. Whatever else you want to say about Brandon Knight, just dont say he never tries. On the one hand, he doesnt seem cogent enough of his surroundings most of the time to really offer any. He is suitable at keeping most players out on the perimeter, but against elite point guards he has more problems. Ergo, a negative number is a positive thing, and a positive number is a negative thing. Doc Rivers has had a lot of input into how Rondo plays the game. 43 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from BabyYo: NRG VS KOI Highlights. Blake Griffin was 21st out of 47 power forwards, and Jordan was 23rd out of 38 centers. Nash's sideways speed and power will be non-existent at some age, allowing for constant dribble. In all, Jordans 64.1 DWS rank him 21st all-time. He manages to defend the pick-and-roll reasonably well by doing something I can only call bouncing over picks. 18.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 9.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, The player Trail Blazers playoff failures have been a major blemish on both his game and his career so far. His quick feet give him tremendous lateral movement. Although both Kidd and Paul were more accurate shooters, his passing range was broader than any of them. Honors: 1978-1979 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 9x All-Defense Selection, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, Hall of Famer. Its what separates him from being a valuable, slightly overrated defender, and an elite defender. Refusing to back down because youre afraid of being put on a poster is a good thing, not a bad thing. His issues related to intelligence, detailed later, compound this problem. Congratulations, Brian Roberts! It doesnt help to be fast if you dont use it, so Bledsoes score here is lower than you might expect. Perhaps it was the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers were having a disappointing season without their newly acquired star, Andrew Bynum. Watts Van Lier Frazier Price Ward Bing White Buckner Walker Kidd Hollins Williams Cleamons Bibby Porter Buse Snow McMillan Tinsley Armstrong Knight Carter 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 97.4 97.6 98.1 99.6 99.9 100.4 100.9 101.1 101.5 101 . Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. NBA All-Time Player Rankings: Top 10 Point Guards Lee Rose has described a point guard as a coach on the floor, who can handle and distribute the ball to teammates.