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. If it gives up fewer points, thats good. The most pure and one of the best point guards and playmakers in NBA History is John Stockton. If Williams had more pride in his defense, he would actually ask for, and depend on, help more than he does. 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. He doesnt just bring effort to every game; he brings it in all the right ways. With his record of successes and pioneering point guard talents, Magic is at the top of the list. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. Widely known as one of the best, if not the best, point guards of all time, Chris Pauls offensive exploits are well-documented. Nate Archibald 14. (Note: Players chosen only if they have played as a shooting guard for most, if not all, of their career.). DWS are how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. [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. 5-on-5: Will Curry pass Magic as best PG ever? 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. Getting paired with Tom Thibodeau has made it even better. That earned him the nickname Mr. 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. My guess is that it has something to do with that. Perhaps if hes in shoes and standing on a milk crate filled with milk, thats true. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Over the last decade, the best point guards such as Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and others have dominated the position. Watching Parker play defense for a while, particularly zooming in on the pick-and-roll plays, his impressive court awareness stands out. It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. The total numbers were then adjusted to arrive at a score ranging between 90 (best) and 110 (worst). Sportbrief has published an article about James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. 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. Perhaps it was the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers were having a disappointing season without their newly acquired star, Andrew Bynum. He has above-average size and strength, but he doesnt play like it. That had the effect of distorting Pauls on/off numbers. He had absolutely no help backing him up, and that inflates his objective numbers. However, he doesnt appear to have the same strength they do. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. Nevertheless, its just as important. In fact, hes a bit of a bull on the court and tries to intimidate his counterpart. Johnson is widely recognized as one of the all-time great point guards, particularly for his defense. One conundrum has always been how to account for who is guarding the best player on the other team. Hes just over 60" without shoes but has a wingspan of 67.5. Only four players in the history of the combine are as short or shorter and have at least that kind of reach. By taking the total number of plays and the total number of minutes (regular and postseason combined, because Synergy just throws it all together) we can determine how many times per 36 minutes a player was the initial defender on the play. Not to mention that he is an elite finisher around the rim, shooting 61.5 per cent on 5-foot attempts. A point guard specializes in certain skills, like other player positions in basketball. While that is by design, he shouldnt get the same credit as players who bring their full attention the entire time theyre on the court. Despite the fact that he was unable to win an NBA championship, his charisma and dribbling prowess will never be forgotten. While it does keep the opponent in front of him, it defeats the purpose if the opponent is still getting to the basket. Dont be surprised to see him as a head coach someday. Conley is inconsistent in how he applies effort on the court. For many of these metrics, sample size becomes crucial. Defensive Rating (DRtg) is the average number of points per 100 possessions a players team surrenders while he is on the court. Michael Jordan 10. Having said that, he does play team defense, too, and he is part of the team. You dont get the sense in watching him that theres a point of pride in it. -- Adande, Teams Jed Jacobsohn/AP Images. Jack has good but not great effort. He only gave up .66 points per play in isolation, but he yielded .86 to the ball-handler on the pick-and-roll. For example, in the clutch, with the Rockets engaged in a playoff run, the team locked up in a tight battle with the San Antonio Spurs and the score close with less than five minutes remaining, Lin consistently showed the same 90 percent effort he always shows. Gary Payton 9. The facts need to come first. When the pick gets set, he just hurls into it and uses the momentum of the bounce to send him in the right direction. Both figures can be obtained by going to any players team page and then clicking on the appropriate name. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. Rondo may not be big, but he doesnt know that. He picked up a complicated system almost immediately, and the Bulls were consistently a better defense with Hinrich on the court, in large part because of how well he understood the system. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. One of the best -- and quickest -- lob passers the game has ever seen. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. Normally this would be a list of FAQs, but no one has ever asked any questions (since no one has ever seen it). Something was great about that play, but it was Knight showing the heart to challenge Jordan, not Jordan dunking on a man a foot shorter than himself. 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. Ben Wallace 12. Despite the fact that hes just 35, he has a limited amount of time left. In the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player coaches. Mario Chalmers lacks the speed and athleticism of most point guards in the league, and as a result, he usually gets the best seat in the arena to see various point guards blowing by on the way to the rim. 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 doesnt have to race around to get in position because hes almost never out of position. On the positive side, Rose does a decent job of understanding his role in a complex system. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the team's offense seamlessly. Hes not just ordinary quick, either; hes pesky-quick, with fast hands that dart in and take the ball out of the ball-handler's dribble with alarming frequency. At the very least, he could stab those quick hands of his at some more balls and disrupt the dribble from behind. With Doc Rivers in charge, things should turn around shortly, and next year his WAM score will be among the best in the league. As a point guard, Frazier was one of the greatest in NBA history. This is also manifested in his spot-up defense. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Some players with tremendous athleticism just dont apply it on both ends of the court. Archibald, who was just 61 tall, was able to consistently sink the ball despite his diminutive stature. 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. He could launch it from 30 feet or more with ease. 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. When we watch basketball, we get general impressions of defense, but the storyline is whats happening with the ball. A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. In essence, hes athletic enough to do a respectable job of what hes asked to do. Rondo consistently applies every bit of effort in him on the defensive end. He does add a lot, but its not frenetic, its just frantic. 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. They are available for those who want to know where they fit, and it doesn'thurt anyone to include them. Holiday wouldnt just go under the pick; he would go too far under the pick. As previously stated, he gets the help from Green and Leonard to guard the top point guards. 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 was also an outstanding playmaker and a solid scorer with a strong mid-range game. When he was off the ball, it was spectacular. John Stockton 6. His 48.8 DWS is 48th all-time and the fourth most by a point guard. 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. Does he make stupid fouls or smart fouls? 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. Perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA history, Jordan decimated and demoralized his foes on the defensive end. It seems to be down to less than once a game. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. Instead of passing after bringing up the ball they quickly drive to the basket or step back for an outside shot. For each of the following metrics, click on the subhead to be taken to the source website for more details. Williams tends to play defense, but he only seems to do the minimum. Three-time MVP (1986-87, 1988-89, 1989-90), three-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships WAM is the foundation, and WAMS is the house. If you just look at his measurables, Chris Paul is not impressive. From that, each player was scored in five different areas on a scale of 18 (best) to 22 (worst). -- Doolittle, The great Knicks ball-movement offense started with him. He doesnt use the shortest angles when running under picks, but he takes path of least resistance instead. Its not uncommon to see him challenge shots with both feet on the floor. Im cheating a little here. 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. When defending the isolation play, he gives up a nauseating .94 points per play, a strong indication of that. During each of his five NBA championship rings, he was one of the finest players in the league. Probably no point guard in the league does a better job of recovering defensively than Rose does. That would make sense, but there are two reasons to choose the unconventional scale. 11. But hes just not very strong. Sixth-greatest point guard in basketball history. The weakness is that it also includes some of what the other player does defensively, (e.g.. blocks, steals, and defensive rebounds). Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. He gives up too much space and still gets beaten. After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. Even so, combo guards still require above-average passing skill, but not as much as possessed by "pure" point guards (which is what those in the traditional mold of a point guard are referred to). Point guards are expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right player at the right time. He plays longer than he actually is. This is especially true when closing out on defenders. You cant say that Westbrook doesnt try on defense, but you can say he doesnt show consistent effort on defense. Thanks for signing up. 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. 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. The average score by point guards was 16.1. But he jogs when he should run, is lackadaisical closing out shooters and goes through the motions when running through his rotations. They must also be able to adapt to what the defense is allowing and must control the pace of the game. Why not a normal scale of one to 10? #VCTLOCKIN #Valorant #valorantagents #valorantgaming. He does get a bit of a bump here for his rebounding. At 6-foot-1, he's the shortest NBA Finals MVP in league history, a reflection of his unique ability to dominate at the point guard position. The point guard was always capable of scoring the ball at the . 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. His helter-skelter wizziness has him flying around the court, and sometimes its good. 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. This is a necessity because of the point guard's many leadership obligations. He also used his incredible basketball IQ to steal the ball and defend at a high level. Meanwhile, another player has his numbers go up because he is capable. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy! Tim Duncan On top of that, when Parkers man slips past him, he has one of the best defenders in the history of the universe, Tim Duncan, to help him out. Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade won the NBA championship in 2006 with him as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. Its why Williams gives up .92 points per play in isolation, one of the worst averages among point guards. This is where everything focuses on Westbrook. At 61 and 171 pounds, Rondo is pretty small by NBA standards, but he plays much tougher than his size. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. He just doesnt have the physical tools to play at an elite level. He was second among point guards in defensive rebounds per 36 minutes. All pre-draft measurements were obtained from the database hosted on Draft Express. Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors Still, hes one of the best point guards of all time, and his stats show that hes a deserved All-Star. Its like hes chosen the worst of both worlds. Chris is also a leader on the defensive end of the court, having been named to nine All-Defensive Teams. Did they get pushed around easily? 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. This typically involves setting up plays on the court, getting the ball to the teammate in the best position to score, and controlling the tempo of the game. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. 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. 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. 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 He affected the paradigm for overseas guards trying to break into the NBA. Because they each feel a different thing, an argument arises as to who is right. MVP (2014-15), two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, Career stats 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.