He tends to use that speed and athleticism well when hes in position, too. Similarly, while each of the advanced and/or traditional metrics has value, each also misses something. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. That can create an illusion of great defense where there is none. So the problem isnt a lack of speed; its a lack of applying it. 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. Born on July 15, 1990, Damian is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. He actually plays his best games against his best opponents. 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. Finally, both are improving on the defensive side of the ball. However, a good jump shot and the ability to score off a drive to the basket are still valuable skills. Norris Coles individual numbers are all better than Chalmers, but he gets docked with lower team numbers. Therefore, a lower score is superior. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. He can be stagnant when his man doesnt have the ball. 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. He doesnt play on the ball physically, utilizing that advantage. 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. Players Stats: 17.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 9.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 3x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, 1988-1989 Most Improved Player. West became synonymous with brilliant basketball during his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Hes able to stay in front of all but the quickest point guards in the league. But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. 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. For this reason, a point guard is usually, but not always, more skilled and focused on passing than shooting. What is the difference between WAM and WAMS? 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. Defensive rebounds are generally undervalued, although its also true that all defensive rebounds arent the same. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. Mike Conley is exceptionally quick, virtually teleporting himself from one part of the court to another at times. Holiday has ample size for a point guard, standing a shade over 64 in shoes, and weighing in at 205 pounds. Archibald, who was just 61 tall, was able to consistently sink the ball despite his diminutive stature. -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. Chris Paul fell into the same kind of trap last season. When they do, he gets tangled up pretty badly; it happens so rarely, though, youd think he had eyes in the back of his head. His wingspan isnt much better at just 64. He had the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. A decade of playing and a plethora of injuries havent helped him get any faster. 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. Most players will take a little on-court breather now and then. He did it not once, not twice, but three times. Averaging 1.5 steals per game, Wade could block transition shots as well with the best of them. The five best defensive point guards of all time | Yardbarker He might not be the fastest guy in the world, but that doesnt keep him from trying to be. 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. 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. You never have to question his effort or commitment. He has a high basketball IQ, and he has that veteran savvy thing going for him, too. Defensive Points per Play Synergy tracks every play of every game of the season and, when possible (as it is not always possible), they assign an. Also with both, theyve shown more success utilizing their physical attributes on the offensive end than the defensive end. 6 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963), Career stats Greg Monroe has talent on the offensive side of the ball but not a whole lot on the defensive side. The Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 championship run would not have been possible without Kyrie Irving, who is a two-time NBA champion. At 61 and 171 pounds, Rondo is pretty small by NBA standards, but he plays much tougher than his size. 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 always picks up on the switch. 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player While he was doing that, Billups, who actually had the ball the whole time, just stepped back behind the three-point line and drained the three. Probably the most versatile point guard in NBA history, and perhaps a tad underrated given that the focus on his assists overshadowed how valuable his defense was. However, when the game is on the line, he makes the right decision. 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. WAM is the foundation, and WAMS is the house. . There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. The most pure and one of the best point guards and playmakers in NBA History is John Stockton. -- Haberstroh, Teams 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. We compiled a list of the top 15 point guards of all time using wholly subjective metrics from the list of active players and a few other legends. Players Stats: 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 2x MVP, 8x All-Stars, 7x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. Here he is. Watching him rotate was watching perfection. He was the primary defender on 1,127 plays last year in all, surpassed only by Stephen Curry among point guards. Robertson's offensive ability transformed the point guard stereotype from a passer and floor general to a scorer and offensive weapon. Brandon Knight has work intelligence. He just cant do anything about it. Perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA history, Jordan decimated and demoralized his foes on the defensive end. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. New York Knicks (1967-1977), Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-1980), Honors: Hes like a runner trying to run a mile by alternating between walking and sprinting 100 yards at a time. It doesnt seem that it would be that impressive if found it. Archibald was the first player in league history to lead the league in both points scored and assists, making him a one-man offense. Some would look at Conleys frontcourt and assumenot entirely incorrectlythat having Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to back him up pads his stats. With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. On the positive side, Rose does a decent job of understanding his role in a complex system. I doubt its much beyond his height. Scoring point guards typically look to score first, thus preventing teammates from getting the ball. One of the most innovative offensive players, San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili was a very unique player. Derrick Rose 15. Knight gets almost no help whatsoever from help defense. Just because someone gets past him doesnt mean theyre going to score. 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. #VCTLOCKIN #Valorant #valorantagents #valorantgaming. Bledsoe repeatedly got beatenmuch more frequently than Paulyet Odom consistently had his back, blocking or altering shots. (As an aside, in the slides, you will only see the original metric value, not the weighted number to determine the WAM. Jerry West, one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, combines a lethal jump shot, tenacious defence, obsessive perfectionism, unwavering confidence, and an unwavering will to win. And his athleticism gives him a leg up, which helps him dominate. The reason teams run so much pick-and-roll is that it works. During the 1960-1961 season, the then-32-year-old Cousy racked up 6.3 DWS, the most in his career. Overall, hes ninth in steals with 2,207, and Drexlers 49.9 DWS is good for 45th all-time. READ ALSO: James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022 and more. With his athleticism and speed, there is no way that Rose should get beaten off the dribble as often as he does. Its because Griffin and Jordan were on the bench next to him. 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. A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. 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 uses quickness to capably guard the perimeter, but thats in large part because hes not always defending the elite point guards. You probably cant say right away, because you watched the storyline, not how Harvey dressed. Probably no point guard in the league does a better job of recovering defensively than Rose does. -- Pelton. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. This is a necessity because of the point guard's many leadership obligations. Last season, when Rose was healthy early on, they gave up the thirdmost, 16.3 points. 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. 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. 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. Because of his combination of length, speed and jumping ability, Rose has become an excellent team defender against the jump shot. Players Stats: 23.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 2x MVP, 6x All-Star, 6x All-NBA Selection, 2015-2016 Scoring Champion. Is that because Chalmers is a better team defender or is it because Cole isnt on the court with James as much? Payton is one of two point guards to have ever won the Defensive Player of the Year, and his stats show it. Ranking the best point guards of all time and selecting the top 10 point guards of all time are two of the most difficult things to do. He doesnt have to race around to get in position because hes almost never out of position. He uses his feet and body well, steering his man into the help defense when he knows hes not able to keep up. Hes not as horrible as some people would make it sound. He plays longer than he actually is. Jack gets beat and bailed out frequently by his teammates. NBA: Ranking top 10 shooting guards ever - ESPN.com 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. 8. He literally may be the least athletic guard in the Association. He applies every bit of failing athleticism he has all the time. My guess is that it has something to do with that. It is akin to the blind men and the elephant in the Indian fable adapted to a poem by John Godfrey Saxe. Hakeem Olajuwon 2. Defensive Rating (DRtg) is the average number of points per 100 possessions a players team surrenders while he is on the court. Thats the advantage of the scouting portion. For example, there was a play in which he was switched up against the Clippers, and he was put on Chauncey Billups, while Tony Allen was on Chris Paul. One of basketballs most dynamic and versatile point guards in the modern era. He had the best peak for any point guard in NBA history, hands down. The Glove was a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection, making the First Team all nine times. But will he listen enough to a player he was just playing against to make that shift? Not everything about a players value can be seen even through advanced stats, or even while hes on the court. Let me remind everyone, young and old, I played against @iamisiahthomas when he was hurt & hobbling on one leg and @iamisiahthomas still scored 25 points in one quarter in the NBA Finals! He leaves talented shooters alone to go double-team bad shooters. Even when he gets switched up on opposing shooting guards trying to post him up, he does a solid job. However, who are the all-time top point guards? 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. Two NBA titles and a Finals MVP award make him one of the all-time great point guards because of his ability to score from mid-range and his propensity to attack and finish at the rim. That Paul was able to keep the Clippers on track through much of the season with the ever-changing defensive schemes the team had is pretty miraculous. His MVP season, he had the second-best block total by a point guard in history (although John Wall exceeded that total last year.). On pick-and-rolls when hes not set, teams have learned to expect this. One way of offsetting the problems of defensive rating is looking at on/off stats, meaning how many points does the defense give up while a player is on the court versus when he is off the court? Thomas was ultra-quick with the ball and, at any moment, could pull up for a deadly jump shot. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. 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. Per Synergy, he forces turnovers 18.5 percent of the time, and he does so barely giving up any points. It also helps him to have the second-most defensive plays per 36 minutes of any of the point guards on this list. Even when in position, he wont jump to challenge a shot. Dallas Mavericks (1994-96, 2008-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-2001), New Jersey Nets (2001-08), New York Knicks (2012-13), Honors Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. Pauls been an All-Defensive Team selection nine times, being selected to the 1st team seven times and the 2nd team twice. Later in his career, he even improved as an outside shooter, which contributed significantly to his longevity. All-Time #NBArank continues with a countdown of the best shooting guards in NBA history. At 64, hes big enough to guard shooting guards, as well as point guards. And do they try and recover when they get beaten? 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. For eight consecutive seasons, Cousy was the leagues top assist producer, and he was also one of the finest scorers in the league. Im cheating a little here. Dennis Johnson. Ranking 50 Greatest Point Guards in NBA History Young players who are relatively short are now developing the scoring aspects of their skill-sets, whereas previously these players would find it difficult to enter the NBA without true point guard skills. The Cleveland Cavaliers relied heavily on Kyrie Irving to take and hit huge shots, even when he was partnered with LeBron James. 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. Broadly speaking, over 7,000 pieces of data on 226 players, in 16 different categories, were compiled into a database. -- Haberstroh, Honors He also used his incredible basketball IQ to steal the ball and defend at a high level. Honors: 6x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Selection, 2011-2012 Rookie of the Year, Players Stats: 22.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG. -- Peterson, He's one of only a few players in history who has been deemed too good for the sport's own good. He still struggles against the spot-up, though, because of issues that will be addressed later. Seriously, you should hear Mark Jackson rave about him. 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. Johnson is widely recognized as one of the all-time great point guards, particularly for his defense. 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. They tried just as hard as the valedictorian, but all they got were Bs. No one was a better passer than him. -- Doolittle, Over the past season and a half, Curry has played point guard as well as anyone else in NBA history. However his brilliant and consistent team defense team keeps passing lanes secure and helps prevent a lot of plays from developing the way they normally would. 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. Stockton is one of the greatest assist players in NBA history, if not the greatest. After the All-Star break, when Rose hardly played, that number fell to 17.8 and the Bulls dropped to ninth. -- Adande, Possessed incredible court vision and creativity, all while orchestrating the frenetic game pace of his era. Best Point Guard Defensive Rating 2022 | StatMuse 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). It seems to be down to less than once a game. Perhaps the best word to describe his defense is lollygaggy.. Jordans inclusion as the best defensive shooting guard isnt surprising considering his relentless attitude to winning. MVP (1963-64), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year (1960-61), Hall of Fame, Career stats Therefore, its a Theoretically Asked Questions, or TAQ. A point guard should always look out for teammates and be able to pass well. He gambles too much, and that often gets him caught out of the play. Aware of his predilections, theyll pass the ball out to the perimeter, and simultaneous to the ball-handler catching it, theyll set a pick on Westbrook. -- Kevin Pelton, NBA Insider, May be the strongest point guard ever and consistently made everyone around him better. It is the same with his mental engagement in the game. Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. It just feels like there should be another notch where pride kicks in, he gets passionateor even angryand he hits another level. Who are the best defensive point guards in the NBA, and how are they determined? 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. Nate Archibald 14. -- Tom Haberstroh, NBA writer, No guard in NBA history pulled down more rebounds than Kidd, who finished with more career rebounds than Willis Reed and Alonzo Mourning, among others. Honors: 7x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection, 1966-1967 Rookie of the Year, 1967-1968 Scoring Champion, Hall of Famer. 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. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. 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. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. His ability to score and create plays made him an NBA superstar. His record and effect on the game, particularly offensively, are legendary, and its easy to see why. Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. He does those things; he just doesnt do them very hard. You can find him juggling the ball every Sunday on the field, with FIFA on his PlayStation as the night drill. According to Hoops Stats, in his MVP season, the Bulls gave up the fewest points to opposing point guards. Sometimes even when hes being smart, he gets a little dumb. Over 90 percent of the time, the ball-handler gets by him. Hes so undersized, youd think he was just some regular guy. On the other, he so rarely allows his opponent to get past him that he doesnt need to rely on it either. When we watch basketball, we get general impressions of defense, but the storyline is whats happening with the ball. -- Pelton, Today's children will ask, "Who was the Steph Curry before Steph Curry?" Even though hes been injured a lot, Paul is averaging over two steals a game for his career. Marcus Smart. Lin is a mixed bag when it comes to help defense. His Synergy scores are worse than expected, but that appears to be from players just shooting over him more than getting past him. Stephen Curry 4. He doesnt disrupt team defense with unnecessary gambles. Rajon Rondo is probably the most athletic player in the league who plays most of his game below the rim. He was a giant of a guard, but he had all the necessary talents, including the ability to dribble and pass. Gary Payton was born on July 23, 1968, and is widely regarded as one of the best defensive point guards of all time. One of the great conundrums in rating defense is that teammates factor into it. Let's see who has made it to the top 10 best point guards of all time. Think: Dennis Rodman. The only thing is that the Bulls actually gave up 8.6 more points while he was on the court. That said, here are the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, based on their DWS. Then there was that kid who just read the assignment on the bus and got straight As. Many times, the point guard is referred to by announcers, as a "coach on the floor" or a "floor general". Rose is arguably the most athletic point guard in the league, though Russell Westbrook could present a challenge. The greatest point guard in NBA history. 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. The only thing keeping Thomas off this list is his brief career by star standards. When the game is on the line, you like to see players find fifth, but Lin never does. Even though he normally does, he shouldnt have to and wouldnt if he were playing smarter. He does an air-tight job of keeping players out of the perimeter. 18.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 9.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, The player Now hes in Phoenix, and well see how both he and Jeff Hornacek develop in their new roles. From that, each player was scored in five different areas on a scale of 18 (best) to 22 (worst). Tony Parker is one of the fastest players in the league if youre going by pure speed. He doesnt make stupid mistakes, but he doesnt anticipate plays either. There are few players on this list who can match his incredible scoring, rebounding, and playmaking prowess. Holiday wouldnt just go under the pick; he would go too far under the pick. 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. Big O is widely regarded as one of the best offensive point guards of all time. A defensive point guard will try to accomplish this with constant pressure on the ball, making it difficult to maintain possession. Jrue Holiday is making . Point guard - Wikipedia Seemingly overhauling your system for every opponent is not. Rob Peterson is an NBA editor for ESPN.com. But Gary Payton did as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. He doesnt use the shortest angles when running under picks, but he takes path of least resistance instead. Each touches a different part of the elephant, one an ear, another the torso and so on. He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players By Clark Boinis | Jul 12, 2021, 4:05pm 1. The average score by point guards was 16.1. The Best NBA Point Guards Of All Time - The Delite Its probably no coincidence that Stephen Currys defense took a giant step forward this season playing alongside Jack, and you might see a similar progression from Kyrie Irving next year. Coaches are responsible for developing young players, and it would have been fun to watch him grow under Doc Rivers. Players have a difficult time getting past him. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships -- Kevin Pelton, Teams Only two other players besides Moncrief have won the NBAs defensive player of the year award twice. He uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. Although Wade had an accomplished resume, if he had played one more season, he wouldve easily overtaken the next player on the list. The average score by point guards was 16.1. Bledsoe is a bit of a freak. Top 50 Point Guards of All-Time: Magic, The Big O and Curry top the List Ultimately, Johnson's unselfishness earned him the title of greatest point guard of all time. His career averages of 27 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 7.0 APG were arguably the best ever put up by a point guard when he retired in 1974. As a result, hes been a member of the All-Defensive 1st Team four times and a member of the All-Defensive 2nd Team five times. Although Drexler never made an All-Defensive Team in his career, he did average two steals per game for his 15-year career. Some will just hang around waiting for the play to end, but Jack keeps track of his man and also helps if its needed. Only two NBA championships would make him the second-best player in NBA history. 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. 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. Can they play bigger than they really are? It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. Despite making it to the Western Conference Finals last season, he is yet to make an appearance in the NBA Finals. Whether you like him or not (and I personally dont), you have to respect that he plays the game as hard as it can be played. By the time he was done, he had racked up 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-Defense selections, six All-NBA .