-- 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. Frequently, teams would set the screen, and the point guard would just step behind the three-point line while Holiday was still underneath it (often all the way into the center of the lane) and drain wide-open treys. His foot speed is as good as anyone's in the league, and you cant measure that. He has decent size for a point guard, at 63 but he doesnt have much of a vertical: 28.5.. Best Defenders in NBA History: Top 50 Best Defensive Players By Clark Boinis | Jul 12, 2021, 4:05pm 1. West became synonymous with brilliant basketball during his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Meanwhile, another player has his numbers go up because he is capable. 24.
NBA: Ranking top 10 point guards ever - ESPN.com He merits a high score here. He appears to communicate the wisdom hes accrued to his teammates. Jack gets beat and bailed out frequently by his teammates. Pun intended. Sometimes his teammates bailed him out; sometimes the shot just didnt go in. He affected the paradigm for overseas guards trying to break into the NBA. Players Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, Honors: 3x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 10x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. Chauncey Billups, or Mr. Even though Payton only played a little part in 2006, the Heats success would not have been possible without his defensive presence and leadership. The NBA's best European guard, Tony Parker, monopolised opposing backcourt players with speed and agility, a tight crossover, and a gorgeous tear-drop floater in the lane. Sometimes, thats just not enough, especially if hes left to guard in isolation, where hes horrid, giving up .92 points per play. Its amazing he doesnt get punched sometimes. Top NBA point guards for 2022-23: Ranking all 30 starters | Sporting News TMGNNS LEBRON Sun, 4:30p DEN CLE 2/23, 4:00p BOS IND 2/23, 4:00p DET ORL 2/23, 4:00p MEM PHI 2/23, 4:30p NOP TOR. 3. 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. 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 secures first place in the top 10 NBA point guards of all time. Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74), Honors Thats just simply not true, and any amount of watching him play will verify that. Sometimes, all that the on/off stats tell you is the difference between two players that play the same position. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. Please check your email for a confirmation. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. 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. His quickness and slim frame allow him to slip through gaps in the defence and create more opportunities for himself. How hard do they fight through them? How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. Here he is. -- Adande, Teams -- Pelton, So precise with his passes and timely with his shots. He also has such superior court awareness that most picks dont catch him squarely, and he just glides over them.
Ranking the Best Defensive Point Guards in the NBA Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. His Synergy numbers compared to some of his team numbers validate that. Top 20 best defensive midfielders in the world today: who are they? 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. Hes one of the slower point guards in the league now, but in spite of that, hes almost ubiquitous at times. He is tremendous at using that muscle to his advantage, too. The only thing is that the Bulls actually gave up 8.6 more points while he was on the court. While hes able to keep himself from getting pushed around when point guards, or even shooting guards, try and post up on him, hes not able to dig through picks the way the other three are. He has two ways of guarding the isopray for help or flop. 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. Paradoxically tough on the court and flashy off of it, Frazier epitomized the '70s-era backcourt style in which roles were less defined. Steph's ball-handling abilities make him a lethal ball-handler, as he can shake a defender at any time. He doesnt make stupid mistakes, but he doesnt anticipate plays either. 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. 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. Adande, His Game 6 in the 1980 Finals, while jumping center as a 20-year-old rookie, has to be on the Mt. He cant be faulted for not being taller or longer, but he could use the length he has better. MVP (1963-64), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year (1960-61), Hall of Fame, Career stats If theres a weakness, though, its that when he comes up against the elite offensive point guards, he will get beaten in isolation. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive Second Team five times. Thanks for signing up. If you dont want to consider them, then dont. On the other hand, no matter how solid the foundation is, you cant move into it. Notably, several modern point guards have used a successful style of post play, a tactic usually practiced by much larger centers and forwards. That can create an illusion of great defense where there is none. Does he know when to help and not to help? By NBA standards, he jumps like an elephant and runs like a turtle (and not one of those fast turtles youve heard tell of eithera slow turtle). Another major evaluation factor is the assist-to-turnover ratio, which reflects the decision-making skills of the player. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. He uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring. He may get beaten occasionally, and he might get outmuscled more frequently, but he never gets outhustled. Even though injuries caught up with him toward the end of his illustrious career, Bryant still battled as a defender when needed. Rose had it all, including speed, explosiveness, and the ability to score when it mattered most. In his book The Winner Within, Pat Riley described Magic as a club DJ. 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 Only two NBA championships would make him the second-best player in NBA history. At the very least, he could stab those quick hands of his at some more balls and disrupt the dribble from behind. Point guards must be able to maintain possession of the ball in crowded spaces and in traffic and be able to advance the ball quickly. Also with both, theyve shown more success utilizing their physical attributes on the offensive end than the defensive end. On the flip side, Westbrook's 4.13 turnovers per game average is the highest all-time, with Johnson (3. . When he does do it, he does it half-heartedly. Hes able to use that size advantage by being physical, playing close and aggressive, often forcing shooters into shots they arent comfortable taking. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. 21.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, .441 3P%, We counted down the greatest players in NBA history. You can look at why things happen and offset the misleading things. 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. For his career, Jordan averaged 2.3 steals (third all-time) and 4.2 DWS per year. Isaiah Thomas 5. He was an unstoppable offensive force who could score from anywhere on the court and in any way he wanted. Additionally, Stockton was a fantastic shooter and defender, almost possessing no weaknesses on the floor at all. The ripple effect of that was that every single Bull had a worse defensive rating with Boozer than when playing with Gibson. One aspect of Roses year-long absence that gets lost is how much the team suffered defensively without him. Hes not as horrible as some people would make it sound. 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. Knight doesnt always recognize the help situations, but when he does, he is usually effective. Phoenix Suns (1996-98, 2004-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-15), Honors Other defenders deficiencies are hidden by being put on weaker offensive players. For this reason, a small penalty was exacted for every minute under 30 minutes, and a small bonus was provided over 30 minutes.
20 greatest point guards ever: The HoopsHype list | HoopsHype When he was at his peak, Rose was one of the greatest point guards of all time, and he merits a spot in the top 15. In the 13 seasons in which he played more than 60 games, mostly with the Chicago Bulls, the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year was a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection all first-team honors and a three-time steals champion. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Thats because they can spend all their energy quickly, while starters have to pace themselves. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive 2nd Team five times. Does he pick up his man when switched? 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats It is really hard to say anything about Lowrys help defense. 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. Its safe to say that Kidd is one of the greatest guards to ever play on the basketball floor. Theres nothing wrong with knowing when you need it. They were combined and adjusted to cover a range roughly between 18 and 22. A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. The best way to track how effective a player is on the defensive end is by looking at their cumulative defensive win shares. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. Perhaps it was the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers were having a disappointing season without their newly acquired star, Andrew Bynum. The Case For: Upper-tier defender (9x All Defensive Team, including 4 First Team selections). Ben Wallace 12. If he tends to be the helped, he gets a worse score. Do players go under picks when they should go over them? He does add a lot, but its not frenetic, its just frantic. He simply doesnt have the same ability as the elite point guards to get up in the air, and that hinders his ability to defend the jump shot. Players Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG. These point guard rankings will be the first of five articles. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. As previously stated, he gets the help from Green and Leonard to guard the top point guards. The reason teams run so much pick-and-roll is that it works. Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on February 7, 1974, to a Welsh mother, Jean, and an English father, John. Its why Williams gives up .92 points per play in isolation, one of the worst averages among point guards. A defensive point guard will try to accomplish this with constant pressure on the ball, making it difficult to maintain possession. This is not so common anymore, as most coaches are now solely specialized in coaching and are non-players. Its got to be annoying, but its also disruptive, and being disruptive is positive on defense. When he gets set for a defensive play, he does a respectable job. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. #VCTLOCKIN #Valorant #valorantagents #valorantgaming. 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 . He led the NBA in scoring in only his second season, 1967-68, with 27.1 points per game. Honors: 1978-1979 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 9x All-Defense Selection, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, Hall of Famer. He has 12 All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA selections, nine All-Defensive Team selections, and a second-place MVP finish in his third season at 22. 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. Its like hes just punching the clock and collecting his wages. No one was a better passer than him. Nash was never known as a strong defender, but he was capable of bothering opposing point guards to some extent. Lillard, on the other hand, is generally able to get things going from the perimeter anytime he wants. During each of his five NBA championship rings, he was one of the finest players in the league. One of the most innovative offensive players, San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili was a very unique player. Even when in position, he wont jump to challenge a shot. Conley is generously listed at 61 and 180 pounds. Since the first time a professional basketball player dribbled a ball, weve seen some of the greatest point guards in history. Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. 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. That had the effect of distorting Pauls on/off numbers. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. Players like Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving and John Wall blew by him fairly consistently. Brandon Knight has work intelligence. This is especially true when closing out on defenders.