best defensive point guards of all time

He gets a higher score here than he technically deserves because he tries so hard. In the history of the combine, only nine players have recorded better sprint and agility scores, and of those, only three had a better vertical than his 37.5 inches. 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. Sometimes even when hes being smart, he gets a little dumb. Have a look! Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. The other thing thats surprising about Rondo with his size is how well he fights over picks. By the time he was done, he had racked up 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-Defense selections, six All-NBA . 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? One of the best -- and quickest -- lob passers the game has ever seen. At 61 and 171 pounds, Rondo is pretty small by NBA standards, but he plays much tougher than his size. 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. 1. This is one of those cases where scouting helps. 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. If you dont want to consider them, then dont. That has more to do with the second-string frontcourt, led by Lamar Odom, backing him up than it does his team defense. They were combined and adjusted to cover a range roughly between 18 and 22. (As an aside, in the slides, you will only see the original metric value, not the weighted number to determine the WAM. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats 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. Because Derrick Rose was the NBAs youngest MVP in 2009, its unfortunate that the guy isnt higher on this list. Big O is widely regarded as one of the best offensive point guards of all time. Jrue Holiday. You dont get the sense in watching him that theres a point of pride in it. After the opponent scores, it is typically the point guard who brings the ball down the court to begin an offensive play. A point guard should know when and how to instigate a fast break and when and how to initiate the more deliberate sets. This year, without Rose, the Bulls were 23rd, at 21.0 points per game. At the point guard position, point guard Damian Lillard is one of the games most talented shooters and scorers. The seven-time All-Star was one of the best two-way guards of his time, and his performance in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA FInals remains one for the ages. 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. You probably cant say right away, because you watched the storyline, not how Harvey dressed. He might not be the fastest guy in the world, but that doesnt keep him from trying to be. The official cause of death of Flashdance singer Irene Cara has been determined. However, when he gets beaten,Serge Ibaka is a huge asset in help defense, altering the shots of many a shooter who has just blown past Westbrook. -- Adande, Teams Does he know when to help and not to help? Magic had unparalleled vision; he could see players get open and deliver the ball before they even realized they were open. However, he tends to play soft at times against the pick-and-roll, tending to rely on his quickness when he could muscle through a pick quicker. What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. My guess is that it has something to do with that. Damian Lillard's nuclear 71-point explosion Sunday night was jaw-dropping and somehow not all that surprising. His helter-skelter wizziness has him flying around the court, and sometimes its good. The undisputed first great point guard, Cousy remains the only guard in NBA history to be named First-Team All-NBA in 10 straight seasons. 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. 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 is no doubt about it: Steph Curry is the second-best in the top 10 point guards of all time. He presses hard as long as the opponent is in front of him, but will frequently give up on the play once the defender is past him. -- J.A. 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. He bulls through picks well and is not afraid to go over them. 5-on-5: Will Curry pass Magic as best PG ever? You need to build something on it. Nowadays, the point guard is expected to do more than simply run plays; he or she must also be the teams offensive leader by putting up big numbers every night! Blake Griffin was 21st out of 47 power forwards, and Jordan was 23rd out of 38 centers. To absolutely nobodys surprise, Michael Jordan is the best defensive shooting guard in NBA history. Don't get me wrong: Steph is still the league's best shooter. His 47.4 DWS is 54th overall, good for an average of 2.963 DWS per season, slightly edging Wade. Chalmers is 62 and 190 pounds, which is about average size for a point guard. This is also manifested in his spot-up defense. But hes just not very strong. He arguably makes more plays on his feet, both offensively and defensively, than anyone else. Theres nothing wrong with knowing when you need it. Some players with tremendous athleticism just dont apply it on both ends of the court. He plays longer than he actually is. After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. 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. Smart people recognize their limitations. Speed is important; a speedy point guard is better able to create separation and space off the dribble, giving themselves room to work. -- Doolittle, The great Knicks ball-movement offense started with him. Isiah Thomas, born on April 30, 1961, and possibly the best player ever under 6-foot-1, combined talent with fierce competitiveness. He weighs in at only 175 pounds. When hes coming off screens, hes especially horrible, giving up 1.15 points per play. He just doesnt have the physical tools to play at an elite level. He does a poor job of defending the spot-up, surrendering 1.07 points per play. On the other hand, hes not tremendously athletic. His net defensive rating of minus-7.7, combined with his lack of a defensively-solid backup big, is a strong indication of his value as a help defender. Furthermore, he is a legend for the Phoenix Suns and one of the teams finest players. 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 Jack is one of those players that a lot of people dont know what he brings to a team in the locker room. The classic definition of a point guard, orchestrating offense and shooting when necessary. Another major evaluation factor is the assist-to-turnover ratio, which reflects the decision-making skills of the player. Because he is the one who touches the basketball first on every possession, the NBAs point guard has long been considered its most vital position. 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. Fairly straightforward, this takes into account height, length and strength. The players listed below are our picks for the best point guards in NBA history. Each touches a different part of the elephant, one an ear, another the torso and so on. 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. 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. He has been improving in that regard, but its taken a while, and there are still some maddening things. 24. He led the league in total steals this year and did so without playing a lot of gambling defense. Jeremy Lin is not one of the faster point guards in the NBA, and hes not particularly quick either. 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. On the positive side, Rose does a decent job of understanding his role in a complex system. Does he pick up his man when switched? Other defenders deficiencies are hidden by being put on weaker offensive players. Closing out on jumpers is an issue, especially when coming off screens, where he yields a 46.7 shooting percentage from the three-point line. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. Sometimes, measurables dont tell the whole story. The greatest point guard in NBA history. (I know, but it is a part of defense these days.) Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. 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. -- Peterson, Teams Sometimes, thats just not enough, especially if hes left to guard in isolation, where hes horrid, giving up .92 points per play. I actually looked for him to do it and couldnt find it. He gives up too much space and still gets beaten. He probably can even tell you where the hot dog vendor and mascot are. With his athleticism and speed, there is no way that Rose should get beaten off the dribble as often as he does. Whatever else you want to say about Brandon Knight, just dont say he never tries. You dont see him take plays off, and you dont see him give up on plays. He also is tougher than most point guards to post up. Injuries robbed Rose of the opportunity to become one of the games top five point guards. Each of these has its own value, and those specifics will be discussed more on the next slide. Starter from the VCT lockin. He has the most assists and steals of any player in NBA history and is a master of the pick & roll. While the Clippers were better when Paul was on the bench, it wasnt because he was on the bench. Kevin Garnett 8. His MVP season, he had the second-best block total by a point guard in history (although John Wall exceeded that total last year.). He does so by using positioning, skillful footwork and what lateral quickness he does have (which is a liberal use of the word "quickness") to minimize the damage. Interpreted as: best point guard defensive rating with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games 2022 Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. Although Drexler never made an All-Defensive Team in his career, he did average two steals per game for his 15-year career. 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 Closing out on shooters, hell go sailing past them. 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 uses his feet and body well, steering his man into the help defense when he knows hes not able to keep up. Doc Rivers has had a lot of input into how Rondo plays the game. It is a testament to Jarrett Jack that he makes this list. Mentally subtract them from the rankings if you feel they shouldn'tbe included. Hes a key component in Tom Thibodeaus defense, and frankly, with Thibs, you just dont stay on the court if youre not putting in the effort on the defensive end. Below is a list of the 25 Best point guards of the NBA. They must also be able to adapt to what the defense is allowing and must control the pace of the game. Dennis Johnson. 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. 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. The relative value between players was not affected; they were merely weighted so that the metrics could be combined without any one metric dominating the others. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. Westbrooks Synergy numbers on the pick-and-roll (.75) and isolation (.7) suggest hes better than he actually is. He does all those little things that dont show up in box scores. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. He always seems to know exactly where everyone is. He could launch it from 30 feet or more with ease. Not Paul. If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. One of the great conundrums in rating defense is that teammates factor into it. Its like hes just punching the clock and collecting his wages. 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. It is really hard to say anything about Lowrys help defense. In fact, no drafted guard has ever measured a worse sprint, vertical and agility test.

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best defensive point guards of all time