best defensive point guards of all time best defensive point guards of all time

Bob Cousy Bettman/Getty Images. WAMS includes scouting. Paul is just listed at just 60, and that might be generous. He might not be the fastest guy in the world, but that doesnt keep him from trying to be. Who's the best offensive point guard of all time? For that reason, subjective analysis was also included. I actually looked for him to do it and couldnt find it. The Glove is hands down the best defender a the point guard position. Hes 63 with a 68 wingspan and an 83 standing reach. The other metrics help alleviate the extremes because they also indicate what a players personal defense does. Needless to say, you dont see a lot of LeBron-Jamesian-chase-down blocks from Conley. Ben Wallace 12. In the last entry, we focused on the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time. That earned him the nickname Mr. 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. Cousy, in many respects, was the Celtics spirit at the moment. That said, here are the NBAs five best defensive shooting guards of all-time, based on their DWS. He is tremendous at using that muscle to his advantage, too. The same applies to any decent basketball argument (or any other kind, for that matter). Brandon Knight has work intelligence. A point guard often controls the offense and they also control who gets the ball and who doesn't, as this type of controlling style of play is necessary to control the tempo of a game. In his rookie year, he was already averaging 2 steals per game with 0.2 blocks. There arent a lot of players that could lock down Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. Thats a difference of almost five points a game given up to point guards. -- Doolittle, Over the past season and a half, Curry has played point guard as well as anyone else in NBA history. Having said that, he does play team defense, too, and he is part of the team. The strength of this is that it shows what the other player does offensively. 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. But Gary Payton did as a member of the Seattle Supersonics. Rajon Rondo is probably the most athletic player in the league who plays most of his game below the rim. Top 20 best defensive midfielders in the world today: who are they? Perhaps the best word to describe his defense is lollygaggy.. It might not seem like much, but for most players, this covered around 30-40 games' worth of defense. 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). Nash was never known as a strong defender, but he was capable of bothering opposing point guards to some extent. While no one always guards the best player, some players are much more likely to be guarding the other teams elite players, which makes them appear weaker defensively. To recap, Jason Kidd was the best defensive point guard, Michael Jordan skied above other shooting guards, John Havlicek paced all small forwards - for the time being - and the "Mailman . This is to avoid confusion if you want to go to the original source.). He has a real grasp of the game, and he helps convey that to his teammates. Kevin Durant, surprisingly, also bails out his co-star a lot. The reason teams run so much pick-and-roll is that it works. All you have to do is watch him on offense to know he has all kinds of speed. It is startling to see the regularity with which opponents blow past Deron Williams. Other point guards who have been named NBA MVP include Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook, and two-time winners Steve Nash and Stephen Curry. On the other hand, hes not tremendously athletic. Russell is regarded as one of the best point guard finishers of all time. Jordans inclusion as the best defensive shooting guard isnt surprising considering his relentless attitude to winning. His contributions won him a spot on the NBA All-Time 50th Anniversary Team. Per Synergy, he forces turnovers 18.5 percent of the time, and he does so barely giving up any points. Players have a difficult time getting past him. Thats the advantage of the scouting portion. #VCTLOCKIN #Valorant #valorantagents #valorantgaming. He was the primary defender on 1,127 plays last year in all, surpassed only by Stephen Curry among point guards. He also only has a 65 wingspan, which is short of the other bigger point guards, but what he has, he uses well. He may get beaten occasionally, and he might get outmuscled more frequently, but he never gets outhustled. Its why Williams gives up .92 points per play in isolation, one of the worst averages among point guards. This is especially true when closing out on defenders. None of them qualified based on the 1,200 minutes, so their stats from 2012 were used instead. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Although both Kidd and Paul were more accurate shooters, his passing range was broader than any of them. After all, as his name implies, Billups was known for taking and making huge shots in order to help his team win. When he applies it, he does so effectively, especially in isolation and the pick-and-roll. Each fails to realize that they are all right, and that the real answer is in the combination of what they all experienced. Meanwhile, we are presenting the top 10 by position. Stockton embodied a true point guard: an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. For Rose, his biggest issues on both sides of the ball have to do with fundamentals and understanding. Dubs' Curry (leg) could return as soon as Sun. There's no way Stockton & Curry are better than Isiah. 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. Chris Paul is widely considered to be one of the best point guards of the 2010s. 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. But one in 20 is egregiously bad.). Normally this would be a list of FAQs, but no one has ever asked any questions (since no one has ever seen it). Two-time MVP (2004-05, 2005-06), eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, Career stats A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. Meanwhile, another player has his numbers go up because he is capable. This score is to help alleviate that. Eric Bledsoe has a reputation as being both quick and fast, even for a point guard, but he rarely shows it on defense. Emailed daily. A point guard should always look out for teammates and be able to pass well. Hopefully he can break it. Think: Dennis Rodman. 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. -- Pelton, So precise with his passes and timely with his shots. After the opponent scores, it is typically the point guard who brings the ball down the court to begin an offensive play. If hes on the court, hes moving at full speed. He just doesnt have the length to effectively guard against them. The most pure and one of the best point guards and playmakers in NBA History is John Stockton. Gary Payton 9. Pun intended. Magic Johnson won the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award three times in his career. It looked like teams designed plays counting on him being lazy. On Detroits 2004 NBA championship squad, he led the likes of Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace to victory over the LA Lakers superteam. Despite the fact that he was unable to win an NBA championship, his charisma and dribbling prowess will never be forgotten. For this reason, a point guard is usually, but not always, more skilled and focused on passing than shooting. 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats It is one thing to be able to recognize the player that is in a tactically advantageous position, but it is another thing entirely to be able to deliver the ball to that player. During each of his five NBA championship rings, he was one of the finest players in the league. Synergy tracks every play of every game of the season and, when possible (as it is not always possible), they assign an initial defender on a play. Congratulations, Brian Roberts! While it does keep the opponent in front of him, it defeats the purpose if the opponent is still getting to the basket. Even point guards who are not given this much freedom, however, are still extensions of their coach on the floor and must display good leadership skills. It just feels like there should be another notch where pride kicks in, he gets passionateor even angryand he hits another level. This proves problematic, especially in isolation, where Williams usually just backs up. Tony Parker is one of the fastest players in the league if youre going by pure speed. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. Exploiting the fact that the opposing point guard is often an undersized player with limited strength, several modern point guards have developed games close to the basket that include being able to utilize the drop step, spin move, and fade away jump shot. Theres nothing wrong with knowing when you need it. Jed Jacobsohn/AP Images. Here are the answers to some questions readers are likely to have. 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? The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Taj Gibson, his backup, is a tremendous defensive player, which only amplified the effect of Boozers shortcomings. Isiah Thomas, born on April 30, 1961, and possibly the best player ever under 6-foot-1, combined talent with fierce competitiveness. The biggest reason appears to be a fundamental one. That being said, Joakim Noah was frequently required to bail him out of trouble. -- 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). Big Shot, is one of the finest point guard leaders in the NBA. 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. On the other hand, no matter how solid the foundation is, you cant move into it. Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors His most notable awards include five NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, nine All-NBA First Team selections, and 12 All-Star appearances. It is akin to the blind men and the elephant in the Indian fable adapted to a poem by John Godfrey Saxe. Later in his career, he even improved as an outside shooter, which contributed significantly to his longevity. Thats just simply not true, and any amount of watching him play will verify that. The explosiveness and rim-running ability of Damian Lillard extend beyond his ability to shoot the ball from a distance. Kyle Lowry has exceptional speed and athleticism. Other defenders deficiencies are hidden by being put on weaker offensive players. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. The Glove was a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection, making the 1st team all nine times. Michael Jordan 10. He does an air-tight job of keeping players out of the perimeter. Thats rarely going to be because of a mental error, though. I like to compare it to the relationship between a foundation and a house. Watson, Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson. He gambles too much, and that often gets him caught out of the play. When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats 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. He cant be faulted for not being taller or longer, but he could use the length he has better. The Cleveland Cavaliers relied heavily on Kyrie Irving to take and hit huge shots, even when he was partnered with LeBron James. -- Adams, He could hurt defenses in so many ways: Controlling tempo was one, and he was a hell of a defender, too. The perimeter player gets rewarded statistically for what the center did, even though he actually played shoddy defense. Dallas Mavericks (1994-96, 2008-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-2001), New Jersey Nets (2001-08), New York Knicks (2012-13), Honors Broadly speaking, over 7,000 pieces of data on 226 players, in 16 different categories, were compiled into a database. 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. 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, .485 FG%, The player He was a 13-time NBA All-Star during the early half of the Celtics dynasty, winning six NBA championships during his 13-year tenure with the team. That earned him the nickname Mr. 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. His foot speed is as good as anyone's in the league, and you cant measure that. He has the speed to get there, but not the length to disrupt the shot once he does. He tends to rely on his speed to compensate for his lack of mass. Humility can often be a sign of intelligence at work, and it is with Hinrich. The more often he is the primary defender, the more likely he is to be responsible for guarding the player who is getting the most plays offensively. Here he is. Although Wade had an accomplished resume, if he had played one more season, he wouldve easily overtaken the next player on the list. Its amusing that some people say Rose doesnt apply himself on defense. You think, He cant be trying hard enough, but then you realize he is. Paul, who was born on May 6, 1985, has long been regarded as one of the game's greatest point guards, a fact reinforced by his selection to the 75th Anniversary Team. One aspect of Roses year-long absence that gets lost is how much the team suffered defensively without him. Others with less physical prowess can dominate defensively simply because they pour everything into it. -- Adande, Possessed incredible court vision and creativity, all while orchestrating the frenetic game pace of his era. Perhaps it was the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers were having a disappointing season without their newly acquired star, Andrew Bynum. For eight consecutive seasons, Cousy was the leagues top assist producer, and he was also one of the finest scorers in the league. Honors: 7x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection, 1966-1967 Rookie of the Year, 1967-1968 Scoring Champion, Hall of Famer. In his first season, he specialized in defense and could stop almost every point guard in the league on a regular basis. More explosive and athletic point guards focus on scoring as opposed to play-making, forgoing assists and ball-movement, and often defense, for higher scoring numbers. While Rose is slightly faster, Westbrook is slightly bigger. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. When the team is winning or the game is close, he puts in real effort, but if they are down, he shows noticeably less energy. Therefore, with a few exceptions, players were only considered if they played at least 1,200 minutes last season (which comes out to around 30 percent of possible minutes). Hes still learning to apply that tremendous athleticism on the defensive end of the court, though. His Synergy numbers compared to some of his team numbers validate that. Even though hes been injured a lot, Paul is averaging over two steals a game for his career. He had the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. Opponents dont have much success getting around him. 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. 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. Adapting your system to every opponent and knowing their nuances is understandable. For each of the following metrics, click on the subhead to be taken to the source website for more details. There is no doubt that Stephen Curry inherited his incredible shooting ability from his father, Dell, who was a successful NBA marksman himself, but the younger Curry's game is more diverse than Dell's. Conley is generously listed at 61 and 180 pounds. Pauls been an All-Defensive Team selection nine times, being selected to the 1st team seven times and the 2nd team twice. But his lack of any vertical leap kills him on the jump shot. In addition, Cousy, dubbed "The Houdini of the Hardwood," led the NBA in assists for 8 straight seasons, creating a whole new blend of ball-handling and passing skills for the league. Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74), Honors 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. Hes not looking at the ball-handler's chest, which makes him susceptible to fakes, so when his opponent breaks, Rose is momentarily frozen. -- Kevin Pelton, NBA Insider, May be the strongest point guard ever and consistently made everyone around him better. As a Golden State Warrior and Miami Heat legend, Tim Hardaway may have the best crossover in basketball history. Each of these has its own value, and those specifics will be discussed more on the next slide. Great size made him impossible for most. Defensive rebounds are generally undervalued, although its also true that all defensive rebounds arent the same. He also used his incredible basketball IQ to steal the ball and defend at a high level. -- 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). As a point guard, Tim Hardaway was one of the most popular and respected players in the NBA during his time with the Miami Heat. Born on July 15, 1990, Damian is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. Dennis Johnson. 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. The next three slides will tell how this particular sausage was made. In fact, hes probably as adept as anyone at this, and his Synergy numbers, .68 points per play against the pick-and-roll, certainly back it up. Scouting isnt the same as just watching games. 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. He can be stagnant when his man doesnt have the ball. You can be the best shooter in the world, but you can't score if you don't get the ball. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the team's offense seamlessly. If you dont want to consider them, then dont. He owes his charitable demeanour to a group of elementary school parents. He fights through picks, going over them when he can and under them when he cant. In terms of point guards, Magic is the finest there has ever been. Considering his challenges with speed, he did reasonably well with the pick-and-roll, again because of his size and strength to fight through picks. Do players go under picks when they should go over them? Chasing down balls, hell reach from behind and disrupt the dribble. Copyright 2023 YB Media, LLC. 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. Triple Double and for good reason: hes fourth all-time in triple-doubles with 107. In his heyday, Parker could score 25 points a night and seldom made poor choices with the ball. Oscar Robertson was one of the NBA's greatest players in history. Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. Refusing to back down because youre afraid of being put on a poster is a good thing, not a bad thing. He doesnt play on the ball physically, utilizing that advantage. Some players with tremendous athleticism just dont apply it on both ends of the court. Derrick Rose 15. He has become one of the hardest working point guards in the league on both ends. After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. With his record of successes and pioneering point guard talents, Magic is at the top of the list.