I counted off over 20 plays, specifically watching to see if Chalmers would stop the ball-handler, and he only did once. Its what separates him from being a valuable, slightly overrated defender, and an elite defender. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook. Hes 63 with a 68 wingspan and an 83 standing reach. 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. Apart from that, he seems to do what hes supposed to be doing when hes away from the ball. WAM is the foundation, and WAMS is the house. While he recovers most of the time, its worth asking why he gets beaten. LeBron James, the best player in the NBA, is also the league's best point guard. He led the league in total steals this year and did so without playing a lot of gambling defense. He might physically play below the rim, but few can touch how he plays above the neck. 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. Sometimes he wont give that much effort, and then the next moment hell be trying too hard. That said, here are the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, based on their DWS. Even though hes been injured a lot, Paul is averaging over two steals a game for his career. 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, .428 3P%, The player If youre not interested in that, feel free to skip ahead. He merits a high score here. All pre-draft measurements were obtained from the database hosted on Draft Express. #VCTLOCKIN #Valorant #valorantagents #valorantgaming. As Kyrie Irving showed in the decisive Game 7 versus the Warriors when he beat Stephen Curry to the game-winning jumper, Kyrie Irving is also one of the finest guards in NBA history, and he possesses some of the best hands of all time. Players have a difficult time getting past him. He plays longer than he actually is. Scouting isnt the same as just watching games. That all-around game made Kidd one of the league's top point guards for nearly 20 years. But hes just not very strong. Bledsoe just doesnt bring much energy to the defensive side of the court, which is a shame, because if he did, hed be a ball hawk. 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. Perhaps it was the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers were having a disappointing season without their newly acquired star, Andrew Bynum. Adapting your system to every opponent and knowing their nuances is understandable. None of them qualified based on the 1,200 minutes, so their stats from 2012 were used instead. Sixth-greatest point guard in basketball history. Emailed daily. Micah Adams is the lead NBA research specialist for ESPN Stats and Info. You dont get the sense in watching him that theres a point of pride in it. He gives up too much space and still gets beaten. Current NBA point guards known for their defensive prowess include Jrue Holiday, Mike Conley Jr., Marcus Smart, and Chris Paul. Passing skills, ball handling, and court vision are crucial. Having said that, when hes playing off the ball, he knows where hes supposed to be, and hes usually there. Players Stats: 16.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG. People that just do their job dont usually pitch in and help their co-workers. Similarly, while each of the advanced and/or traditional metrics has value, each also misses something. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. That deceptive length helps him nab 2.5 steals per 36 minutes and grab a ridiculous number of rebounds for a person his height. Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring. For many of these metrics, sample size becomes crucial. Eventually, that learning has to become instinct, though. For this reason, a point guard is usually, but not always, more skilled and focused on passing than shooting. If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. With his record of successes and pioneering point guard talents, Magic is at the top of the list. Ranked: Top 25 male fitness influencers to follow in 2023, Howe dodges row over Newcastle's Saudi ownership, Former Chelsea boss spotted in Munich with his new lover, Bam Adebayo makes bold claim about the last two DPOY awards, Gary Neville ignites debate after stating ideal price for holding midfielder, Huge Ballon dOr scandal as player claims his votes were changed to Lionel Messi. Players Stats: 15.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 2003-2004 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Selection, 2x All-Defensive Team Selection. WAM is purely objective. It is easy to have the numbers skewed by a smaller sample size. Perhaps he just grew weary of Doug Collins' act. He was transcendent. -- Pelton, If he had played with The Mailman or a defense as stout as the Pistons, he might have made a couple of Finals by now. He gets a higher score here than he technically deserves because he tries so hard. Not Paul. This is also manifested in his spot-up defense. One of the greatest rebounding guards of all time. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the teams offense seamlessly. He is in charge of getting the ball into the hands of the shooters. Point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders. 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. Stephen Curry 4. For Rose, his biggest issues on both sides of the ball have to do with fundamentals and understanding. Even though he was 38 years old when he won his first NBA championship with the Mavericks, he had two trips to the NBA Finals with the Nets. Does he pick up his man when switched? The other thing thats surprising about Rondo with his size is how well he fights over picks. This proves problematic, especially in isolation, where Williams usually just backs up. 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. The same applies to any decent basketball argument (or any other kind, for that matter). Even when he has to go under the pick, which is most of the time, hes so fast that hes able to close the distance before the ball-handler has time to do something with it. Whatever else you want to say about Brandon Knight, just dont say he never tries. Kyle Lowry has exceptional speed and athleticism. Some point guards are still given a great deal of leeway in the offense. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. Sometimes even when hes being smart, he gets a little dumb. 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player The debate over whether it should have been a flagrant is mootclearly that got into James head because he was talking about it after the game. Brandon Knight has work intelligence. When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. 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 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. Over the next four weeks, well unveil the rankings for the other four positions. Let's see who has made it to the top 10 best point guards of all time. He could play any spot on the court as well. Six blind men all go to see an elephant which they'venever encountered before. He yields a whopping 41.5 three-point percentage on the spot-up, which is just not good. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? Oscar Robertson was one of the NBA's greatest players in history. Despite his little size, he made up for it offensively by being lightning fast and had the whole attacking package. Nevertheless, its just as important. Paul is just listed at just 60, and that might be generous. Michael Cooper was a great defensive guard, evident when he won the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award in 1987, and James Worthy is a top-ten Small Forward of all-time and was one of the . His record and effect on the game, particularly offensively, are legendary, and its easy to see why. In the late 1980s, he was the face of the Bad Boys Pistons, who defeated Jordan's Bulls three times in a row in the playoffs. The Glove was a nine-time All-Defensive Team selection, making the First Team all nine times. For the purpose of this study, 82games was used because the net defensive rating was also easily available and it made for consistency. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. -- Adams, Honors The perimeter player gets rewarded statistically for what the center did, even though he actually played shoddy defense. He is not a guy you would single out as an NBA player in a crowded room. As a result of his hurling himself around the court with utter abandon, he was generally a positive when it came to help defense. Whatever it was, Holiday was just not bringing effort on the defensive end last year. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. He falls into his rotations smoothly. 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. -- Brad Doolittle, Robertson's averaging a triple-double in 1961-62 is probably overrated because it was a product of the fast-paced play in the 1960s, but his role in the Milwaukee Bucks' early '70s championship run is probably underrated. His lateral quickness is exceptional, making it hard for people to get around him, and thats a big part of why he is tied with Derrick Rose for the fewest points per play among qualified point guards. The Glove is hands down the best defender a the point guard position. Alex Caruso. 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. Norris Coles individual numbers are all better than Chalmers, but he gets docked with lower team numbers. He was born on March 23, 1973. They tried just as hard as the valedictorian, but all they got were Bs. 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 contend its not his fault that hes short, but its not Jarrett Jacks fault that hes slow either. And I never saw him go in the wrong direction, not once. Williams tends to play defense, but he only seems to do the minimum. His high rebound rate, while partly indicative of his speed is also a result of positioning, which relates to his IQ. -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. He routinely gets blistered in isolation (.93 points per play), fails to close out well on shooters and lags when coming off of screens. Los Angeles Lakers (1979-91, 1995-96), Honors Who's the best offensive point guard of all time? There arent many point guards who can do it all, but Kidd is one of them. Even when he gets switched up on opposing shooting guards trying to post him up, he does a solid job. During each of his five NBA championship rings, he was one of the finest players in the league. On the other hand, you cant deny what happened, regardless of how much you watch. 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. Congratulations, Brian Roberts! The problem is he doesnt use that height or strength as well as youd like to see. Isiah Thomas, born on April 30, 1961, and possibly the best player ever under 6-foot-1, combined talent with fierce competitiveness. He averages 1.8 steals per game. That makes him eligible for inclusion on this list of best point guards. However, the other side of the ball cant be overlooked because as the saying goes: defense wins championships.. But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. Russ is already on the verge of breaking into the top five of all time, but its going to be a challenge. 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. -- Pelton. That concludes the WAP portion of our programming schedule. He could be better than he is, but its hard to blame only him. 1. Gary Payton. Dikembe Mutombo 7. Do they get their hands up and use their length? He was second among point guards in defensive rebounds per 36 minutes. Later in his career, he even improved as an outside shooter, which contributed significantly to his longevity. He fights through picks, going over them when he can and under them when he cant. Even his athletic scores dont indicate greatness. A 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, a nine-time 1st team All-Defense and three-time 2nd team All-Defense, Bryants 50.6 DWS ranks him 43rd overall. One of the best -- and quickest -- lob passers the game has ever seen. Neither of those is really a criticism of Parker, but its a reality. 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. Im cheating a little here. Thats a difference of almost five points a game given up to point guards. Walt Frazier 10. For the time being, his lack of effectiveness and poor decision-making precludes him from being considered one of the top five point guards. 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). Bledsoe spent the majority of his time with Odom, while Chris Paul spent the majority of his time with Jordan, which confuses the on/off ratings. One aspect of Roses year-long absence that gets lost is how much the team suffered defensively without him. Chalmers will fail at things, but not because he isnt trying. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. Previously, Id had the impression that Rondo was beaten more often than he actually is and that Kevin Garnett just constantly bailed him out, which made his numbers look better than they are. If the team gives up more points while hes on the court, thats bad. 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. -- Haberstroh, Teams Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade won the NBA championship in 2006 with him as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. Others with less physical prowess can dominate defensively simply because they pour everything into it. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Coaches are responsible for developing young players, and it would have been fun to watch him grow under Doc Rivers. 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. There are a number of different types of metrics available from various websites. How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. And do they try and recover when they get beaten? Gary Payton is one of the best ever. When it came to size, the main flaw in his game was that he was very fast and explosive with his handles.
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