best defensive point guards of all time

DJ, standing 6'4, started playing point for Boston in the second half of his basketball career and was often tasked with shutting down . They have value when there arent such extremes like the difference between Boozer and Gibson. 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. If the team gives up more points while hes on the court, thats bad. Only two other players besides Moncrief have won the NBAs defensive player of the year award twice. Players Stats: 15.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 5x All-Defensive Selection, Hall of Famer. He could play any spot on the court as well. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. On defense, the point guard is tasked with making the opposing point guard as ineffective as possible. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. Gary Payton. Aside from his offensive prowess, Johnson had the ability to hit for power and lead the offense at a high level. That earned him the nickname Mr. He was transcendent. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. Think: Dennis Rodman. Since I always get asked "Where's ___________?" After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. He uses his feet and body well, steering his man into the help defense when he knows hes not able to keep up. They are available for those who want to know where they fit, and it doesn'thurt anyone to include them. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Not everything about a players value can be seen even through advanced stats, or even while hes on the court. Take, for example, Carlos Boozer in 2012. All you have to do is watch him on offense to know he has all kinds of speed. Lillard would likely be at the top of this list if measured as an offensive package as a whole. His low foul rate of 4.5 percent is another indication that hes adept at getting into position quickly. -- Adande, The only players in NBA history with more games with 20 points and 10 assists are Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. The average score by point guards was 16.1. But one in 20 is egregiously bad.). Having said that, he does play team defense, too, and he is part of the team. Why not a normal scale of one to 10? Honors: 1978-1979 Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 9x All-Defense Selection, 2x All-NBA Team Selection, Hall of Famer. But he never does. His record and effect on the game, particularly offensively, are legendary, and its easy to see why. Del Negro just worried about the matchup without ever developing a true defensive system or identity with the Clippers. By: HoopsHype. Just because someone gets past him doesnt mean theyre going to score. His net defensive rating of 4.2 is an indication of both a lack of his helping and asking for help. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. Then, over 10,000 video clips were viewed and players were evaluated based on subjective criteria. As a result of his hurling himself around the court with utter abandon, he was generally a positive when it came to help defense. 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. Lennys passing and leadership on the floor were solid, but he also had a few great scoring years on the court. He finished the game with the most career postseason points and the highest average in a playoff series. Its still possible for him to make another All-Star squad, and it seems like hes on the path to doing so. 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 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. A point guard that has enough ball-handling skill and quickness to be able to drive to the basket in a half-court set is also very valuable and considered by some to be a must for a successful offense. When he gets it going, hes unstoppable. Eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, seven-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (2005-06), Career stats However, a good jump shot and the ability to score off a drive to the basket are still valuable skills. Jeremy Lin is not one of the faster point guards in the NBA, and hes not particularly quick either. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on February 7, 1974, to a Welsh mother, Jean, and an English father, John. 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. Penny is deserving of a much better ranking just because he is such a gifted one. Chris is also a leader on the defensive end of the court, having been named to nine All-Defensive Teams. He doesnt cheat in either direction, though. Whether this is a result of his reputation being undeserved or him not putting forth the effort isnt hard to determine. In recent years, the sport's shift from a fundamental style of play to a more athletic, scoring-oriented game resulted in the proliferation of so-called combo guards at the point guard position. Curry has developed into much more than a 3-point specialist. Steve Nash 7. Holiday has ample size for a point guard, standing a shade over 64 in shoes, and weighing in at 205 pounds. Not only is Damian Lillard one of the most exciting players in the game today, he makes a strong case as one of the best point guards in NBA history. Stockton was the. Like last time . The defensive stats arent a good way to determine the totality of defense, but they are a factor and shouldnt be ignored. Brandon Knight has work intelligence. Trail Blazers playoff failures have been a major blemish on both his game and his career so far. James is well-known for his incredible skill and ability to score big points, which frequently help his team win crucial games. Chalmers is 62 and 190 pounds, which is about average size for a point guard. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. But it seems like Paul is nutmeggingand breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. He doesnt play on the ball physically, utilizing that advantage. Therefore, its a Theoretically Asked Questions, or TAQ. 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. Last season, when Rose was healthy early on, they gave up the thirdmost, 16.3 points. NBA top 15 point guard rankings for 2021-22: Stephen Curry sits at No -- Haberstroh, Teams He uses his length well when trying to close out on jumpers, utilizing all of his elevation and his full length. Mike Conley is exceptionally quick, virtually teleporting himself from one part of the court to another at times. That helps him to dominate games defensively without having to leave the ground. In his 16-year career, Wade averaged 2.961 DWS per year and his 47.38 DWS is good for 55th overall. As a Golden State Warrior and Miami Heat legend, Tim Hardaway may have the best crossover in basketball history. He tends to use that speed and athleticism well when hes in position, too. Chasing down balls, hell reach from behind and disrupt the dribble. I actually looked for him to do it and couldnt find it. Another major evaluation factor is the assist-to-turnover ratio, which reflects the decision-making skills of the player. Knight doesnt always recognize the help situations, but when he does, he is usually effective. He doesnt have to race around to get in position because hes almost never out of position. Dikembe Mutombo 7. Westbrooks Synergy numbers on the pick-and-roll (.75) and isolation (.7) suggest hes better than he actually is. 11. We ranked the best point guards, determining the list with the help of B-R's position splits. Generally speaking, the point guard is the player in possession of the ball for the most time during a game and is responsible for maintaining possession of the ball for their team in the face of any pressure from the opponents. He does those things; he just doesnt do them very hard. He gambles too much, and that often gets him caught out of the play. But he jogs when he should run, is lackadaisical closing out shooters and goes through the motions when running through his rotations. As a result, opponents shot 42.9 percent from deep against him in the pick-and-roll. Still, Nash's greatest historical legacy will be paving the way for Stephen Curry and a new generation of point guards in a league that embraced point guards making plays with a wide-open court. Jordan also had two seasons (86-87 and 87-88) where he was in the top-20 in blocks per game and seven seasons in the top-20 in defensive rating. Hes just unable able to get high enough to legitimately challenge the shot. The players listed below are our picks for the best point guards 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. He seemed to keep ahead of the play, moving to the next rotation a fraction of a second before the play even developed in that direction. In case you missed it, Jason Kidd was tops on the list with 75.1 DWS, good for 11th all-time. Paul was able to keep you at bay on one side of the court while dominating the other with his scoring and passing abilities. While that is by design, he shouldnt get the same credit as players who bring their full attention the entire time theyre on the court. He is suitable at keeping most players out on the perimeter, but against elite point guards he has more problems. This is what I mean by ubiquity. As a result, he has received numerous awards, including the 'NBA Most Valuable Player' (MVP) award and the "PAC Player of the Year." Kevin Durant, surprisingly, also bails out his co-star a lot. His wingspan isnt much better at just 64. That said, here are the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, based on their DWS. 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. 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. If you just look at his measurables, Chris Paul is not impressive. 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. 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. (Note: Players chosen only if they have played as a shooting guard for most, if not all, of their career.). He is tremendous at using that muscle to his advantage, too. He doesnt disrupt team defense with unnecessary gambles. Williams tends to play defense, but he only seems to do the minimum. He does get a bit of a bump here for his rebounding. Rondo may not be big, but he doesnt know that. Kyrie Irving is unquestionably one of the greatest point guards of all time. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year. When hes coming off screens, hes especially horrible, giving up 1.15 points per play. The ripple effect of that was that every single Bull had a worse defensive rating with Boozer than when playing with Gibson. He may be the finest defensive guard ever because of his awareness and abilities on the defensive end. Then, after a single down year, he had y straight years of 2 steals per . His 47.4 DWS is 54th overall, good for an average of 2.963 DWS per season, slightly edging Wade. On the other hand, no matter how solid the foundation is, you cant move into it. 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. He joined the NBA in 1960 and quickly established himself, averaging 30.5 points per game and winning Rookie of the Year. Then, when players pull up and shoot, he doesnt use his length to close and get a hand in the face of the shooter. Its possible for Nash to be the whole offense and to shoot 50-40-90 from the field on a continuous basis. -- Doolittle, Perhaps someday Paul will reach the conference finals and we can focus more on his incredible accomplishments as a scorer, distributor and defender and less on his teams' inability to turn them into deep playoff runs. As a result, he rarely gets tangled up with the pick-setter. Marcus Smart. For many of these metrics, sample size becomes crucial. 43 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from BabyYo: NRG VS KOI Highlights. The most striking thing about Hinrich is just how often he is the initial defender on the play. Nash is a top-ten point guard without a question. Its difficult to have a perfect rating system thats entirely objective, and even more difficult to have a realistic one that is purely subjective. 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. 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. Sometimes that happens, but not all that often. The Miami HEATs best player in franchise history, Dwyane Wade was an offensive maestro. 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. The best way to track how effective a player is on the defensive end is by looking at their cumulative defensive win shares. Yet somehow he manages to compensate and do a reasonably fair job of defending, even in isolation. 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. 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. 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. His MVP season, he had the second-best block total by a point guard in history (although John Wall exceeded that total last year.). Eventually, that learning has to become instinct, though. He applies himself and stays committed, but when hes beaten on a play, hell relax waiting for his bigs to pick up the slack. Though he had a relatively short career he only played 13 seasons his 50.4 DWS is 44th overall. 18.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 9.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, The player He can be stagnant when his man doesnt have the ball. Greatest NBA point guards of all-time: Where Russell - Sportsnaut Over the last decade, the best point guards such as Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and others have dominated the position. Thats when you see him start to do things like not close out on shooters, merely waving his hand in the air instead. This score is to help alleviate that. While the Clippers were better when Paul was on the bench, it wasnt because he was on the bench. James Harden's age: stats, contract, family, dating, net worth in 2022. You dont see him take plays off, and you dont see him give up on plays. Watching Parker play defense for a while, particularly zooming in on the pick-and-roll plays, his impressive court awareness stands out. Speaking about hard-nosed defense-first converted shooting guards, here is one more name to the list: Dennis Johnson, one of the all-time great Celtics and at the same time one of the most underrated players in the history of the NBA. In his 20 seasons, Bryant averaged 2.5 DWS and 1.4 steals per year. Coming over as a 25-year-old rookie, Ginobili only had two seasons where he had fewer than one steal per game and he averaged 1.3 steals for his career. Lillard, on the other hand, is generally able to get things going from the perimeter anytime he wants. 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. -- Adams, He could hurt defenses in so many ways: Controlling tempo was one, and he was a hell of a defender, too. -- Doolittle, Over the past season and a half, Curry has played point guard as well as anyone else in NBA history. 25. Magic Johnson 2. Both figures can be obtained by going to any players team page and then clicking on the appropriate name. Curry has won three NBA championships and cemented his status as the finest shooter in NBA history since becoming a superstar and two-time MVP. He arguably powers through picks better than any point guard in the league. One of the most innovative offensive players, San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili was a very unique player. Its amazing he doesnt get punched sometimes. Its more than that. The list of the best defensive NBA point guards for 2022-23 starts off with two of the elite perimeter defenders overall. Per Synergy, he forces turnovers 18.5 percent of the time, and he does so barely giving up any points.

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