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

Defense is one of the more oft-overlooked aspects of basketball because it isnt as pretty as what happens on the offensive end. That all-around game made Kidd one of the league's top point guards for nearly 20 years. Does he know when to go over the pick, and when to go under it? It will be interesting to see if his new coach, Jason Kidd, can help him to work on this, as Kidd was a terrific help defender. Notable point guards of the WNBA include five-time champion Sue Bird, her Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi (the only two basketball players of either gender to earn five Olympic gold medals for basketball[1]) and Courtney Vandersloot. They work harder, and they get things eventually, but not quite as well. But only once did he actually truly defend the play. Eventually, you need to form an opinion about why not just know what. They are available for those who want to know where they fit, and it doesn'thurt anyone to include them. Some would look at Conleys frontcourt and assumenot entirely incorrectlythat having Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to back him up pads his stats. Also with both, theyve shown more success utilizing their physical attributes on the offensive end than the defensive end. Lillard would likely be at the top of this list if measured as an offensive package as a whole. A decade of playing and a plethora of injuries havent helped him get any faster. Watching a thing, and watching for a thing, are different. He would find a way to beat his opponents, mentally and physically, and without his defensive tenacity, he wouldnt be considered the greatest of all-time. Holiday has ample size for a point guard, standing a shade over 64 in shoes, and weighing in at 205 pounds. He led the league in total steals this year and did so without playing a lot of gambling defense. For a full game, Moncrief was capable of shutting down almost any guard in NBA history. That earned him the nickname Mr. This year, without Rose, the Bulls were 23rd, at 21.0 points per game. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. This is what I mean by ubiquity. His shot-making and defense made him a top-tier point guard throughout his career. Why not a normal scale of one to 10? Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. Robertson's offensive ability transformed the point guard stereotype from a passer and floor general to a scorer and offensive weapon. 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. All you have to do is watch him on offense to know he has all kinds of speed. He stands third among the top 10 point guards of all time. But he never does. -- Adams, He could hurt defenses in so many ways: Controlling tempo was one, and he was a hell of a defender, too. Players Stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 2010-2011 MVP, 3x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Selection, 2008-2009 Rookie of the Year. 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. But thats why we do the research. On defense, the point guard is tasked with making the opposing point guard as ineffective as possible. Russell is regarded as one of the best point guard finishers of all time. 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. As a rookie, Bill Russell relied on Cousy to lead the league in assists, and he won the MVP Award for his efforts. New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers, (2011-present), Honors 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. 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. Even though injuries caught up with him toward the end of his illustrious career, Bryant still battled as a defender when needed. Over the last decade, the best point guards such as Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and others have dominated the position. 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. Kevin Garnett 8. Stockton is one of the greatest assist players in NBA history, if not the greatest. Michael Jordan 10. Bledsoe runs through his rotations, but he rounds them off or overruns them. In other words, giving up 15 points to Russell Westbrook is much more impressive than giving up 14 to Derek Fisher, but the raw stats dont tell you who was guarding whom. Other stats were determined by using my trusty sidekick, MS Excel, loaded up with standard stats available on most websites. Bob Cousey 8. Jason Kidd was the definition of a jack-of-all-trades point guard: he could pass, score and grab rebounds. Players Stats: 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 7x All-Stars, 6x All-NBA Selection, 7x All-Defensive Team Selection, Hall of Famer. The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. He has the most assists and steals of any player in NBA history and is a master of the pick & roll. A point guard should know when and how to instigate a fast break and when and how to initiate the more deliberate sets. Even when picks are set behind his back, he instinctively knows they are there and just steps over them seamlessly. 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. A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. Mar 6, 2020; New York, New York, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) reacts during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Although both Kidd and Paul were more accurate shooters, his passing range was broader than any of them. Because they each feel a different thing, an argument arises as to who is right. West became synonymous with brilliant basketball during his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. But what kind of suit was he wearing on the last episode? Does he make stupid fouls or smart fouls? Pauls been an All-Defensive Team selection nine times, being selected to the 1st team seven times and the 2nd team twice. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. (Most defenders let the opponent by more than half the time. Bill Russell 3. Sometimes he wont give that much effort, and then the next moment hell be trying too hard. Players Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA Selection, 1994-1995 Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection, Hall of Famer. Kyle Lowry has exceptional speed and athleticism. He fights through picks, going over them when he can and under them when he cant. However, despite Chris Paul and Jason Kidds prominence, Steve Nash became a two-time MVP who had no weaknesses on the offensive end. He doesnt use the shortest angles when running under picks, but he takes path of least resistance instead. Golden State Warriors (2009-present), Honors . After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. 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. 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. Only two other players besides Moncrief have won the NBAs defensive player of the year award twice. With his athleticism and speed, there is no way that Rose should get beaten off the dribble as often as he does. 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. Even when in position, he wont jump to challenge a shot. Congratulations, Brian Roberts! Hes always looking where hes supposed to go, and moving in that direction, but he just takes his time getting there. Players have a difficult time getting past him. 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player On the one hand, he doesnt seem cogent enough of his surroundings most of the time to really offer any. He is tremendous at using that muscle to his advantage, too. Just because someone gets past him doesnt mean theyre going to score. His Synergy numbers compared to some of his team numbers validate that. You dont see him take plays off, and you dont see him give up on plays. He doesnt help much, but he doesnt get a lot of help either, so its a bit of a wash. To his credit, he has the best WAM score of any point guard without a great defensive center to back him up. As a result, he rarely gets tangled up with the pick-setter. Please check your email for a confirmation. Magic Johnson 2. As a result, opponents shot 42.9 percent from deep against him in the pick-and-roll. 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. Perhaps if hes in shoes and standing on a milk crate filled with milk, thats true. As a result of his hurling himself around the court with utter abandon, he was generally a positive when it came to help defense. Nash's sideways speed and power will be non-existent at some age, allowing for constant dribble. Johnson will go down as one of the top 25 all-time point guards because of his defensive presence. Its safe to say that Kidd is one of the greatest guards to ever play on the basketball floor. 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. He keeps track of his man when holding back in the lane to cut off passing lanes. -- Peterson, He's one of only a few players in history who has been deemed too good for the sport's own good. Scoring point guards typically look to score first, thus preventing teammates from getting the ball. Jason Kidd 9. Johnsons style of play made him especially successful since he was noted for tip-ins and post play around the rim. 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. When he tries, Lowry can be a solid defensive player, but that whole when he tries qualifier is pretty significant. Then, over 10,000 video clips were viewed and players were evaluated based on subjective criteria. Eric Bledsoe has a reputation as being both quick and fast, even for a point guard, but he rarely shows it on defense. Thats pretty much what you see with Conley. His stellar pick-and-roll defensive score has more to do with being backed up by Omer Asik than it does his own play. The facts need to come first. Paul gets caught in a trap that WAM cant entirely avoid because it can only look at what happens, not why it happens. Stockton embodied a true point guard - an extension of the coach that ran the team's offense seamlessly. In the last entry, we focused on the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, but now, we turn to the five best defensive shooting guards in NBA history. He has no All-Defensive team accolades, because those werent introduced until the 1968-1969 season. He is a natural playmaker with excellent point guard abilities, creating the ideal point guard prototype. 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. Since its neither, he gets an even score. Two-time All-Defensive First Team Four-time All-Star Before having his career derailed by drug use, Micheal Ray Richardson was one of the league's most feared defensive point. In terms of career statistics and postseason accomplishments, he ranks as the NBAs fourth-best point guard of all time. This can cause other players to become disinvolved in the offense. The next three slides will tell how this particular sausage was made. His 47.4 DWS is 54th overall, good for an average of 2.963 DWS per season, slightly edging Wade. Bing, despite having one of his eyes injured, was an attacking force to be reckoned with. 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. He seems to get frustrated easily. He averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. Alex Caruso. He doesnt play on the ball physically, utilizing that advantage. 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. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive Second Team five times. Because of his combination of length, speed and jumping ability, Rose has become an excellent team defender against the jump shot. Even when he gets switched up on opposing shooting guards trying to post him up, he does a solid job. 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, .485 FG%, The player Last season, when Rose was healthy early on, they gave up the thirdmost, 16.3 points. His contributions won him a spot on the NBA All-Time 50th Anniversary Team. The total numbers were then adjusted to arrive at a score ranging between 90 (best) and 110 (worst). Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors Brandon Knight has exceptional speed and quickness. Thats 20th all-time, with Kidd being the only other guard above him. After all, as his name implies, Billups was known for taking and making huge shots in order to help his team win. -- J.A. Simply put, defensive win shares (DWS) are defined by how many wins a player produces based on his defensive ability. 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. The only thing is that the Bulls actually gave up 8.6 more points while he was on the court. This score is to help alleviate that. On the other hand, you cant deny what happened, regardless of how much you watch. Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum top NBA quotes of the week. Players like Rose, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving consistently cross him over and get past him. Watts Van Lier Frazier Price Ward Bing White Buckner Walker Kidd Hollins Williams Cleamons Bibby Porter Buse Snow McMillan Tinsley Armstrong Knight Carter 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 97.4 97.6 98.1 99.6 99.9 100.4 100.9 101.1 101.5 101 . He does those things; he just doesnt do them very hard. -- 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. The advantage of defensive rating is that it accounts for the things that dont show up in box scores. The disadvantage is that sometimes its not the player doing those things, and hes getting credit for someone elses great defense. He benefits tremendously from help defense as previously mentioned, but that doesnt mean he doesnt also provide help defense. Some players defined their positions. If hes on the court, hes moving at full speed. 43 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from BabyYo: NRG VS KOI Highlights. The Top 100 will begin to roll out next week. #VCTLOCKIN #Valorant #valorantagents #valorantgaming. The greater problem is how easily he gets disrupted on pick-and-roll defense. Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring. You can almost rate Chalmers improving basketball intelligence by how many times per game he gets yelled at by his superstar teammates. Rondos lack of a need for help defense allows Garnett to help more elsewhere. Some point guards are still given a great deal of leeway in the offense. Although Drexler never made an All-Defensive Team in his career, he did average two steals per game for his 15-year career. -- 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). You cant build a house first, and then pour the foundation underneath it. He sometimes gets tangled up and left hopelessly out of the play. 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. His offensive style has been revamped to incorporate a powerful mid-range jumper along with some range as well. You can be the best shooter in the world, but you can't score if you don't get the ball. They must also be able to adapt to what the defense is allowing and must control the pace of the game.