best defensive point guards of all time

Even the fastest point guards tend to get bottled up. Bucks: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Rockets vs. Spurs: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Hawks vs. Heat: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Pistons vs. Cavaliers: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Raptors vs. Wizards: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest, Russell Westbrook still wants Sixth Man of Year award from time with Lakers, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats Best Point Guard Defensive Rating 2022 | StatMuse Luka Doncic had the lowest defensive rating by a point guard in 2021-22, with a 106.5 rating. Parker has a hefty 1.05 points per play against defending the jumper, even though he typically gets there and challenges shots. -- Peterson, A menace on both ends of the court, Frazier was at his best in the 1970 NBA Finals when tallied 36 points, 19 assists, 7 rebounds in a title-clinching Game 7. But it seems like Paul is nutmegging and breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. In the MVP vote for the 1967-1968 season, he finished second behind the unstoppable Wilt Chamberlain. 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. He doesnt have overwhelming effort that blows you away, but he has earnest effort. Sometimes hell even rush to defend the wrong guy while his man is draining a wide-open three. Lee Rose has described a point guard as a coach on the floor, who can handle and distribute the ball to teammates. If the team gives up more points while hes on the court, thats bad. Hes like a runner trying to run a mile by alternating between walking and sprinting 100 yards at a time. He bulls through picks well and is not afraid to go over them. Magic Johnson 2. Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors Both figures can be obtained by going to any players team page and then clicking on the appropriate name. That said, here are the five best defensive NBA point guards of all time, based on their DWS. DJ, standing 6'4, started playing point for Boston in the second half of his basketball career and was often tasked with shutting down . In nine seasons with the Detroit Pistons, plus two with the Washington Bullets and one with the Boston Celtics, Bing gathered 18,327 points in 901 competitions (20.3 ppg). 1. Dennis Johnson. He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. His career averages of 27 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 7.0 APG were arguably the best ever put up by a point guard when he retired in 1974. 21.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, .441 3P%, We counted down the greatest players in NBA history. That earned him the nickname Mr. On pick-and-rolls when hes not set, teams have learned to expect this. 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. They are available for those who want to know where they fit, and it doesn'thurt anyone to include them. One of basketballs most dynamic and versatile point guards in the modern era. If theres a weakness, though, its that when he comes up against the elite offensive point guards, he will get beaten in isolation. -- Pelton, No player his size, 6-foot-3, has ever bent defenses to his will as Curry does. None of them qualified based on the 1,200 minutes, so their stats from 2012 were used instead. Most of those come for one of two reasons: Either he bites on the fake and is too slow to recover, or the shooter shoots over him and he doesnt have the ups to challenge it. With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. Sometimes, thats just not enough, especially if hes left to guard in isolation, where hes horrid, giving up .92 points per play. Although Drexler never made an All-Defensive Team in his career, he did average two steals per game for his 15-year career. He made everything go for those Lakers teams. The foundation (the facts or stats) needs to be laid first, and then the house (opinions about how, or why, something is) is built on top of it. 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. Hes not as horrible as some people would make it sound. Even though he normally does, he shouldnt have to and wouldnt if he were playing smarter. Lillard has been one of the NBA's most dangerous scorers, capable of striking shots from anywhere on the floor. Hes still learning to apply that tremendous athleticism on the defensive end of the court, though. Hes incredibly focused while on the court, but hes always working things out in his head; they dont come automatically, and that costs him time. Thats when you see him start to do things like not close out on shooters, merely waving his hand in the air instead. He surpassed the achievements of every other guard in NBA history, except Russell Westbrooks achievements. The average score by point guards was 16.1. 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, .490 FG%, The player 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats When hes not getting wrapped up, he plays the pick-and-roll well. He arguably makes more plays on his feet, both offensively and defensively, than anyone else. Sometimes that works, such as his quick darts under picks. Jed Jacobsohn/AP Images. He doesnt have to race around to get in position because hes almost never out of position. A lot has been made of how an explosive offense is the way to captivate fans. Players Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 1963-1964 MVP, 12x All-Star, 11x All-NBA Selection, 1960-1961 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Famer. Micah Adams is the lead NBA research specialist for ESPN Stats and Info. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. Passing skills, ball handling, and court vision are crucial. Despite his little size, he made up for it offensively by being lightning fast and had the whole attacking package. When he gets it going, hes unstoppable. However, who are the all-time top point guards? Sometimes his teammates bailed him out; sometimes the shot just didnt go in. But hes slightly built, and that raises some issues, especially when hes caught a fraction of a second behind a play. Rose had it all, including speed, explosiveness, and the ability to score when it mattered most. The game has been graced by several incredible players whose names live on even after they retire. Perhaps if hes in shoes and standing on a milk crate filled with milk, thats true. As a result, opponents shot 42.9 percent from deep against him in the pick-and-roll. Defensively, Stockton had 3,265 steals the most all time during his 19-year career, helping him get 64.9 DWS. Adande, Brad Doolittle, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton are NBA writers for ESPN.com. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. His net defensive rating is fairly close to even, and slightly above average for point guards. Most players will take a little on-court breather now and then. This implies that the point guard serves as an extension of their coach on the court, and he or she is accountable for making the right plays every night. The average score by point guards was 16.1. However, he doesnt appear to have the same strength they do. How they moved laterally, closed out on shooters, and recovered after getting beaten were also taken into account. What he gives up at the point of attack, he makes up for with his team defense. -- Adams, The fashion forerunner to Russell Westbrook. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, .485 FG%, The player -- Adande, He led the NBA in assists nine straight seasons from 1987 to 1996. His stellar pick-and-roll defensive score has more to do with being backed up by Omer Asik than it does his own play. 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. They work harder, and they get things eventually, but not quite as well. You cant say that Westbrook doesnt try on defense, but you can say he doesnt show consistent effort on defense. He applies his energy smartly. His score would be much worse if it werent for help defense from Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Chris Andersen frequently coming to his aid. He may get beaten occasionally, and he might get outmuscled more frequently, but he never gets outhustled. Some will just hang around waiting for the play to end, but Jack keeps track of his man and also helps if its needed. He was the league's Rookie of the Year in 1966-67 and was named to the All-NBA First Team twice and the Second Team once, and he appeared in seven NBA All-Star Games. He is going to get beaten, without question. He lacks the strength to effectively go over screens consistently, so he has to go under them. Players Stats: 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, Honors: 3x MVP, 3x Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 10x All-NBA Selection, Hall of Famer. 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. Why not a normal scale of one to 10? It tracks the production of a players counterpart while he is on the court. Probably no point guard in the league does a better job of recovering defensively than Rose does. -- Peterson, He's one of only a few players in history who has been deemed too good for the sport's own good. Nash was never known as a strong defender, but he was capable of bothering opposing point guards to some extent. -- Adande, Teams Aware of his predilections, theyll pass the ball out to the perimeter, and simultaneous to the ball-handler catching it, theyll set a pick on Westbrook. Parker applies himself defensively in bursts, and this appears to be by design. Its what separates him from being a valuable, slightly overrated defender, and an elite defender. Conley is inconsistent in how he applies effort on the court. Magic Johnson. Walt Frazier 10. The second-highest regulation scoring output of the 3-point era was the culmination . Speed is important; a speedy point guard is better able to create separation and space off the dribble, giving themselves room to work. He has two ways of guarding the isopray for help or flop. 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. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. So I saddled up my workhorse, Synergy, and watched an hour or two of each of the top 15 WAM scores playing defense. He is easily one of the physically weaker players in the league, even for his position. The house would collapse. Bing, despite having one of his eyes injured, was an attacking force to be reckoned with. Offense is so much more than just scoring. Its like hes chosen the worst of both worlds. His shot-making and defense made him a top-tier point guard throughout his career. While it does keep the opponent in front of him, it defeats the purpose if the opponent is still getting to the basket. A 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, a nine-time 1st team All-Defense and three-time 2nd team All-Defense, Bryant's 50.6 DWS ranks him 43rd overall. Bledsoe runs through his rotations, but he rounds them off or overruns them. He also used his incredible basketball IQ to steal the ball and defend at a high level. Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade won the NBA championship in 2006 with him as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. Each of these has its own value, and those specifics will be discussed more on the next slide. It also helps him to have the second-most defensive plays per 36 minutes of any of the point guards on this list. Watching a thing, and watching for a thing, are different.

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best defensive point guards of all time