Christmas is a great day for NBA fans. There is always a great slate of games and yesterday was no different. We got to watch: Wizards/Knicks, Thunder/Spurs, Cavaliers/Heat, Lakers/Bulls, and Warriors/Clippers. Each of these games featured a top tier point guard. As usual, the games sparked a lot of debate on social media. The main debate among fans, writers, and analysts was in regards to which point guards are the best in the NBA. Twitter doesn’t provide nearly enough characters and no one is interested in a Facebook status where you have to click “Continue Reading” so I figured I would throw in my two cents here.
This argument comes up every year. The same players are typically on most “Top Point Guard” lists but the order always varies. Sometimes, it’s frustrating seeing people -- both friends and so called “NBA experts” -- rank their top point guards. I know that people are entitled to their opinions but when I see others claim that “Kyrie Irving is the best point guard in the NBA,” it makes me want to throw up. Anyone that knows basketball knows this isn’t true yet people still say it anyways.
Basketball is a two way sport so both offense AND defense matter. Personally, I don’t care if you can score 50 points on any given night if the opposing point guard scores 50 right back on you. Defense is half of the game! It plays a huge factor in my rankings. Defense is about effort. It’s obviously about awareness and athletic ability as well, but effort is what makes someone a good defender.
With that being said, my rankings will be based on overall defense, offense, and leadership. The criteria could be more specific but it would take way too much time to break down every single aspect of each player’s game so we’ll stick with these for now. In my opinion, these are the most important.
It is a point guard’s job to be the floor general. A point guard has to be able to command a team while also making others around him better. Yes, stats/numbers are important but I mainly use the eye test as my ultimate deciding factor. If you get confused as to why certain players are ranked where they are, just ask yourself this question; who would you want starting at point guard for Team Earth if we had to play the Monstars from Space Jam to save the human race? That should help you understand my thought process.
Also, know that there isn’t any bias in these rankings. The team that I root for has the worst starting point guard in all of basketball (sorry Ronnie Price) so I’m not just picking players from teams that I like.
Before I begin, I’d like to give out some honorable mentions. Mike Conley, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Tony Parker, and Derrick Rose unfortunately did not make the cut. It’s ridiculous that these players are my honorable mentions because you could argue that any of them belong in the Top 5. We’re living in such a golden age of point guards that ranking them is impossible but I’m going to try anyways. Here goes nothing.
5. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
WE THE NORTH! That’s what I find myself chanting when I watch Kyle Lowry and the Raptors play. Lowry is such an underrated player. It’s hard to appreciate him unless you are from Toronto or follow the NBA closely but he is most definitely a top 5 point guard. This season, he is averaging 20 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.4 STLPG. Again, numbers don’t tell the full story.
Kyle Lowry is heart and soul of the Raptors and he has them sitting atop the Eastern Conference. He’s often referred to as a pitbull and there isn’t a more accurate spirit animal to compare him to. He’s scrappy on defense and makes opposing players work for everything. He’s quick enough to stay in front of smaller players and strong enough to prevent bigger players from posting him up.
He’s not the best shooter nor is he the most athletic, but he competes on every single possession. He can create his own shot when needed and distributes the rock very well. He can also get into the lane whenever he wants as evidenced by his 6 (5.8) free throw attempts per game. He’s fearless and finishes through contact almost as well as anyone at his position.
The Raptors have played the last 13 games without Demar Derozan and they’ve gone 9-4 over that span. Without Kyle Lowry, it would have been much, much worse. Lowry has helped changed the culture of the Raptors and has proven to be a franchise player. In all honesty, he’s probably been the MVP of the Eastern Conference so far this season.
4. John Wall, Washington Wizards
The team with the second best record in the Eastern Conference is the Washington Wizards. They have John Wall to thank for that. Wall has enjoyed the best season his young career thus far, averaging, 18 PPG, a career best 10.5 APG (also just a shade under the lead league which is 10.6), 4.7 RPG and 2.1 STLPG.
John Wall has finally put it all together, yet shockingly, only seems to be scratching the surface of his potential. He’s without a doubt, one of the fastest player in the league. He can start a fast break in the blink of an eye and he’s always looking to push the ball. He almost always makes the right decision and knows when to turn the jets on and off. He’s enjoying his best season offensively and shooting a career best 45.8% from the field.
Wall’s defense is the reason why he’s on this list as opposed to other “score first” type point guards. His length and athleticism have helped him keep opposing players from getting to their spots and he has been disruptive in the passing lanes as well. He always seems to be around the ball. He is an excellent help defender and continues to make strides as an on-ball defender. No opposing point guards look forward to playing the Wizards.
I’ve been on the John Wall bandwagon for a while and it’s nice to see him finally put it all together. Besides maybe Ricky Rubio and Rajon Rondo, Wall is probably the most natural passer in the league. He makes passes effortlessly and sees the floor as well as anyone. The only real knock on him is that he is an inconsistent shooter. He is, however, leagues better than Rubio/Rondo and has improved his jump shot every year. He’s only shooting 32.9% from 3 this year but if he can get that closer to 40%, he’ll definitely make his way up this list.
Oh, and John Wall is by far the best dancer in the league so that earns him extra points.
3. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
Although I said that defense would play a big part in these rankings, exceptions have to be made. I mean, when you’re the best shooter in NBA history, you have to be considered a top 5 point guard. Steph Curry obviously made the cut.
It’s not even that Steph Curry is a bad defender, it’s just that I feel like he saves most of his energy to play offense. I have no problem with this. He really isn’t even a terrible defender and he has made strides this year, it’s just that he’s so small and fragile that he gets killed on pick and rolls. Steve Kerr often hides him on defense so that he doesn’t get abused. Sometimes, you don’t even see him guarding opposing point guards during games. Again, his offensive brilliance makes up for his defensive deficiencies.
Watching Steph Curry shoot the ball is the most beautiful part of any Warriors game. He has the quickest release in the NBA and when he’s feeling it, you literally cannot change the channel. Steph Curry heat checks are what NBA fans live for. He has unlimited range which terrifies opposing defenses. Teams scramble to make sure that he’s not wide open because he almost seems automatic if he has any space at all. This opens things up for his teammates and Curry also happens to be a gifted passer. He’s averaging 7.7 APG this season.
He’s prone to turnovers here and there and takes some questionable shots but it doesn’t matter. With Curry, every shot is a good shot. That sounds silly but he’s the type of player that can miss 10 shots in a row but still cause defenses to stay locked in on him. He is the best offensive point guard in the game and would definitely get my vote for MVP (if I had a vote).
2. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
I’ve been hearing a lot of people say that CP3 is getting too old to be considered a top point guard. To those people, I would simply say, “you’re wrong.” After watching him play last night, he still has it. He’s had to slow his game down a little bit as most veterans do at his age but there isn’t a better leader than Chris Paul.
His numbers are a little below his career averages but he’s still at 18.3 PPG, 9.5 APG, 4.6 RPG, and 2.3 STLPG. There’s two traits, however, that separate Paul from the other point guards; his basketball IQ and competitiveness.
Chris Paul almost always takes what the defense gives him. He rarely turns the ball over and always makes the right play. No one runs the pick and roll better than him. If the defense drops under the pick, he’ll take the open jump shot. If both the guard and big man follow him, he’ll find the open player. It seems like a simple concept, but a lot of point guards have trouble grasping the concept of a pick and roll. Paul has perfected it.
Along with his basketball IQ, Paul is one of the fiercest competitors in the game. Obviously, everyone wants to win but sometimes you just don’t see that drive in other players — specifically other point guards — that you see with Chris Paul. He’s always playing like he has something to prove. Maybe because he does? He’s never been to the Western Conference Finals and in order to be considered the top player at your position, you have to start winning when it matters. Basketball is the ultimate team game so it’s not all on Paul, but at some point he’s going to have to lead the Clippers to and past the Western Conference Finals.
He’s a leader on the court and is always vocal. If a teammate is in the wrong spot or runs the wrong play, he’ll let them hear it. This sounds like a simple aspect of the game but it really goes without saying (pun intended?). It’s important to have a vocal leader on the court. You have to earn respect from your teammates in order to yell at them and have them do as they're told. Paul has earned that respect and leads like a true point guard should.
Paul is a great shooter, passer, and defender. He does it all. The only question about him is his size but he’s proven he’s not only a top point guard in the NBA, but a top player as well, regardless of his size. If it weren’t for the the top guy on my list, Paul would definitely be the best point guard in the NBA.
1. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Remember when I said “if you get confused about why certain players are ranked where they are, ask yourself, who would you want starting at at point guard for Team Earth if we played the Monstars?” Well, the number one player/answer to that question, is definitely Russell Westbrook. The guy is the most athletic point guard in the NBA and it’s not even close.
The knock on Russell Westbrook is so unfair. People say that he takes too many shots. Fine, he does take a lot of shots and some of them are very poor, but that’s who he is. He is always in attack mode. The good more than makes up for the bad. He’s not a selfish player and has kept the Thunder afloat with Kevin Durant sidelined for most of this season. I wouldn’t say that he’s the best player on the Thunder but he may just be the most valuable.
Westbrook is everything you want in a point guard. He is a good shooter, passer, defender, and he always plays like his life depends on it. Watching Westbrook play is like watching controlled — well, semi-controlled — chaos. His pull jumper is arguably the best in the game. To go along with that, he draws fouls at a ridiculous rate and gets to the rim at will. Again, he is always in attack mode and he’s like all the aforementioned point guards balled into one player.
He has Kyle Lowry’s pitbull mentality. He has John Wall’s speed and quickness. He doesn’t shoot nearly as well as Steph Curry but he finds other ways to score. His leadership is getting to be similar to that of Chris Paul and grows with each passing season. Although this sounds crazy, he might actually be the alpha dog of the Thunder even with Kevin Durant on the team.
Durant is the team’s best scorer, no doubt, but Russell Westbrook is the engine that starts and keeps the train running. He would run through a wall for this team and they know that. His focus this past summer was to play better defense and watching him this season, it appears he has put more focus into that. He’s one of the most athletic players and he irritates opposing point guards on a nightly basis. He plays the passing line about as well as any other player in the game and starts one man fast breaks whenever he gets the chance. It's one of the most exciting parts of his game.
It’s a small sample size since he has only played in 16 games this season but his PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is 33.29. To put that in perspective, Steph Curry is the second point guard in PER at 28.30. These are just number but when I watch Westbrook play, it always seems like he has a chip on his shoulder. Nobody wants to win more than he does and his teammates feed off of his passion and intensity.
Simply put, Russell Westbrook is the best. I’ll take him over any other point guard because of plays like this.
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