The Top 10 NBA Point Guards
An in-depth look at the game’s best
Choosing the best point guards in the NBA is like choosing your favorite candy. Most of them are good, but only some are great. This list is reserved for the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Take 5s of the world. Without further ado, let’s count down the Top 10 point guards heading into the 2014–2015 season.
10. Rajon Rondo
I completely understand if you think he shouldn’t even be on this list. However, any point guard whose favorite drink is a Shirley Temple is worthy of a spot in the Top 10. Semi-joking, but not really. Injuries have derailed Rondo the past few seasons. When healthy, he is one of the best passing point guards in the NBA, and I’m banking on the former Kentucky guard to have a bounceback campaign this year. His court vision is unrivaled and he can fill up the stat sheet with points and rebounds if called upon. He has a mean streak to his game and doesn’t take crap from anyone, not even the refs. Remember a few years ago when Rondo almost singlehandedly prevented LeBron from winning his first NBA title? Boston nearly dethroned Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals and it wasn’t because of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. Rondo was the catalyst. There is still stock in Rondo because that was the last time he was fully healthy and had a decent team around him. Rondo averaged 11.7 PPG and 9.8 APG in 30 games last year for the woeful Celtics. But when you extend those numbers per 100 possessions, Rondo’s assists numbers jump to 15.2 (0.1 behind league-leading Chris Paul). Rumors have swirled this offseason that Rondo wants out of Boston. Whether or not he is in a Celtics uniform this season, expect Rondo to be the league leader in assists.
9. Damian Lillard
Remember when Damian Lillard ripped out the heart of every Houston Rockets fan in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs? The catch, the gather and the fadeaway three-pointer over the outstretched arms of Chandler Parsons. Swish. Game over. Series over. Of course, in the next series, LaMarcus Aldridge went M.I.A. and Tony Parker showed Lillard he still has a little ways to go before he becomes an A-lister. Lillard averaged 20.7 PPG and 5.6 APG last season, which were great numbers for a point guard in just his second NBA season. Lillard came into the league with more experience than most guys having played three seasons in college at Weber State (he also redshirted one season due to injury). This summer, Lillard was a surprise cut from Team USA’s FIBA World Cup Team. He was easily talented enough to make it, but didn’t because of depth at the position. With Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Thibodeau on the bench, Kyrie Irving and Derrick Rose just had to show up to make the team. Lillard and John Wall were not given a fair shot, but life goes on.
Lillard made 39.4% of his three-pointers last season but just 42.4% of his overall field goals, which tells me he needs to take better shots inside the arc. I knew Lillard was a chucker, but didn’t realize he averaged 6.8 three-point field goal attempts per game last season. That’s approaching Steph Curry territory, but hey, if you are going to make nearly 40% of them, keep on chucking. Lillard can improve on defense, but he has all the tools to be a successful point guard in this league for a long time. I want to see more from Lillard as a passer this year. He can settle for threes anytime. This season, I want to see him make more of a concerted effort to set up teammates. I think 21 PPG and 7 APG and a trip to the second round would be considered a success for Lillard and the Blazers.
8. Goran Dragic
Who doesn’t like The Dragon? Dragic averaged 20.3 PPG last year to go along with 5.9 APG. The 20.3 PPG were well above his previous career high of 14.7 PPG from the season before. Dragic was the primary reason Phoenix, who many thought would be one of the worst teams in the NBA, contended for a playoff spot until the final week of the season. It was an utter crime for Dragic to be passed over for the All-Star game last year, but that’s life in a talented Western Conference.
Part of what makes the left-hander great is that he takes good shots. Dragic made 50.5% of his field goals last season and converted a very healthy 40.8% from three-point range. Trivia tidbit. Did you know the Suns acquired Dragic in a second round trade with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2008 NBA Draft? How did Phoenix, of all teams, get the best of the Spurs in a trade with a European player involved? I will never know. Regardless, Dragic has established himself as one of the game’s best in the pick-and-roll, and is aided by Phoenix having several stretch 4s he can dish it to for the pick-and-pop. Having Eric Bledsoe in the backcourt helps too, but for my money I’m taking The Dragon over Bledsoe seven out of seven days per week.
Also, Dragic played the early years of his career alongside Steve Nash. It was only fitting to include Dragic, Nash’s replacement, on this list as a token of diversity.
7. John Wall
John Wall, only 24 years old, could one day be the the best point guard in the NBA. *If he ever learns how to shoot. He has, in my opinion, the highest ceiling of current young point guards, but whether or not he reaches his potential remains to be seen. Wall is coming off a season in which he averaged 19.3 PPG and 8.8 APG and showed he can be a floor general. He had a good feel of when to drive to the rim to score versus drive to the rim for the kick-out. Wall is also one of the best on-ball defenders at the point guard position and is always looking to pick guys’ pockets. Part of that is due to his unparalleled quickness. The 6'4" Wall would probably win a race among all NBA players from baseline to baseline. If John Wall is a stock, I am buying while it’s still low. People are sleeping on him. Losing three games at home to the Indiana Pacers and gettting cut from the United States FIBA World Cup team this past summer will only motivate him to continue to improve his game. He needs to become a better perimeter shooter, and I believe he will. Once he finds his shot, the rest of the league had better watch out. Wall will improve his overall efficiency and earn the publicity he deserves nationwide. With help from backcourt mate Bradley Beal, Wall will lead the Wizards to the Eastern Conference Finals this season.
6. Tony Parker
Tony Parker is the most accomplished player on this list in regards to team success, but some dismiss him as a product of the San Antonio Spurs system. Parker is a pick-and-roll extraordinaire and has one of the quickest first steps in the league. His 2013–2014 regular season stats aren’t gaudy — he averaged just 16.7 PPG and 5.6 APG last year — but the 13-year veteran played limited minutes in an effort to preserve his body for what ended up being his fourth NBA title as a member of the Spurs. His numbers jump to 20.4 PPG and 7.0 APG per 36 minutes and 28.7 PPG with 9.8 APG per 100 possessions. In simpler terms: Tony Parker is efficient.
I’m sure other point guards would agree that Tony Parker is still elite even at the age of 32. Most defenders are still unable to stay in front of him, and in the rare instances that they do, Parker is still able to get off and make an unorthodox shot the way only he knows how. His assists numbers are also hurt by the Spurs as a team having the best ball movement in the NBA. I’d bet money that if there were a statistical category for hockey assists, he’d be near the top of the list, if not at the summit. The Frenchman brings a little bit of European finesse and savvy that is a nice change of pace from the high-flying, above-the-rim dunk show that has been more prevalent in recent years. I’ll appreciate Parker’s game while he is still playing and expect him to post similar numbers to last season while guiding the Spurs on another deep postseason run this year.
5. Derrick Rose
Who remembers 25.0 PPG, 7.7 APG, human-highlight-reel, MVP D-Rose? It seems like such a distant memory. When healthy, he is no doubt among the game’s best. The qualifier “healthy” has been Rose’s problem the past few seasons. Rose is an explosive athlete, and you can only hope that two knee injuries haven’t made him a completely different player. At 26, Rose is entering his prime. He is going to have to shake off the rust early on, as evidenced by his 1-of-19 episode from behind the arc in Spain this summer. He has never been the best jump shooter, but 1-of-19 while playing with a shorter three-point line? That is cause for concern if you are a Bulls fan.
Rose is an athletic freak of nature as he beautifully combines quickness and explosiveness to making plays only a select few people in the world can make. Those attributes also help him on defense, where Rose and the Bulls under Coach Thibs are among the league’s best in several defensive statistical categories. Is fifth a little high on the list? Maybe. I’m banking on Rose to return to 2011 D-Rose. As the Bulls return to wining more games, Rose will once again capture the attention of millions. On a team in which Joakim Noah is the second best player, the table is set for Rose to shine. I hate long twos just as much as the next guy, but until Rose can discover his three-point shot, he needs to stick with his bread-and-butter mid-range game while sprinkling in some aerial assaults on the rim (The mute button is your friend). I think 24 PPG and 7 APG is an optimistic, but fair, projection for the 2014–2015 season.
4. Kyrie Irving
Who else is anxiously awaiting LeBron’s arrival in joining Wes and Uncle Drew in a Pepsi Max sequel? It was destiny. How did Pepsi know this would happen over a year in advance? A question that needs answering.. Now for some anaysis.
I’ve heard it a thousand times. “Kyrie Irving couldn’t lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to the playoffs in arguably the weakest Eastern Conference in NBA history.” Yes, Irving deserves some of the blame, but it’s hard to win more than 33 games with C.J. Miles, Jarrett Jack, and Tristan Thompson in the starting lineup. Let’s also not forget the offensively inept Mike Brown who coached an offensively inept team that was in the bottom third of the league in scoring. Kyrie’s 20.8 PPG and 6.1 APG were par for the course last year, but it’s hard to rack up assists when some of your best role players are named Anthony Bennett and Alonzo Gee. Irving’s ball-handling skills are some of the best in the league. In addition, he is an above average perimeter shooter as he knocked down a shade under 36% from deep. He needs to improve his 43% field goal shooting from last season, but you have to take into account that he had to play a lot of hero ball at the end of the shot clock — and thus took a lot of ill-advised shots — because he was one of the only guys who could create his own shot. Irving will obviously benefit from playing with LeBron and Kevin Love and will grow as a leader in a winning culture. His scoring numbers will probably see a small dip, but that’s expected. Despite LeBron’s presence, Irving should be the primary ball handler and I expect him to average 17.5 PPG and 8 APG on 47.5% shooting. Irving is the X-factor for this Cavs team and he will lead Cleveland to the NBA Finals in Year 1 of the LeBron-Love-Irving experiment.
3. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is by far the most exciting player in the league when he is on top of his game, and there is no close second. His quick release and ability to score off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations makes him the best pure shooter in the league (sorry KD and Dirk). If there was a drinking game in which people were forced to drink every time an announcer said something to the effect of “Curry has a lightning-quick release,” people would die of alcohol posioning.
Curry has pull-up range from Neptune, and gets his shot off over taller guys who hound him on defense. See here. Steph is one of only two guys — Jamal “Juice Man” Crawford being the other — who could take a shot from anywhere on the court and I’m only surprised if it doesn’t go in. Curry has his deficiencies, though. He has been a little too turnover prone, which hurts the Warriors in close games. He is also a bit of a liability on the defensive end, which is more an indictment on his lack of elite athleticism than having a James Harden mindset. However, having one of the best two-way shooting guards in the league in Klay Thompson and one of the best rim protectors in Andrew Bogut make up for Curry’s shortcomings on the defensive end. Of all the point guards on the list, opposing coaches prepare for Curry the most because of his ability to score from anywhere on the floor. Curry’s 24.0 PPG and 8.5 APG over the course of the 2013–2014 season elevated him into the top echelon of point guards. I believe Curry will take his game to the next level under the tutelage of Steve Kerr and expect the Golden State Warriors to make it out of the first round in a loaded Western Conference. Quietly, I hope the Warriors make it to the NBA Finals, but I will temper my expectations for now.
2. Russell Westbrook
I am the biggest Russell Westbrook fan on Planet Earth. Check that. I am the second biggest Russell Westbrook fan on Planet Earth behind…Russell Westbook. The most athletic point guard in NBA history (sorry Derrick Rose) is also the most reckless. And I LOVE it. Thunder fans desperately plead for Westbrook to play a Robin role to Kevin Durant’s Batman. I’m of the mindset that the Thunder’s success is a result of Westbrook marching to the beat of his own drum. Westbrook cannot be put on a leash. The sooner everyone in Oklahoma City comes to terms with that, the sooner the Thunder win an NBA title.
Some say he is too selfish and has a me-first attitude. Does selfish get you 7 APG to go along with 22 PPG during the regular season coming off knee surgery? What about the 26.7 PPG and 8.1 APG he had during the Thunder’s postseason run to the WCF last spring? Durant can’t do it all. He needs Westbrook’s help. The former UCLA guard provides a scoring punch as well as a defensive presence. Westbrook is one of the best defenders at his position, and I would be shocked if his NBA2K ratings weren’t in the high 90s in categories such as speed, quickness, agility, jumping ability and steals. His pitfall is, and has always been, his shot selection. If Westbrook could be more efficient shooting the ball (he was just 43.7% from the field last season) while maintaining the same level of aggression, he would be the best point guard in the world.
With reigning league-MVP Kevin Durant sidelined by a foot injury until sometime around December, Westbrook will have to take the reins of this franchise for the opening months of the season. Reins, in Westbrook’s mind, that he has had all along. Westbrook should have a monster 2014–2015 season as long as he can avoid back problems from carrying the likes of Nick Collison and Kendrick Perkins before the calendar hits January. Westbrook will grow as a leader, average 26.2 PPG and 8.5APG, and carry the Thunder back to the NBA Finals as long as he and Durant are healthy heading into the playoffs.
1. Chris Paul
Houdini with the ball in his hands, Paul is the standard for all point guards. The Wake Forest product has held the top spot for several years now, and as long as he can stay on the court, I don’t see him falling down this list anytime soon. Paul is coming off a season in which he averaged 19.1 PPG and 10.7 APG. He is doing it on defense too, as evidenced by his 2.5 SPG last year. At 29, Paul has at least three seasons left in his prime. What makes CP3 great is that he knows when to get his teammates involved and when to create for himself. He can go for 16 points and 16 assists one night and come out the next night and drop 40 and 7 without blinking.
Paul is the best passer in the game and has a killer instinct that a leader of a team needs to have. The biggest knock on Paul is that he struggles in the playoffs and has yet to get his team to the Western Conference Finals. (Irrational) people make the argument Paul can’t be the best PG because of his team’s failures. Rubbish. 1998–1999 Michael Jordan on the New Orleans Hornets wouldn’t reach the WCF with David West and an end-of-the-road Peja Stojakovic as his two best sidekicks. “But he hasn’t made it to the WCF with the Clippers,” you say. Paul averaged 19.8 PPG and 10.3 APG during the postseason last year so don’t tell me it was Paul’s fault the Clippers got bounced. The Thunder were the better team. Blake Griffin is primed to take another step forward as he seeks to expand his jumpshot by another two feet. Spreading the floor even more should help Paul lead the Clippers to at least the WCF in Year 2 with Doc Rivers at the helm. Look for Paul to average 20 points and 11 dimes this year and be in the MVP conversation throughout the season.
There you have it, folks. The 10 best point guards in the NBA today. With the NBA season set to kick off, let’s see how many of these guys can maintain their place on this star-studded list with other guys breathing down their necks. Check back next year to see who rose and fell in the rankings.
Editor’s note: Mike Conley, if you read this, you are still my guy. No hard feelings. You have a solid grasp on No. 11.
About the Author: Peter Byrd is a junior at James Madison Univesity. He is a SMAD major (journalism concentration) and Sport Communication minor. He hopes to pursue a career in sports media.
