EPSN Releases Top 10 Point Guards of all time

[jibikao]

I think of all the guards, Nash is the most unique. Not necessarily the best, but unique. I used to follow Stockton and while his passing was good, his offense was never a huge threat. Not even close. It was Malone that contributed the most on the offense end (and dirty too). I don't think Stockton was as creative as well but his assist definitely qualifies as the the top 10.

 

[Renz]

970 career assists for West? Is that a typo? You realize that a top PG gets that in just over one season, right?

West had that many assists in the playoffs. He had 6,238 assists in his 14-year career or 6.7 APG.

 

[nowagimp]

But that is the reason he's good. How could he suddenly go from being a good point guard to the best in the league and future hall of famer at 31? It's because of the team he has around him. He never passed 8 assists per game before playing for us. I love Nash but I just don't think he is better than Kidd all-time..

Sorry Nasser 22, Kidd has always had a more balanced supportng cast. Nash has always had to run an offense without a low post threat(exception, Amare last year), something Kidd has mostly had in his career. All those point guards on that list had low post threats to keep the D honest, except Nash until amare. As far as the D'Antoni system, funny how Nash is the only one who can really make it work. Last year Dallas decided to make nash shoot, lets say a Kidd treatment, and he scored 48pts on 60% shooting. Kidd obviously couldnt do that, as a 40% shooter. You still have to explain why just letting kidd shoot(40% FG's) isnt the best defense in the NBA, its better than the Pistons or spurs defense FG% wise. That is a huge flaw that can be used to trump his effectiveness in the crunch. Were you a suns fan when kid was here? Dont you even remember how he would dribble all alone at the top of the key in the half court set? In the playoffs, the strategy was just to let him shoot, cover the passing lanes. You cant do that to Stockton, Nash, Magic, Peyton, Frazier, Cheeks. A point guard must be able to play in the half court set, because the other team can control the tempo to force it. Of all the top point guards in that article, Kidd is near the bottom in the half court set.

 

[zett]

you know it's BS when they leave of Ricky Sobers and Ronnie Lee
Seriosly KJ should be on that list and by all rights if there voting pippen they need to put the great pistol pete there!

 

[Gaddabout]

I'm torn between Magic and The Big 'O' as #1 Point Guard.

Oscar had Kareem (then Lou Alcindor) at Center and won a championship. One year he averaged -- averaged -- a triple-double.

Magic had Kareem at Center and won multi-championships . . . and covered at Center -- at Center -- for Kareem in a playoff and scored 40 points. And turned his shot-put into a dependable 3-point shot.

Each was superior in his time.

Unfortunately, Ervin was superior with the women as well.

The Big O is usually among the top 2 or 3 names mentioned for best all-time player at any position. He didn't just average a triple double one season, he went for 30/12/11. For an entire season! He pretty much flirted with a triple-double on a nightly basis for the first few years of his career, and collected 181 total. Unlike Kidd, he could score prolifically while leading the NBA in assists eight times. He's in the top 10 all-time for both points and assists. Fast, fundamental, and fluid, there have been players that made bigger impacts on the league, but I can't think of a player who better captures the whole aspect of "all-around." Not even Michael Jordan was as complete.

 

[nowagimp]

The Big O is usually among the top 2 or 3 names mentioned for best all-time player at any position. He didn't just average a triple double one season, he went for 30/12/11. For an entire season! He pretty much flirted with a triple-double on a nightly basis for the first few years of his career, and collected 181 total. Unlike Kidd, he could score prolifically while leading the NBA in assists eight times. He's in the top 10 all-time for both points and assists. Fast, fundamental, and fluid, there have been players that made bigger impacts on the league, but I can't think of a player who better captures the whole aspect of "all-around." Not even Michael Jordan was as complete.

I'll take Magic over big O only because of competition, there were tougher defenders at the point like dennis johnson, alvin robertson and Doc Rivers to contend with during the 80's. Oscar is a close second in my book, with stockton not so close a third. Oscar Robertson did not have any weaknesses as a player, he was probably equal to or better than Magic at everything except running the break.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Nash has always had to run an offense without a low post threat(exception, Amare last year), something Kidd has mostly had in his career. All those point guards on that list had low post threats to keep the D honest, except Nash until amare.

Uh - I hate Kidd and think he's COLOSSALLY over-rated, but the above statement just isn't true at all. On the Suns - the guy NEVER had a low-post threat save one year with McDyess, never had one with Dallas and with the Nets he's never had one either... you could argue Kenyon Martin, but you'd know you were fooling yourself... and even without him, the Nets have still been a solid team the last two years.

 

[WildBB]

Here are the overall results of the voters there.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-GreatestPointGuards


1. Magic 10 10 10 10 9 10 10 10 10 9 10 10 10 128
2. Oscar 9 9 9 8 10 9 9 -- 9 10 9 9 9 109
3. Isiah 8 8 8 9 3 8 7 5 5 2 6 7 8 84
4. Stockton 5 5 7 5 8 2 8 9 8 7 8 6 3 81
5. Cousy -- 7 5 7 6 6 4 8 7 6 5 8 7 76
6. Frazier 4 6 -- 6 2 3 6 7 6 3 7 4 6 60
7. Kidd 6 4 6 3 5 5 5 4 4 8 2 3 2 57
8. Tiny -- 1 4 4 1 7 2 6 2 5 -- 1 4 37
9. Nash -- 2 -- 2 4 4 1 3 3 4 4 2 5 34
10. Payton -- 3 2 -- 7 1 -- 1 -- 1 3 5 -- 23
Others receiving votes: Jerry West (7), Lenny Wilkens (6), Scottie Pippen (3), Maurice Cheeks (3), Chauncey Billups (2), Dave Bing (2), Mark Jackson (1), Earl Monroe (1), Micheal Ray Richardson (1)


What do you guys think?

Grew up a Knicks fan. Monroe was never a point guard.Was West?

Also Jo Jo White was a very good player in his day.

 

[BC867]

Grew up a Knicks fan. Monroe was never a point guard.Was West?

West was by default, playing alongside Gail Goodrich in the Lakers backcourt.

The same as when Paul Westphal and Don Buse were the Suns Guards. Neither was a Point Guard. (Goodrich also played on the Suns previously.)

And the same with DJ and Walter Davis with the Suns, or DJ with the Celts in later years. There was no true Point Guard in the starting lineup.

I don't remember who Earl the Pearl played alongside of with the Bullets, but, when he joined the Knicks, Walt Frazier handled Point Guard, though not a true Point Guard.

Man, Clyde Frazier was the best I've ever seen at drawing fouls on his outside shot. If the 3-point shot existed in his time, he would've been the top 4-point-shot player in history. He could sure get the defender up in the air, and make the shot as he came crashing down.

 

[George O'Brien]

I'll take Magic over big O only because of competition, there were tougher defenders at the point like dennis johnson, alvin robertson and Doc Rivers to contend with during the 80's. Oscar is a close second in my book, with stockton not so close a third. Oscar Robertson did not have any weaknesses as a player, he was probably equal to or better than Magic at everything except running the break.

It's a tough call because Oscar never really had the supporting cast that Magic had. In any case, it is hard to dispute his career stats: 25.7 ppg, 9.7 assists per game, 7.5 rpg, 48.5% shooting, 83.8 % for three. Even accounting for differences in eras, he averaged a triple double for the season in in second year. If anything, his assist totals are deceptively low because assists weren't awarded as easily as today. From 1960 to 1968 Robertson was the only player other than Chamberlain or Russell to win the MVP Award.

When Robertson joined Kareem in Milwaukee, he finally won a title although that team was not nearly as strong overall as the Showtime Lakers.

 

[MastersofCombat]

Wow Isiah is way too high first off.... Nash is definetly better than Archibald otherwise its pretty good.

 

[Goldfield]

I think Kidd gets WAYYYY too much credit. Most over-rated player of all time - I'd have him behind Nash and Payton in his prime - would have said that when he was a Sun also - hated him on the Suns.

I completely agree