Eric Bledsoe ranked 13th best PG in the the league by NBA personnel

[sunsfan88]

Bledsoe ranked 13th; Knight ranked 24th best PG in the the league by NBA personnel

The highlights are compelling, and so are the numbers. When trying to solve a riddle like "Who's the NBA's best point guard?" we use the data, and what our eyes tell us. But who better to educate us on that subject than the people forced to compete and strategize against those men every night?

We asked 25 NBA folks -- a combination of executives, coaches and players -- to rank the point guards in the NBA from 1 to 30. The results of that poll are below, along with a sampling of thoughts from those who answered our survey:

....

#13 Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns (456 points)

"Explosive scorer. When he gets out in transition, he's really good. His half-court offense is questionable. He can make 3s. I've wondered whether he plays that hard. He looks like he's in chill mode." -- NBA point guard

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12546025/nba-top-30-point-guards-nba

The part about him playing hard is something I've brought up couple times as well though he's played with lot more energy lately.

There are times when he simply dominates the game and other times when he looks bored.

Interesting comments on all the other guards as well.

Is 13 about right for Bledsoe?

I think Knight's ranked a little too low.

24. Brandon Knight, Phoenix Suns (287 points)

"Has a chance. People keep talking about what he can't do but it looks like his teammates like playing with him. He can make open shots, can pass and has good size. He has a chance to keep moving up this list." -- NBA assistant

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12546025/nba-top-30-point-guards-nba

For those without Insider:

http://i.imgur.com/xjGUDTG.jpg

 

[Sunburn]

Look who's number 12. Guess this settles the debate lol

 

[slinslin]

But isn't Goran Dragic an all-nba PG?

 

[BC867]

But isn't Goran Dragic an all-nba PG?

He was until the Suns relegated him to Shooting Guard and Small Forward. Now he is working his way back as Point Guard.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Oh crap, here we go again.

 

[Cheesebeef]

He was until the Suns relegated him to Shooting Guard and Small Forward. Now he is working his way back as Point Guard.

He's working his way back? Sorry, but 16.7 ppg and 5.5 assists isn't anywhere CLOSE to working your way back to All-NBA status.

Neither is "leading" his team to an 8-7 record, SAME as the Suns without him, even though Miami is more talented and plays in a weaker conference.

 

[AfroSuns]

afaic The article got it right in the positioning of Bled and Goran. Goran is better right now. Bledsoe is close behind with more potential. If he gets there is up to him.

 

[WuRaider]

Haha, "Chill mode". Maybe Bled hides his high better than the Matrix did.

 

[BC867]

He's working his way back? Sorry, but 16.7 ppg and 5.5 assists isn't anywhere CLOSE to working your way back to All-NBA status.

Neither is "leading" his team to an 8-7 record, SAME as the Suns without him, even though Miami is more talented and plays in a weaker conference.

How can you acknowledge "working his way back" with stats from the day he joined his new team and returning to his natural position? And disregard the Heat having lost one of its two top players?

'Good debate tactic. But hardly a meaningful basketball analysis of the Suns mis-using their best Point Guard.

 

[Phrazbit]

How can you acknowledge "working his way back" with stats from the day he joined his new team and returning to his natural position? And disregard the Heat having lost one of its two top players?

'Good debate tactic. But hardly a meaningful basketball analysis of the Suns mis-using their best Point Guard.

Best shooting guard. You know... the position he played for the majority of the games when he had his best year of his career. His career numbers as primarily a PG are right in line with what we're seeing in Miami.

 

[Phrazbit]

Also, I think the question of if the Bucks play better without Knight is justly dead. His unfriendly plus/minus stats appear to have been the result of him doing his best to prop up a bad starting unit, while the bench beat up on other benches. Since his departure the Bucks have gone into a total collapse.

 

[Cheesebeef]

How can you acknowledge "working his way back" with stats from the day he joined his new team and returning to his natural position? And disregard the Heat having lost one of its two top players?

'Good debate tactic. But hardly a meaningful basketball analysis of the Suns mis-using their best Point Guard.

My god... Can ANYONE acknowledge that Dragic had TWO GREAT MONTHS for his ENTIRE CAREER and hasn't EVER come close to playing at that level and for the last three years has consistently been a 16ish/6assists player?

And what does it matter that they don't have Bosh? Shouldn't that give Dragic even more opportunity to score more? And that team
STILL has more talent than we do.

 

[SirStefan32]

I love the anti-Dragic crowd on this board. He could average 30 and 15, and people would still not give him credit.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I love the anti-Dragic crowd on this board. He could average 30 and 15, and people would still not give him credit.

lol... okay. problem is, he's basically averaging HALF of 30/15 and people like you seemingly think he's playing at that level.

But seriously... how much credit is he supposed to get? He's a good player, borderline very good, but just look at the numbers... look at the impact of W/Ls... he's a 17/6 guy as he's grown into prime, who doesn't move the needle all that much in terms of wins and losses. Unfortunately, there's no one on the Suns right now who moves the needle in those terms either.

But what are we supposed to be giving credit for more then saying the guy is a good to very good player? How is that being Anti-Dragic? It's not like we're calling him a nobody or a piece of crap.

 

[sunsfan88]

lol... okay. problem is, he's basically averaging HALF of 30/15 and people like you seemingly think he's playing at that level.

But seriously... how much credit is he supposed to get? He's a good player, borderline very good, but just look at the numbers... look at the impact of W/Ls... he's a 17/6 guy as he's grown into prime, who doesn't move the needle all that much in terms of wins and losses. Unfortunately, there's no one on the Suns right now who moves the needle in those terms either.

But what are we supposed to be giving credit for more then saying the guy is a good to very good player? How is that being Anti-Dragic? It's not like we're calling him a nobody or a piece of crap.

How is slinslin's shot at Dragic in the 2nd or 3rd post of this thread not anti-Dragic? Read the OP, Dragic wasn't even brought up by anyone else but the anti Dragic crew.

 

[Catlover]

I love the anti-Dragic crowd on this board. He could average 30 and 15, and people would still not give him credit.

lol... okay. problem is, he's basically averaging HALF of 30/15 and people like you seemingly think he's playing at that level.

But seriously... how much credit is he supposed to get? He's a good player, borderline very good, but just look at the numbers... look at the impact of W/Ls... he's a 17/6 guy as he's grown into prime, who doesn't move the needle all that much in terms of wins and losses. Unfortunately, there's no one on the Suns right now who moves the needle in those terms either.

But what are we supposed to be giving credit for more then saying the guy is a good to very good player? How is that being Anti-Dragic? It's not like we're calling him a nobody or a piece of crap.

How is slinslin's shot at Dragic in the 2nd or 3rd post of this thread not anti-Dragic? Read the OP, Dragic wasn't even brought up by anyone else but the anti Dragic crew.

So now slinslin is a crowd?

 

[JCSunsfan]

I don't know whether I am anti Dragic or not. I do know that without Bledsoe playing with him the Suns were a .500 team or below. They were pretty good when playing together last year.

But Dragic wanted something different.

They have both been fairly mediocre this year. Sounds like the list is about right.

 

[BC867]

And what does it matter that they don't have Bosh? Shouldn't that give Dragic even more opportunity to score more?

You're evaluating a Point Guard on the basis of how good a scorer he is?

That's the problem with McDonough and Hornacek. Individual stats over making the rest of the team cohesive.

 

[Cheesebeef]

You're evaluating a Point Guard on the basis of how good a scorer he is?

That's the problem with McDonough and Hornacek. Individual stats over making the rest of the team cohesive.

I'm evaluating him as an ALL-NBA player PERIOD. Because if I was evaulating him based on how good of a PG he is, all I'd have to do is point to the paltry 5.5 assists per game he's averaging. And then I'd probably rank him in the exact same place that article did... which was 12TH in the league.

and i'm not sure how you can ignore that in the last three years, when Dragic has been the "PG" alone on his teams (sans Bledsoe for forty games last), his teams were a putrid 56-84. Sorry, but that record doesn't scream cohesion from PG skills to me any more then 5.5 assists do.

reality... he's not an elite PG. He's not even an elite SG. He's a very good combo guard. How people can keep debating this when he doesn't distribute at a high level or build this "team cohesiveness" that leads to Ws is beyond me.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I love the anti-Dragic crowd on this board. He could average 30 and 15, and people would still not give him credit.

Your rhetoric and non stop focus on Dragic has gone from annoying to just bizarre. Are you related to him in some capacity?

I'm just hoping you'll shut up once he gets paid 20 mil a year, and continues to put up the same good but not great stats he's put up his entire career.

 

[SirStefan32]

You're rhetoric and non stop focus on Dragic has gone from annoying to just bizarre. Are you related to him in some capacity?

I'm just hoping you'll shut up once he gets paid 20 mil a year, and continues to put up the same good but not great stats he's put up his entire career.

No, I am not rhetoric.

 

[Cheesebeef]

No, I am not rhetoric.

might as well be your new nickname when it comes to Dragic!

 

[BC867]

No, I am not rhetoric.

Good catch, Stefan.

Their gramma Mary Mason is alliterate.

I mean their grammar is illiterate.

 

[WildBB]

Both Bledsoe and Dragic have some major flaws in their games in guiding a teams offense. Real questionable ball handling and at times passing skills.

Both have score first mentalities in crunch time. Bledsoe seems to be a bit more comfortable in letting a hot hand take over in other stretches of the games. I just wish he could be a more consistent 10 Assist guy.

 

[Catlover]

Both Bledsoe and Dragic have some major flaws in their games in guiding a teams offense. Real questionable ball handling and at times passing skills.

Both have score first mentalities in crunch time. Bledsoe seems to be a bit more comfortable in letting a hot hand take over in other stretches of the games. I just wish he could be a more consistent 10 Assist guy.

Right now the 10 assist player is a memory. Chris Paul leads the league with 10.2 per game and no one else is 10 or better. Our style of play and our roster make it even more unlikely that a point guard would average double digit assists. An excellent distributor would be lucky to hit the 9 mark with a stand-around roster devoid of catch and shoot players.