Now that the NBA is back, so are the debates. Kobe or LeBron? Is Miami’s Big 3 good enough? Who’s the best young player in the game? Well, it seems as if a lot of people can agree on one certain debate: Who’s the best point guard in the NBA?
Well, the MVP trophy says Derrick Rose, and so do many other basketball experts and fans. “Ball don’t lie” is a commonly used term in basketball whether it’s on the streets or in NBA arenas, quite simply, if someone says something and you don’t agree with it, the basketball itself will settle the debate.
Such was the case for Mr. MVP, Derrick Rose in his first meeting against Chris Paul of the 2011-12 NBA season where he absolutely made Paul look old. “Anything you can do I can do better” was the common quote of the game as if, Paul threw a bounce pass, Rose threw an alley-oop. The TNT Crew of Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, and Shaq brought up a great point in the point guard debate saying the best point guards in the league aren’t the one’s who put up the stats, it’s the one’s who control the tempo of the game.
So point to point, one to five, here are the top pure point guards, for the “tempo controllers”.
1. Derrick Rose-Bulls
Career stats: 20.8 ppg, 6.7 apg, 3.9 rpg 0.9 spg, 46% fg, 31% 3ptfg, 81%ft
2011 MVP (youngest ever), 2009 Rookie Of The Year, 2011 First-Team All NBA.
Derrick Rose, the 2011 MVP, the 2009 Rookie Of The year, the #1 overall pick in 2009, only gets better with time. It was just a few short years ago where everyone wanted to talk “Chris Paul or Deron Williams”. Now it seems as if absolutely no one can touch Rose in point guard debates, or on the court for that matter. His quickness, ability to finish at the rim, and court vision make him truly unstoppable. The scary thing is, Rose only continues to get better, with improvements coming offensively and defensively, Rose will soon be making a push at LeBron and Durant for “Best Player In The League” not just Most Valuable.
2. Chris Paul-Clippers
Career stats: 18.6 ppg, 9.9 apg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 spg, 47%fg, 35% 3ptfg, 85% ft
3x All-NBA, 2x All-NBA defensive team, Rookie of Year (2006).
Lob City, that’s what Chris Paul has made Los Angeles. While Paul does not have the scoring knack that Derrick Rose has, he has a few attributes that make me want to argue that he’s still the best in the league. The best record I have seen in my young life, is Paul’s 108 consecutive games with at least one steal. His veteran leadership and defensive knack is one that is hard to find. Most players in the league are concerned about flash, Paul is concerned about rings. A couple more months of chemistry and maybe another year in LA, it will go from Lob City to Championship City.
3. Rajon Rondo-Celtics
Career stats- 10.8 ppg, 7.6 apg, 4.4 rpg, 1.9 spg 48% fg, 24%3pfg, 62%ft
NBA champion, 3x All-NBA Defensive team, 2x All-Star
They say a picture tells a thousand words and this one here tells the story of Rajon Rondo: no fear. LeBron clearly outweighs Rondo and stands much taller than him, yet Rondo is playing defense with no regrets. It’s been his maturity and hard work ethic, that has made the “Boston Big Three” into the “Fearsome Four”. With Ray Allen, Pierce, and KG getting closer to the end of their careers, Rondo will soon be taking the top spot of the throne. When you learn from the best of the best, you work to be the best. Cp3 and Rose are great players, Rondo’s a hustle player. His hustle is the reason why he was the first player in the 2011-12 season to record a triple double. His hustle is the reason Rondo is the third best point guard in the league.
4. Deron Williams-Nets
Career stats- 17.2 ppg, 9.2 apg, 3.3 rpg, 1.1 spg. 46%fg 35% 3pfg 80% ft.
All-NBA team, 2x All-Star.
No matter what he does, Williams will always be second fiddle in comparison to Chris Paul. Whether it’s true or not, D-Will definitely deserves some respect. Very few point guards can average a double-double and Williams is almost right there. Drafted by Utah then traded to New Jersey, all he needs is a sidekick. If Williams has a big man or second scoring threat to go to, he can certainly make a push back into the top spot debate. His soft spoken tone, respect, and passion for the game make him a league favorite among other players, coaches, and analysts. Now if only he got the respect of a top three point guard.
5. Russell Westbrook-Thunder
Career stats: 17.7 ppg, 7.1 apg, 4.8 rpg, 1.5 spg. 42%fg 27% 3pfg 81%ft
All NBA Second team, 2009 All Rookie team, 2011 All-Star
Westbrook’s style of play reminds me so much of Rajon Rondo: hustle. The only negative factor of Westbrook’s play right now is, attitude. He’s got one weapon that none of the other four point guards have, a lethal scoring threat, Kevin Durant. While having the best scorer in the league on your team usually seems to be a great thing, Westbrook seems to play with a chip on his shoulder. Whether he’s trying to show up Durant or prove he can be just as good as Durant is yet to be determined but one thing’s for sure, when at his level of play, and a good mindset, Russell Westbrook is an elite player. Even while Durant is scoring 30+ points a night, Westbrook is pacing himself for a near triple double.
So as of now, these are the top five pure point guards in the NBA today. Will the last two #1 picks, John Wall or Kyrie Irving soon crack this list? Who will be fallen off the list in 2-3 years? The rise and fall of a point guard can happen so quickly, Devin Harris was once a hot item for all teams, now he’s just a point guard. Norris Cole is a rookie this season but yet, he’s becoming one of the beloved young players in the game. There are so many point guards in the NBA, very few worth being a top five. As of now there’s a court full of Roses, a Lob City showcase, a hustling Celtic, a savy Jersey boy, and one hell of a Thunder bolt that control the top five spots. Only time will tell where the show goes from here.
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