Top 10 PG, (3-1)

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Yea, I took some time off but I decided to finish this off. lol. Criteria is the same as always, and your opinions are always welcomed.

 

 

Just missed it:

Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors

GP: 47 GS: 38 MPG: 32.1

14.3 PPG, .409/.374/.864, 55.8 TS%

6.6 AST, 4.6 RPG, 1.6 STL

18.93 PER

 

Lowry is a really up and down guy that I really want to put higher, but I just haven’t seen enough of a jump in his game to put him any higher. A lot of his game is improving, his efficiency, impact, and rebounding all noticeably improved. With Lowry it’s just a matter of his scoring, and how up and down it is. It’s the one area of his game where you keep hoping he will improve but have yet to see take form. Defensively Lowry can be a menace, his individual defensive numbers are very impressive, some of the best of any guard. His impact is very noticeable though, and the Rockets were playing their best when he was healthy. I think the move to Toronto could be great for his career, and only time will tell just how high he can go.

 

10. Ricky Rubio, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves

GP: 41, GS: 41, MPG: 34.2

10.6 PPG, .357/.340/.803, 47.6 TS%

4.7 RPG, 8.2 AST, 2.2 STL

14.70 PER

 

Outside of his eye popping assist percentage and rate, and the high steals, Rubio is a guy who makes it this high already because of a lot of things that you can’t see on his stats. Scoring wise he doesn’t bring much to an offense, it’s an area where he is developing, and is bound to improve with time. He is already a great passer capable of making passes that truly catch the eye, and is a great playmaker. The area where Rubio truly sets his mark and where he contributed the most was on the defensive end. Rubio was the biggest reason for the Wolves’ biggest improvement this past season. When he was on the court, the team was completely different, and a lot of that has to do with his never quit attitude. You always see him trying to do something, whether he is trying to disrupt a shot, or draw an offensive foul, trying to block shots, disrupting drivers, and passing lanes. One can only hope that Rubio is going to be able to come back fully healthy from his past injury, watching him play is an absolute treat, and I love watching him play. He has potential to be one of the best guards in the NBA.

 

9. Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State

GP: 26, GS: 23, MPG: 28

14.7 PPG, .490/.455/.809, 60.5 TS%

3.4 RPG, 5.3 AST, 1.5 STL

21.44 PER

 

Curry is an amazingly efficient player who could blossom into a top 5 point guard easily. He’s a player in the mold of a Steve Nash, who can score from virtually everywhere on the court, and is a great passer (obviously Nash is far better in the passing area). This past season he played through numerous injuries, so it’s not a clear reflection of his ability, but regardless, they were still extremely efficient, and he was shooting the ball like one of the best in the NBA. Some people may believe that Curry is just a shooter being forced to play PG, but they are wrong. Curry, even while splitting PG duties with Ellis was still capable of passing the ball at a great rate. How much better would his numbers as a passer be now that he will probably hold a lot more responsibilities as the point guard? Defensively he can be a liability at times, and it’s an area where he will probably never be strong at, but his potential offensively is massive.

 

8. Steve Nash, PG, Los Angeles Lakers

GP: 62, GS: 62, MPG: 31.6

12.5 PPG, .532/.390/.894, 62.5 TS%

3.0 RPG, 10.7 AST, .6 STL

20.35 PER

 

Steve Nash isn’t a great defensive player, has never been, but that’s about the only area where his game has any deficiencies. His impact on offense is massive, so big that I almost considered putting him in the top 5 before re-assessing things. His efficiency as a scorer is great, he may not score a ton of points, but the points he scores, and he does so with such efficiency that it really does help the team. Some will even argue that Nash is the best shooter of all time. His playmaking skills and leadership is what makes Nash such a great player is the other reason why he still remains on the list. Even now, at his age, you put Nash on your team and you have at least a good offense. Nash is one of the greatest offensive players of all time, and he will make his presence be felt with the Lakers, and you hope he wins at least one trophy with the Lakers. He did have a high turnover rate last year, but that probably had a lot more to do with the guys he was playing with.

 

7. Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

PGP: 51, GS: 51, 30.6 MPG

18.5 PPG, .469/.399/.872, 56.7 TS%

3.7 RPG, 5.4 AST, 1.1 STL

21.42 PER

 

Irving has the potential to leap frog a lot of players ahead of him and possibly even be a top 3 player by the end of next year barring injuries, if not, he’ll be there within three seasons. I don’t know if he’ll ever be a top passing guy, but at his best could be a 7 to 9 assist guy. He’s already a very good scorer, and has so much room to grow. Irving is a very crafty player, even with the lack of talent on his team, you never really saw Irvin try to take too many shots, or do too much. Very high motor, and has displayed some nasty crossover skills. His game, unlike a lot of other players can be a little more “boring” at times, and his team wasn’t so good last year so he still sometimes gets overlooked for the other rookie (Rubio), but the talent is there for him to be an amazing player. How he recovers from his injury and how he gels with the newcomers will go a long way to determining how good he will be.

Edited September 15, 2012 by DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F

[housemd 338]

10. Ricky Rubio

9. Stephen Curry

8. Steve Nash

7. Kyrie Irving

6. Tony Parker

5. Rajon Rondo

4. Russell Westbrook

3. Derrick Rose

2. Deron Williams

1. Chris Paul

[BradyFan81 404]

1. Rose (when healthy)

2. CP3

3. Dwill

4. Westbrook

5. Rondo

6. Parker

7. Nash

8. Kyrie

9. Lowry

10. Wall

Edited September 8, 2012 by BradyFan81

[BwareDWare94 723]

1. Rondo

2. Paul

3. Westbrook

4. Rose

5. Williams

6. Parker

7. Nash

8. Conley

9. Irving

10. Lowry

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

6. Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics

GP: 53, GS: 53, MPG: 36.9

11.9 PPG, .448/.238/.597, 48.3 TS%

4.8 RPG, 11.7 AST, 1.8 STL

17.66 PER

 

Rondo is an extremely difficult player to rank. Some people consider him one of the best because he passes the ball so well, and plays great defense for a PG, and others have him lower because he doesn’t bring very much else to an offense outside of his passing. As a passer Rondo is a good as they come, often using his ability to get to the basket to open opportunities for his teammates. As a rebounder, Rondo is also up there among the best above arguably even Westbrook and Lowry. And defensively, he is easily one of, if not the best defensive PG in the NBA. Always gets in front of passes, and is a great PnR defender a well as on ball defender. Rondo’s high, when he’s playing at his best is arguably the best in the NBA among guards. The problem with Rondo is that despite all his ability, he still has some major holes in his games that are holding him back in my book. He still has a very bright future ahead of him, and he is still developing as a player, just entering his prime. Should be interesting to see how far along he comes as his role and leadership of the offense increases.

 

5. Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs

GP: 60, GS: 60, MPG: 32.1

18.3 PPG, .480/.230/.799, 53.9 TS%

2.9 RPG, 7.7 AST, 1.0 STL

22.10 PER

 

My fellow Frenchman! Went back and forth between Rondo and Parker for the spot, decided to put Parker ahead. Parker may not have Rondo’s numbers as a passer, but Rondo doesn’t have a combo guard playing along side him like Parker does capable of being a great passer in his own right. Parker has also shown the ability to be a number one or two scoring option on championships. One aspect of Parker’s game that rarely gets bought up is his ability to be a great fast break player, some of his metrics on fast breaks are best among guards. There was a point last season where Parker was making a strong push for MVP considerations, and finished fifth in the MVP race this past season. He isn’t the great defender that Rondo is, but its been proven through the years in the NBA that a PG’s defensive impact doesn’t equate to very much on most nights anyway.

 

4. Russell Westbrook , PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

GP: 66, GS: 66, MPG: 35.4

23.6 PPG, .457/.318/.823, 53.4 TS%

4.6 RPG, 5.5 AST, 1.7 STL

23.11 PER

 

One of my favorite players in the NBA, Westbrook not making it into the top 3 isn’t a testament of how bad he is as much as it is how top heavy the point guards are in the NBA. When he’s on the court, the Thunder are a top five offense, and he is capable of completely taking over games at times. He has a knack for getting to the line due to his elite athleticism and is a great finisher around the rim. He’s also improved his scoring from everywhere on the court, outside of the three point line where you saw a slight dip. It’s already common knowledge that he is a great rebounder for a guard, and is capable of putting up some pretty good rebounding numbers. Defensively he can make a lot of splash plays, but he isn’t elite by any means. Most of his individual defensive number over the last two years lean more towards average to above average, but he is young, and like many young players in the NBA, defense is an area that can take time to be good/great at. The biggest negative for Westbrook is the fact that he isn’t exactly a great floor general yet, and sometimes he can have mental lapses that hinders the team more than helps. But he is extremely young, and has massive potential, and he is extremely durable.

[housemd 338]

Rondo's a top 5 PG..I don't want to sound like a homer,but he is..Great defense,the best passing game in the league..Shooting is not his asset and I'll say he pretty inconsistent when it comes to shooting but he's a decent scorer..He can find a way to the rim and send a couple of defenders to kindergarten with a few quick moves..

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Calling him a top 5 PG doesn't make you a homer... It makes you ignorant.

 

Lol, J/k. A lot of people have him in their top 5, top 3. I just can't overlook his scoring deficiencies.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Finishing this list, idk when I plan on starting a top 100 though.

 

3. Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls

GP: 39, GS: 39, MPG: 35.2

21.8 PPG, .435/.312/.812, 53.2 TS%

7.9AST, 3.4 RPG, .9 STL

23.19 PER

 

Rose’s ranking hangs in the balance based on how he recovers from the scary ACL injury he suffered this past season because his athleticism is a huge part of his game. While I don’t believe he’ll be completely back to normal right off the bat, I think with time Rose will be back to his former self, and improve in other areas of his game in the process. A great driver, and finisher, he tends to be able to get to the basket even when defenses try and stop him. Some people like to point at some of his face efficient numbers and claim he is too inefficient, but the Bulls offense is at its best when Rose is on the court. He makes everyone around him so much better and the Bulls just aren’t the same with him gone. He’s a great rebounder for a guard, and his assist numbers have been improving every season.

 

Like mentioned before, a lot depends on the ACL injury and how well he recovers from, and whether or not he takes steps to improve his jumpers. Defensively, there is some work to be done, but he is improving with every season. He had a dip in a lot of number last season, but a lot of that can be due to the constant injuries he faced all season. If Rose continues to grow, give him two, three years, he could make a run as the best guard in the NBA.

 

2. Deron Williams, PG, BRK Nets

GP: 55, GS: 55, 36.3 PPG

21.0 PPG, .408/.337/.843, 52.8 TS%

3.3 RPG, 8.7 AST, 1.2 STL

20.27 PER

 

Williams and CP3 have been 2 and 1 for me for some time now, and I don’t see it changing any time soon unless Rose or Westbrook develop a more consistent and complete game. As a passer Williams is in the same class as Nash, Rondo and CP3, a crafty guy who can pass it anywhere on the court, his range allows him to open up a lot of space for his teammates to score. His offensive game is what sets him above the rest of the competition as he is a much better shooter then a lot of other PG in the NBA. When he is on his game, he can put up points in bunches, and can play SG if need be as a spot up shooter. From an efficiency perspective, he was pretty bad last year and the year before that, but that probably had a lot more to do with the fact that he took more shots and had little to no help from his teammates which lead to more unnecessary shots. Defensively he isn’t too far ahead of the two guys below him, but he has great size, and knows how to use it, as well as he is very smart.

 

A lot of what makes Williams better then Rose and Westbrook is between the ears. Williams is a lot smarter when it comes to picking a choosing his shot, and where to go with the ball. I expect Williams to continue playing at a high level with the additions the Nets have made, and Lopez coming back healthy. If Westbrook and Rose improve they might end up leap frogging Williams, but till then, Deron’s the man.

 

1. Chris Paul, PG, LA Clippers

GP: 60, GS: 60, 36.4 MPG

19.8 PPG, .477/.371/.861, 58.1 TS%

3.6 RPG, 9.1 AST, 2.5 STL

19.8 PER

 

One of the runners up for MVP, CP3 was a huge part of why the Clippers made the playoffs this past season. He’s eased his way easily back from his injury and has continued his dominance as the best guard in the NBA, and it may not be close. There isn’t another guard who can create for others, score from anywhere and play defense as well as CP3. And with how good he is of a scorer, it’s a wonder he doesn’t try to shoot more. He’s shown that not only is he a great guard during the season, but also during the playoffs. He is still the great pick pocket guy that he’s always been, but now, you don’t see him take as many risks, and plays a lot smarter.

 

The scary thing about CP3 is that he is still very young, and regardless of whether he decides to stay in LA or leave, he will be put in great position to keep playing dominantly.

[BradyFan81 404]

I can't argue with CP3 being #1. I prefer the MVP Derrick Rose, however, I respect Chris Paul immensely and the way he controls the game. The Clippers are nothing without him.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I can't argue with CP3 being #1. I prefer the MVP Derrick Rose, however, I respect Chris Paul immensely and the way he controls the game. The Clippers are nothing without him.

 

Just wanna know your opinion, how well do you think he's gonna recover from that ACL/

[BwareDWare94 723]

DMac, where does Conley fall on your list?

[BradyFan81 404]

Just wanna know your opinion, how well do you think he's gonna recover from that ACL/

I think he will come back at 100% honestly and should be good to go for another playoff run this year. Modern medicine and training regimes are so good nowadays, I think we'll forget he even had the injury a few years from now. I certainly hope that's what happens cause I hate to see a talent like that go to waste. I LOVE watching him play.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

DMac, where does Conley fall on your list?

 

Barely gets into my top 15. He is developing as a passer, although having guys around him who tend to create their own offenses limit how much of a passer he can be. He's got potential as a shooter as well.

 

He's young though, I think he can be a top 10 PG, but bottom top 10 is his peak imo.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I think he will come back at 100% honestly and should be good to go for another playoff run this year. Modern medicine and training regimes are so good nowadays, I think we'll forget he even had the injury a few years from now. I certainly hope that's what happens cause I hate to see a talent like that go to waste. I LOVE watching him play.

 

You and I both, a lot of PG in the NBA today are loads of fun to watch play.