June 4th, 2010 by nsorenson

The “best” point guard in the NBA is a hot topic. There is a lot of debate because perhaps there hasn’t been a clear front-runner for best in the NBA, or everyone has a different definition for what “best” means. At the SG, it’s clearly Kobe Bryant. Best SF is LeBron James. PF is debatable. C is most likely Dwight Howard. But at the point guard spot? There are some great players vying.

We’ll take a look at a number of factors that go into making a great point guard: shooting, passing/playmaking, defense, durability and leadership. Before I go any further, I have to point out that steals are the most overrated defensive statistic. I’ve watched too many players labeled as “good defenders” (because of their steals) attempt a risky steal, fail, and then leave their man open for an easy bucket. A great defender will get steals, don’t get me wrong. They will also play solid man on man defense and make the team better defensively.

Passing/playmaking will look at assists, turnovers, and a few subjective fields. It’s not as cut and dry because you could look at Baron Davis’ 8 assists per game and nearly a 3:1 assist/turnover ratio and believe that he’s a great point guard. You would then be hit in the face by all the members of the Clippers for thinking that because sometimes stats are overrated.

In shooting, in addition to other factors, we’ll look at True Shooting Percentage (TS%) which takes into consideration how well you shoot from short and long range. It’s compounded by your Free Throw % and accuracy from beyond the 3 point line with attempts factored in. The league average is about 54%.

Leadership is admittedly more subjective but it’s impact isn’t less important. Case in point: Chauncey Billups compared to Allen Iverson. Under the reins of Iverson, Denver couldn’t squeeze out of the 1st round and the team did not mature. Making the trade for Billups instantly promoted the Nuggets to contenders in the Western Conference because of the leadership that Billups brought.

Durability is obviously a huge factor because you can’t say that Grant Hill was one of the best NBA players ever just because he had a few great seasons and was incredibly talented. He’s had more injury-plagued seasons than healthy ones which is a shame, but it also brings down his overall stock.

Rajon Rondo

During the 2010 NBA Playoffs, we’ve watched Rondo tear up the Heat and Cavaliers. He seemed to be hit with a couple of minor injuries that brought him down from “superhuman” status while playing the Magic but no one can doubt he has special talent after watching him play.

As a shooter, Rondo struggles…mightily. His TS% is 54% (which is average) but it’s deceiving. He converts at well above the league average right around the rim and out to about 15 foot shots. Why does that make him a bad shooter? It doesn’t actually, he’s deadly when he’s close to the rim. However, if he’s facing a long 2 pointer or a 3, you can put down a lawn chair and grab a drink while he shoots because he’s not a threat from there.

For many guards, fouling them while driving to the rim or on short shots is painful because of their high FT% (aka, Billups & Nash shoot over 90% from the line). However, fouling Rondo doesn’t seem like the worst idea in the world since he converts a horrid 61% of his free throws.

As a passer & playmaker, Rondo has special talent. He averaged nearly 10 assists this year with a respectable 3.23:1 assist/turnover ratio. He’s so quick and athletic that he can penetrate the lane, draw defenders to him, and see the open man for easy layups/dunks. That’s a dream come true for most teams.

Rondo led the NBA in steals (2.3/game) this year. His effort in steals occasion has lead to easy points for the offense but Rondo has also brought great defensive intensity all around the floor. His quickness means he won’t frequently get beat off the dribble but his weakness is his size. Rondo measures 6’1 and maybe 170 pounds. PGs like Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, and even Jason Kidd or Andre Miller can overpower Rondo and take it to him.

Rondo has played in at least 77 games in all of his 4 seasons and given his athleticism, he appears to be able to withstand minor injuries and be a durable player.

There have been rumors of locker room issues in regards to Rondo during the past 2 post-seasons which can hardly make for a good leader. The Celtics are lucky to already have players serving as good leaders but you have to wonder if Rondo were on a different team would his baggage be a detriment to the team.

Steve Nash

He is the most ridiculous man in the world. He also wins the award for the most beatings taken in the playoffs without missing significant game time. Did I mention he’s 36 years old? Nash set an NBA record this year for the most assists (892) in a season for a 36 year old. He’s only gotten better with age…but it’ll be interesting to see when time starts taking it’s toll. Sadly, it will be much sooner, rather than later.

As a shooter, there is no better. In fact, John Hollinger of ESPN.com outlined the greatest shooters of all time in the NBA and Steve Nash was atop that list. Nash has posted a record 4 seasons (and nearly 2 more seasons missing by only hundredths of a percentage) of 50/40/90. Over 50% from the field, 40% from 3P, and 90% from the free throw line. He shoots well from short and long, can convert from pick and roll, or as a spot-up shooter. His size and athleticism do not give him many chances to beat opponents off the dribble but he makes up for it in basketball IQ.

As a passer/playmaker he is incredibly proficient. Because of his playmaking abilities he frequently creates open shots for his teammates. He has regularly averaged over 11 assist/game and his assist/turnover ratio is nearly always around 3:1. His skill at running pick and roll has always been deadly at creating offense for himself and his team. His turnover rate is high though, and it’s one area that has worsened with time.

Steve Nash’s biggest weakness is on defense. He has always been labeled a defensive liability and it’s well-deserved. His size (6’3, 178 lbs) has him skinny and unable to defend bigger stronger guards. His offensive quickness has not translated on the defensive end and generally loses steps to quicker, smaller guards. Against bigger guards, they simply can post up on him and get easy inside shots. Nash has only averaged better than 1 steal/game twice in a 13 year career and one year went 60 games without blocking a shot. Ok, I made up that last stat but in the ’07-08 season he only blocked 5 shots…total.

The early years of Steve Nash’s career were laden with injury but he has become more durable as he’s gotten older…which is rare. Over the past 10 years he generally misses only about 5 games a year.

He has received 2 MVP awards combined with good team play, a veteran mentality with a deceptively young style of play makes him a great leader. His teammates look up to him. If he were better defensively, I’d be clamoring for him to be lauded as the Best Point Guard Ever.

Chris Paul

Up until the 2009-2010 season, the world had declared Chris Paul to be the best point guard in the league..and perhaps for good reason. In 2009 Chris Paul finished 2nd in voting for MVP and nearly lead the league in PER. Some remained skeptical as there are a lot of uncertainties when it comes to CP3.

It’s hard to look at the 2009-2010 season as a sample because Paul suffered several injuries for nearly the entire season and saw his statistics drop in virtually all categories as a result. However, this was not his first season dealing with injuries and it seems like we might see a trend from Chris Paul in this regard. He missed a chunk of his rookie season with injuries as well. Given his small stature and strength (6’0, 175 lbs) I have a hard time believing he can play a dozen years at his pace without facing a number of trying injuries.

Overall, Chris Paul’s offensive skills are superb. He’s quick and athletic which allows for stop-and-go dribbling and penetration into the paint. He’s proficient at the running teardrop floater in the lane. He has the ability to wear down his defender with his skills in handling the ball and from there can create plays for himself and his team.

New Orleans’ offense is based solely around Chris Paul. Nearly half of all points scored in any given Hornets’ game are either scored by or assisted by Chris Paul. It’s difficult to believe that an offensive such as this wouldn’t pad CP3′s stats. Before this year New Orleans could barely afford to keep CP3 off the court as no one seemed to be able to score without him on the court. This offensive padding seemed hard to prove w/ Chris Paul continually playing. This changed, however, in the 2009 draft when the Hornets drafted Darren Collison out of UCLA.

Collison is built almost exactly like Chris Paul and plays a very similar game. While he projects to be a solid point guard in the league it appears that his run this past season was also inflated by New Orleans’ offensive style. While Paul was out with injuries Collison averaged 22 points and 9 assists per game which would have lead all rookies in both categories had he started all season. Those numbers are markedly similar to Chris Paul’s so the question is are they a result of the style of offense or individual ability?

Chris Paul has developed into a good shooter over the past couple seasons…but was not always such a threat. His TS% has been close to 60% over the past few seasons and has improved his range considerably. For standing only 6 feet tall he finds his shot blocked at a remarkably low rate: only 3-4%. The league average is nearly 6%.

CP3 has been at the top of the assists leaderboard in the NBA for 3 seasons now. His floor vision and passing ability are among the best in the NBA. What’s more incredible is that his turnover rate is incredibly low for a point guard and his assist/turnover ratio generally hovers near 4:1. Chris Paul’s greatest skill is his ability to take care of the ball and deliver it to his teammates.

Chris Paul lead the league in steals for 2 seasons in a row which gave him All-Defense team honors. That being said, he’s not a great defender. He has quick hands and feet which nets him steals but he takes a lot of risks when attempting steals and sometimes it hurts his team as a result. I’d much rather see him play tight defense force a bad shot taken than watch him make a play for a steal and draw a foul or give up an easy play.

I think Chris Paul’s approach to defense is a lazy one: if he can get the steal then great! If not, he hopes that someone else can pick up his slack when his guy loses him. In addition, his size makes him unable to guard the bigger guards in the league which is why Deron Williams has always dominated the matchup between the two. Teams with a larger backcourt give the Hornets a lot of issues because the Hornets give up a lot of size and basketball is all about exploiting mis-matches. The Oklahoma City Thunder have 2 bigger guards as their starting backcourt (Russell Westbrook at 6’3 and Thabo Sefalosha at 6’7) and I can’t see the Hornets backcourt able to contain that size.

I’m not sure how Chris Paul’s defensive mentality affects his teammates but he does seem like a good leader. He definitely has the killer instinct you need to truly be a great NBA player. Nevertheless, his team has not been able to advance past the 2nd round of the playoffs and failed to make the playoffs this year.

Deron Williams

Deron Williams plays in one of the most structured offenses in the NBA with the Utah Jazz. It’s a far reach from the let-Chris-Paul-run-around offense that New Orleans employs. However, it would be incredibly interesting to see Chris Paul and Deron Williams switch teams and see what kind of numbers they would each put up in the other’s system.

That being said, offensively, Deron Williams is dangerous in any situation. His ability to lose defenders with his crossover is extraordinary. Just ask Jason Terry. Deron Williams can run the pick and roll with the best of them and is quick and strong enough to blow by defenders and drive to the rim. Or if his defenders so dare he can pull up for a jumper and get it done that way as well. He doesn’t quite have the raw athleticism that Derrick Rose has but Rose can’t hold a candle to Williams’ jumpshot.

While Steve Nash and Chauncey Billups might be better shooters Deron Williams is better than average from almost any range and has a TS% of around 57-59%.

DWill has that killer instinct and elevates his game when needed. He is soft-spoken which may come across as not being aggressive but he is definitely the leader of the Jazz and the players all respect him.

On defense, DWill has always been underrated. He is quite capable of playing lockdown defense and with his size he can defend even some of the bigger guards in the league (Kobe Bryant, Brandon Roy). He has good hands and has always averaged better than 1 steal/game. His omission to an All-Defense team is almost as unbelievable as only being selected to 1 All Star team.

He size and strength have made him more durable than many point guards. DWill has suffered only 1 injury in 2008 that caused him to miss more than a couple games. During the 2009-2010 season he weathered a number of minor injuries throughout the season and still managed to maintain good stats.

As a playmaker, he has phenomenal floor vision. The Jazz’ offense is directed around finding easy layups and dunks for players cutting to the basket. Time and time again Williams finds those players with ease. His strength and speed enables him to get into the lane where he punishes the other team with strong finishes or dishing to a cutting teammate.

DWill generally averages 10-11 assists/game with an assist/turnover ratio of just over 3:1 which is very good. Notwithstanding, he doesn’t take care of the ball as well as Chris Paul. In this category, he has the most room for improvement. But he’s only 25 years old, his best years are yet to come. While the same can be said about Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo, they are still behind Deron Williams in a very close race.

Deron Williams is the most complete point guard in the NBA. Does that mean the same as “best”? Most definitely. When you look at total package and abilities, no point guard can do everything Deron Williams can as competently. Some PGs are better at one thing or another, but no one is as complete.

Basketball is a multi-faceted sport. The best offensive players don’t make the best overall players because offense and defense are required from all players. If you wanted offense only, you might go with Steve Nash or Chris Paul as your #1 choice but then you lose out on the defensive end. No other point guard in the NBA can do everything as well as Deron Williams can. For this reason, Deron Williams is the best point guard on the planet.

Neil muses about the Utah Jazz for the UpperBowlJazzFan. If you disagree or want to debates sports follow him @UpperBowlJazzFan and for all else @iNeils.

May 16th, 2010 by Chase

Here we go again. It’s the middle of May and Kobe and co. are in the mix again for another NBA championship. 8 more wins and Kobe Bryant wins ring number 5, placing him near the top of the all time greats with the most championships.

Up next are the Phoenix Suns who just finished a surprising sweep of Tim Duncan and the Spurs. The Phoenix Suns come into this series hot, shooting over 40% from 3-point land. The Lakers took 3 out of 4 regular season games from the Suns this season. And this didn’t happen by chance or luck. There are some specific things they did in those 4 regular season match-ups that, if they do in this series should have no problem finishing the Suns off in 5 or 6 games.

1. Control Amare Stoudamire

Much like the Lakers were able to control Carlos Boozer with their length inside, the Lakers need to be able to control Amare. And they can. With their 3 7 Footers in Gasol, Bynum, and Odom the Lakers can prevent many of the buckets in the paint that Amare lives off of. Keeping Amare out of the paint offensively is the number 1 key to the Lakers success in this series.

2. No Answer For Gasol

Just like in the last series, there is no answer for Pau Gasol inside. The Suns throw around names like Robin Lopez, Jaron Collins, and that Amundsen guy. But come on now! Expect Pau Gasol to have a huge series yet again and to pretty much get whatever he wants inside the paint.

3. Offense Against the Zone

During the Lakers 4 match-ups with Phoenix this season, the Lakers had some trouble scoring against the Suns when Phoenix would break into a zone defense. Sometimes the Lakers have a lack of outside shooting on the floor and this can hurt them against a zone. This is where Sasha Vuyacic is important in this series. If he can shoot the ball well from the outside, he can help eliminate the effects of any zone defensive strategy.

4. Fronting of the Post

Much like the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Phoenix Suns like to try and take away your inside game by constantly fronting the post and placing a help defender right behind. It will be interesting to see what the ref’s do in this series. Kobe Bryant when in the post, likes to keep his elbows up high (good fundamentals by the way) and use great body position in order to shield off the defender when he’s trying to front. Consequently Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, and Jared Dudley are going to get many elbows in the grill. While these are not offensive fouls, it will be critical to the game as to how exactly the ref’s call this situation.

5. The Bench Play

This one as it stands (before the series) is a clear advantage to the Phoenix Suns. The Suns throw at you 5 guys. Dragic, Barbosa, Dudley, Amundson, and Frye. All 5 of these guys are major contributors. The Lakers really throw 3 guys at you in Odom, Brown, and Farmar with 2 extra guys who you are not sure what you will get from in Walton and Vuyacic. Can the Lakers 3 main bench guys outplay the Suns 5? This will be the biggest key to this series.

If you want to read a very detailed and insightful breakdown of the Bench match-up, read what Darius over at Forum Blue & Gold wrote.

6. Defending the Screen Roll

The screen roll is flat out tough to defend in the NBA. Now add Steve Nash to the mix. The guy is probably the greatest of all-time at running it. How the Lakers defend this will be critical. In the last series the Spurs would try and simply switch every screen roll and it worked against them. Tim Duncan’s foot speed just couldn’t keep up. This is where I think Gasol and Odom will be critical in this series. Darius at FB&G wrote another great piece breaking down the Lakers defense of the Suns.

7. The Play of Artest and Odom

Ok here’s the deal. The Suns have nobody, and I mean nobody who can compete with these 2 players on either side of the floor. These 2 guys have their opportunity in this series to put a huge stamp of this years championship run for the Lakers. Artest can help and roam as a defender in this series. It will be critical for him to chase off 3 point shooters and go from defending a big guy like Frye on a few plays, to defending Barbosa on another.

Odom had to beef it out with Paul Milsap (who is a BEAST by the way) all of last series. That is a challenge. But Amundsen and Frye should not be. They are good players yes. But nothing compared to Milsap of the Utah Jazz. Odom should completely dominate these 2 big man bench players for the Suns . If he does it could shorten the series for the Lakers.

8. Kobe, Kobe, and More Kobe

I keep hearing all this talk about Grant Hill and Jared Dudley and how they are going to defend and bother Kobe. Let’s not be ridiculous people. The Phoenix Suns have no match-up for Kobe Bryant whatsoever. In the last series you saw what a good defender like Wesley Mathews get torched game after game. The older legs of Grant Hill and slower legs of Jared Dudley are in huge trouble. Kobe will have his way in this series! Mark my words.

If the Lakers can hold strong in these 8 areas, the Lakers will win the series in 5 games. If they struggle in these areas it could go 7. All in all expect PJ to have the Lakers fine tuned and to win this series in 6.

January 9th, 2010 by Chase

Bringing you the top 10 list of the NBA’s best players. Just like in 2009 and 2008, we rank the top 10 players in the NBA based on 3 major areas of criteria. These criteria include winning, individual statistics, and the intangible’s like leadership, being clutch, fighting through injuries etc. At the bottom of the list are the “Honorable Mentions” that did not quite make the list of the top 10, but were of course very close. Let’s get right to it!

1. Kobe Bryant

After winning his 4th NBA Title, the guy hasn’t missed a beat. You can say the guy actually got better over the summer, working out with Hakeem Olajuwon and introducing a solid post game to his offensive arsenal. Many people want to crown LeBron James at the top of this list, but it just does not work that way. Kobe is still at the top of his game and he is winning rings, not LeBron! Expect Kobe to win his second MVP in 2010′.

2. LeBron James

LeBron is a beast to say the least. After winning the MVP last season, LeBron has a very good chance of winning it yet again this season. There is nobody else in the world at the same level of Kobe and LeBron. The man get’s better and better every single season. If you would have told me 10 years ago that one day we would see a player with Michael Jordan’s athleticism and the size of Karl Malone, I would have called you crazy. It’s crazy to see what LeBron can do on a basketball court.

3. Dwyane Wade

It’s crazy how this guy is always being overlooked because of Kobe and LeBron. Dwade is flat out a great player. The word Great get’s used in sports far too often. When I say great I say future hall of famer. The big question for Wade will be if he can lead his team to a competitive season and past the first round of the playoffs. If he can do that, Wade will reach a level that LeBron and Kobe have reached with getting the most out of their teammates.

4. Chris Paul

What needs to be said here. CP3 is the best point guard in the world hands down. He’s nasty competitive. He can finish going to the rim like no other point guard in this era. He can pass, shoot, score, defend. The only downside here is the New Orleans Hornets organization lack of willingness to support him by providing him solid players and a coaching staff to work with. Outside of that, Chris Paul is holding his own as the modern day version of Isaiah Thomas.

5. Carmelo Anthony

If Carmelo Anthony can stay healthy, he has a good chance of winning his first MVP award in 2010. I don’t know what Melo is eating for breakfast, but the guy has made himself unstoppable.  He’s an offensive scoring machine, and he has stepped up his game defensively to an elite level. Melo proved in last year’s playoff run that he is one of the leagues top 5 players and cannot be stopped by anybody when he has the ball in his hands.

6. Kevin Garnett

People are moving this guy out of their top 10 lists because of his injured Knee and his age. Baloney! The Celtics are one of two dominant teams in the league (the Lakers being the other) and Garnett is by far the cornerstone of the Celtics. Without him they are nothing. Even though Garnett’s offensive numbers are down, his defensive precense is still as frightening to opposing teams as ever. And talking about intangibles, nobody brings more leadership and effort day in and day out than Kevin Garnett. He’s a poor man’s Bill Russell, and that my friends is quite the compliment.

7. Dirk Nowitzki

I don’t know if it’s cause he’s German, or because he’s white, or what exactly it is. But people seem to always sleep on Dirk Nowitzki. But Dirk continues to put up huge numbers since he won his first MVP award a few years back. His team continues to be competitive, and he continues to show more and more toughness each season. Truly one of the most gifted 7 Footers we have ever seen in Basketball. He is a joy to watch!

8. Dwight Howard

Popularity wise Dwight Howard is easily in the top 3 or 4 of this list. But being one of the best players in the NBA has nothing to do with popularity, and everything to do with your game. He’s the strongest guy in the league. And he’s the most dominant player inside 4-5 feet from the rim. Defensively he can change entire playoff seasons with his inside precense. But he won’t move higher up on this list until he can provide leadership to his team, and develop more of an inside post-up offensive game.

9. Deron Williams

The only reason Deron Williams doesn’t get more “pub” as one of the premier players in the NBA today is because of where he plays. That being Utah of course. Combine that with a team full of lazy, unambitious, self-serving players around him and you can see the difficulties he has to deal with. But every year he gets better and better. Scoring, passing, ball-handling, defense etc. The guy can do it all at his position. Throw Chris Paul out of the equation, and Deron is the best point guard in the World.

10. Steve Nash

Steve Nash didn’t make the list in 2009, primarily because the Suns stopped winning and Nash started to look old. This season however is a completely different story. Nash is showing no signs of his age whatsoever, and is leading his Phoenix Suns to a winning season with an under-talented team and an inexperienced head coach. The guy is still one of the funnest players to watch in the game today! Don’t be suprised if this guy pulls a John Stockton on us and plays til’ he’s 40.

Honorable Mentions

• Kevin Durrant
• Brandon Roy
• Pau Gasol
• Tim Duncan
• Paul Pierce
• Joe Johnson