Along with his first Finals MVP and fourth NBA Championship, has Stephen Curry change into the best level guard of all time?
Virtually each checklist made prior to now 30 years has anointed Magic Johnson as the best level guard ever; that title is in jeopardy.
Best level guards of all time
When itemizing the best level guards of all time, I attempted to not put an excessive amount of worth on championships. Basketball is a staff sport, you possibly can nonetheless be an amazing participant with out your staff having a cupboard stuffed with trophies. Having stated that, the mark of a real level guard is how nicely they elevate their teammates.
In addition to a number of exceptions, one of the best level guards in NBA historical past all the time made everyone on the ground higher.
Honorable mentions
Tiny Archibald, Bob Cousy, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Johnson, Kyle Lowry, Tim Hardaway, and Dennis Johnson all simply missed the lower.
15) James Harden
The superior stats love James Harden. It doesn’t matter if it’s Win Shares or Worth Over Substitute Participant; Harden is close to the highest of almost each checklist.
What these stats don’t account for is he’s one of many worst playoff performers of our lifetime. No famous person disappears when the second issues fairly like Harden.
He’s additionally one of many worst gamers to look at sport in and sport out. Happily for him, his physique of labor throughout the common season is an excessive amount of to disregard. However man, I’d’ve liked to go away him off this checklist.
14) Chauncey Billups
He’s probably the most underrated participant of his technology. Chauncey Billups was as regular as they get.
Like Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry, his numbers aren’t flashy, however he all the time made the suitable play. Mr. Huge Shot lived as much as the nickname as he acknowledged when he needed to take over, and that’s exactly what you need out of your staff’s level guard.
13) Damian Lillard
One of the vital clutch players of the past ten years, Damian Lillard is electrical.
He has rattling close to limitless vary and all the time exhibits up within the playoffs, even when his teammates don’t. Should you’re going to scoff at this rating, take a look at the groups he carried throughout his time in Portland.
12) Sidney Moncrief
Lower from the identical material as Payton and Frazier, Sidney Moncrief would’ve been a lot larger on this checklist if it wasn’t for his lack of longevity.
From 1982 to 1986 Moncrief was among the best gamers within the NBA, making All NBA groups yearly and snagging Defensive Participant of the Yr twice. Sadly, accidents lower his profession quick, and he was by no means capable of regain all-star kind.
11) Gary Payton
Walt Frazier 2.0, whereas Gary Payton was regular and infrequently even glorious on offense, it was on protection the place Payton cemented himself as among the best level guards in NBA historical past. No one ever shut down Michael Jordan, particularly within the playoffs, however the Glove’s protection towards MJ within the ’96 Finals had the Bulls sweating.
That Bulls staff is usually thought of the best staff of all time, and the one staff that challenged them was in Seattle SuperSonics.
Payton’s protection was legendary, and he was one of the best level guard of the Nineteen Nineties. He and Shawn Kemp shaped probably the most thrilling duo of the last decade, and people Sonics groups nonetheless maintain up on the YouTube rabbit gap to today.
10) Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson is my favourite basketball participant of all time, however this isn’t a homer decide. AI was glorious, among the best scorers ever.
When speaking about Iverson, we are likely to overlook his total offensive prowess; everyone simply talks about how cool he was and his relative inefficiency. No one was as clean beneath the basket because the Reply; his dealing with and ending capability was second to none.
He led a staff with no different scoring threats to the NBA Finals and managed to steal a game from a first-class Lakers staff.
His profession can be one of many greatest what-ifs in NBA historical past.
What if he had a GM higher at surrounding him with complementary expertise? What if he had a coach that wasn’t so abrasive? What if Iverson was paired with some like Mike D’Antoni in an offense that might intensify his pace and passing? Was Iverson all the time going to shoot himself within the foot, or was there a path to true greatness for AI? I don’t know, however watching his complete management of the courtroom makes me suppose there’s a good higher model than the one we bought, and that’s saying one thing.
9) Walt Frazier
One of many best defenders of all time and a two-time champion; it’s no marvel Walt Frazier is taken into account one of many best level guards of all time. Mr. Cool had among the best sport sevens in an NBA Finals ever when he put up 36 factors, and 19(!) assists towards the Lakers in 1970.
Three years later, he erased Jerry West, among the best offensive gamers of all time, and the New York Knicks introduced house their second title of the ’70s. Frazier had a knack for enhancing his sport come playoffs, and that’s what you want out of your famous person guard.
8) Jason Kidd
Throughout Jason Kidd‘s profession, there was no participant a famous person would’ve relatively performed with. By no means an amazing scorer himself, he bought probably the most out of each participant he performed alongside.
Kenyon Martin, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Dirk Nowitzki, and lots of others had unbelievable success taking part in alongside J-Kidd. The New Jersey Nets groups that had back-to-back finals appearances had no enterprise having that type of success, however that’s why Kidd is taken into account so nice.
7) Steve Nash
The NBA you see immediately had loads to do with Steve Nash. Past his back-to-back MVPs, Nash being the harbinger of the fashionable period is what earns his spot on this checklist. The Seven Seconds or Much less Phoenix Suns proved you possibly can win within the NBA by going small and taking part in quick. They improved on the Run TMC Warriors of the late 80s/early 90s.
The largest knock on Nash is that his fuel tank appeared to empty deep into the playoffs. If Nash might’ve been the energizer bunny that Curry is, the fashionable NBA might have come slightly sooner.
6) Chris Paul
Talking of playoff resumes, with a few titles, Chris Paul might be within the dialog for the best level guard of all time. Sadly, his on-court mastery will get overshadowed by his poor playoff document. Regardless of dropping efforts, he was terrific in each playoff collection till the Dallas Mavericks in 2022.
CP3 is the last word ground raiser; each staff he goes to will get immediately higher. Even dangerous groups just like the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder gained 60% of their video games with the Level God driving the bus; the season after CP3 left, they misplaced 50 video games. New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Clippers all improved ten-fold beneath Paul’s steering, that type of prompt success can’t be overstated. Don’t let some powerful losses blind you from his simple expertise.
5) John Stockton
Should you have been John Stockton‘s teammate, you have been getting teed up for some simple buckets. Lately, the entry cross is a misplaced artwork as fewer gamers play with their again to the basket. Stockton was unbelievable at getting his massive man the ball, he and Karl Malone had a symbiotic relationship. Feed and rating, again and again and time and again.
He led the league in assists for 9 straight seasons and solely missed 4 video games in his first 13 seasons. Throughout the common season, John Stockton confirmed up. So why isn’t he larger on the checklist?
He has some all-time playoff clunkers. Malone bought lots of flack trigger “the Mailman doesn’t ship on Sundays,” however Stockton was proper there with him. Towards the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls, he’s performed among the worst video games a star participant has ever placed on their playoff resume.
4) Oscar Robertson
In some ways, Oscar Robertson is the other of Isiah Thomas. His stats soar off the web page, however so does his awful playoff resume till he was paired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was the primary participant to common a triple-double over a season and really averaged a triple-double over the primary 5 seasons of his profession.
The Huge O was undoubtedly one of many best level guards of all time, he was Chris Paul and Westbrook wrapped into one package deal. He might seize rebounds and run a fastbreak or smash turn-around jumpers from the elbow when all the pieces slowed down. Saying that, it’s onerous to know if he really made his teammates higher, he was nice however have been gamers higher for taking part in with him?
3) Isiah Thomas
When digging into complete stats or the analytics, Isiah Thomas’ identify doesn’t seem a lot. He makes it trigger he’s the picture-perfect level guard, and Thomas bought higher when the lights shined brightest.
From 1985 to 1992, Thomas’ Unhealthy Boy Detroit Pistons battled among the greatest groups in NBA historical past – Larry Fowl’s Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson’s Lakers, and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. The Pistons battled the cream of the crop and gained two titles within the NBA’s most brutal period.
Whereas his numbers don’t pop off the web page like lots of the different gamers on this checklist, there’s little doubt he made everyone on the ground with him higher. Regardless of some powerful losses, his playoff resume is stellar when contemplating the competitors.
2) Stephen Curry
If the objective of an amazing participant is to stack the chess board in your favor, you possibly can argue that Stephen Curry is the best basketball participant of all time. While you’re taking part in the Chef, you should account for him from half courtroom to beneath the basket. Your protection must be keyed in on Curry whether or not he has the ball or not. Both nook, above the break, driving to the rim, it doesn’t matter; should you don’t know the place Steph Curry is always, he’ll wreak havoc in your protection.
The 2021-22 Boston Celtics had among the best defenses of the previous 20 years, and Curry cooked them. In a sport the place Steph went 0-9 from three, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins have been all capable of shoot over 50%, and the Golden State Warriors gained. Curry was +15, and the Warriors gained by double digits in a sport he went 0-9 from past the arc, that doesn’t occur with out the concern he strikes by way of the center of a protection.
Essentially the most spectacular a part of Curry’s sport is his infinite motor. Much more than his ridiculous vary, the truth that Steph remains to be working off screens at minute 44 is preposterous. On the finish of a sport, when everyone is lifeless drained and the sport slows down, Curry remains to be shifting. He additionally makes everyone he performs with higher. How can we view Draymond with out Curry to intensify his abilities? You set all that collectively, and also you get one of many best level guards of all time.
1) Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson is the primary identify that pops into everyone’s head when the “greatest PG ever” dialog comes up, and for motive. Very similar to Stephen Curry, Oscar Robertson, and Steve Nash – Johnson helped revolutionize the purpose guard place and basketball as a complete.
Magic was an outlier, a 6’9″ level guard who might seize the rebound, sprint down the ground like a gazelle, and ship a picture-perfect cross within the actual proper spot for his teammate. Because of this, he paved the best way for gamers like LeBron James to interrupt the normal small-forward mildew. We’ve had the phrase “positionless basketball” beat into our skulls over the previous decade, and Magic Johnson was the beginning of that. He gained a finals sport and sealed the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers championship by playing center!
Past being a five-time NBA Champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP, three-time MVP, and 9 All NBA First Crew picks, what made Magic Johnson outstanding was that you possibly can make this all-time level guard checklist and put gamers like Nikola Jokic or LeBron James on it with out batting a watch. Not solely is he prime 5 in Playoff Worth Over Substitute Participant and Playoff Win Shares Per 48, however he’s one in all a handful of athletes who can declare they honestly modified the sport, and that’s what makes Magic Johnson the best level guard of all time.
Who’s one of the best level guard of all-time?
Magic Johnson is usually acknowledged as the best level guard of all-time. Some would argue for Steph Curry and sure statistics may counsel Oscar Robertson deserves prime spot.
Who’s one of the best level guard defender of all-time?
Gary Payton is acknowledged as one of the best level guard defender of all-time. Jason Kidd and Jrue Vacation are additionally in competition. John Stockton’s unmatchable steals document means he breaks into the highest 5.
Who has one of the best level guard area objective share ever?
Maurice Cheeks has one of the best level guard area objective share in NBA historical past at 52.3%. Magic Johnson follows intently behind at 52.1%. Solely seven factors guards have a profession area objective share above 50%.
Who has the best true capturing for a guard?
Steph Curry has the best true capturing share of any guard at 62.6%. Curry is forward of Kyle Korver, Reggie Miller, and James Harden. Magic Johnson and John Stockton are ranked fifth and sixth, respectively.
What level guard has probably the most rings in NBA historical past?
Okay.C. Jones’ eight championships as a participant are probably the most gained by some extent guard. Bob Cousy is in second place with six rings. The pair have been teammates for the Boston Celtics within the Fifties and Nineteen Sixties. Derek Fisher, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, Magic Johnson, Larry Siegfried, and Slater Martin are tied in third with 5 rings apiece. Steph Curry and Tony Parker have 4 every.
Up to date ninth September 2024.
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