Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Vernon: Top 5 NBA PGs

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Timmy Vernon:


With the emergence of Rajon Rondo, the age-defying play of Steve Nash, the injury to Chris Paul and the explosive play of Derrick Rose, the conversations over “Best NBA Point Guard” have re-ignited. Before I fall all over myself trying to write an impressive intro for my first Zeus column, let’s instead get right to the rankings.



1) Steve Nash

I think if you took a poll of NBA players, asking which point guard they’d want to play with most, Steve Nash would win by a considerable margin (I’m sure Sports Illustrated has already done this, but our research budget here at Zeus of Sport is limited at best). Nash has it all – the vision, the shot, the experience, and the creativity. He’s worth the price of admission every night, making passes or throwing up running, underhand floaters reminiscent of the Pistol. Admittedly, at age 36 he’s pretty limited defensively, but his offensive game makes up for it. His vision is unmatched, as he’s able to find the open cutter or drive and dish, creating open shots for teammates (there’s a reason Phoenix was far and away the most efficient 3-point shooting team this year). His 3:1 assist: turnover ratio is impressive for a guy who has the ball in his hands as much as Nash. His shooting as a whole doesn’t even compare to any other point guards, ranking in the top 5 in 3-pt %, top 2 in FG %, and the far-and-away top FT shooter of any point guard today. Because of these factors, I’d argue all day that Nash is the best PG in the NBA.



2) Deron Williams

Big body, great vision, consistent shooter, leader on the court – there’s not much more you can ask from Deron Williams. He ranks second only to Nash in assists (in guards to play a full season), and his 47-37-80 FG-3pt-FT %s, while not spectacular, are consistently solid for a player who shoots and scores as much as he does. His defense separates him from players like Nash and Rose, who either don’t have the size/quickness or defensive discipline to match up with the various styles of point guard play across the NBA. He gets to the line more than anybody else in the top 5, and has shown the ability to pull up or drive, draw defenders, and dish - a big reason why Kyle Korver ran away with the best 3pt % in the league. The crown for best 2005 draft PG must be placed on Williams’ head for this season – but how long will it last?



3) Chris Paul

The only reason this post is even relevant is because of CP3’s two-month absence with a knee injury that resulted in doctors removing his torn meniscus rather than repairing it. They did this in hopes of getting Paul back sooner, which was a great move!!!…except that the Hornet’s had no title hopes….and that Paul is essentially their entire franchise…and that New Orleans had an inferior roster that went 8-17 in his absence, making his return worthless.

When healthy, there’s no question Paul is the best point guard in the league. The best assist: turnover ratio, league leader in steals, high percentage shooter and, if needed, prolific scorer. A year ago, when asked who would be the best player to start a franchise with, after the King most GMs would probably pick Paul. He’s as creative as Nash, as quick as Rondo and Rose, as tenacious on D as Williams, and has got as much vision as any of them. Just look at his numbers and remember who acted as his supporting cast. He really is the ultimate “make others better” point guard.

However, he wasn’t the same player in the week stretch after returning from the injury, and a botched knee surgery could easily ruin the effectiveness of a player like Paul. Not knowing what he will be like next year at full strength (if he even will ever be full strength), I had to place Paul in the middle of the pack, undeserving of the 1 spot but great enough that his memory prevented me from putting him 5 or leaving him off the list.



4) Rajon Rondo

I almost bought into the Rondo hype from these playoffs and ranked him #2 behind Nash. But then I remembered….HE CAN’T SHOOT!!!! Of point guards playing over 25 minutes a game, he ranks 4th in 3-point shooting. 4th worst that is, with an embarrassing 21%. Watching Rondo at times is amazing and impressive, and at other times is comical when the young Celtic won’t even think of shooting outside of 18 feet.

With that type of shooting you know he must do some other things pretty damn well to rank a close 4th with a group of great PGs. If you ask Mo Williams or Jameer Nelson, I’m sure they could tell you how quick Rondo is. He makes forwards look stupid with his patented fake-behind-the-back-while-cupping-the-ball-into-a-fingeroll move. He’s got the speed and he sees the court, and outside of his lack of jumper, he knows how to score. When you’re the leader and best player on an NBA Finals team that features three possible Hall of Famers, you know you’ve got something going.



5) Derrick Rose

The next Jason Kidd? No, no, no – the next Isaiah Thomas? Nah, he’s more athletic than both! Could he be the next “Big O”? Hell, he’s just Jordan in a point guard body!!! Going to school in the Chicago area, I’ve heard all of these comparisons for the young Derrick Rose. Carlos Cabrera, a fellow Zeus of Sport writer (WHERE’S HE BEEN!?), tends to perpetuate each of these ridiculous, unfound comparisons. Right now, Derrick Rose is an entertaining, explosive, yet streaky scoring guard who needs to develop range to be a complete point guard. I see him as a less creative but more complete scoring version of Rondo, who both are penalized for an abysmal 3-point %. Rose at this point can take over a game by himself, but isn’t to the point where he can lead his team to completely dominate. He’s a shoot-first point guard averaging six assists a game (the same as Allen Iverson’s career average, the ultimate shoot-first guard), and hasn’t yet figured out how to involve his team into his offensive game. Could he be the next _______ (fill in the blank)? Absolutely. He has the skill set necessary to be an absolutely dominant player if he develops the long jumper. But for the sake of today’s best NBA point guard argument, he will have to settle for number 5.

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