Breakdown: Top 5 Point Guards in the NBA.

1. Chris Paul

player photo At the begining of last season there was a debate over who was better Deron Williams or Chris Paul. That debate is over for now. Paul is clearly the best PG in the NBA right now. That is not to say that Williams is not right on his heels, but Chris just has a slight edge across the board. Scoring 24.1 ppg in the playoffs and dishing out 11.3 assists is stellar. Now you have to through in 4.9 rpg and you have an alltime great stat line. Paul will only make strides forward. He is a winner and it shows. He plays without mercy and shows his willingness to step on an opposing teams thoat when they're down. He reminds me of Isiah Thomas but even better, if that is possible and I think it is fair to say that we could be looking at the best Point Guard since Magic Johnson.

2. Deron Williams

player photo Deron is as much the second best PG as Chris Paul is the Best PG. What I am saying is it is a two man show right now on the top at this point. Williams also had some impressive numbers in the postseason last year with 21.6 ppg, 10 apg, and 3.6 rpg. His assist/turnover ratio is also lower then Paul, so it becomes very difficult to say he is the better player. With the comparisons aside he is still a great PG and the only PG I see with a chance of becoming better then Paul. What is really nice is that both Williams and Paul have good teams around them, and they both have a shot at a Championship this year. It is also true that they both make there teammates better and they have made the PG a hot commodity in trades and the Draft.

3. Baron Davis

player photo Baron Davis is a savvy and deadly Point Guard. He is a scorer first in some cases but is very able to run a team and dish out passes. Davis looks to be at about his peek right now. That is debatable. I think he may be on the fade personally, but his numbers do not lie. Last season he averaged 21.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists. He also managed 2.3 steals which goes to show that he is a good defender despite the fact that many say he is lacking in that area. He makes teams be a little more careful with the ball when he is on the floor. He is very dangerous because he can hurt you in so many ways and he has a killer instinct. The Clippers got a great player and I think he will make the rest of the team better and could push them into the playoffs.

4. Tony Parker

player photo Tony Parker has been a top Point Guard on a top team for years now and he has been very steady. Parkers ability to drive and kick could be his strongest asset and in my mind it is. He really is able to open up the floor for his teammates with his skill to score in the paint. He is not the greatest defender and he can turn the ball over sometimes too much, but those are really his only weaknesses. My fear is that the Spurs are on the downturn and Tony might get trapped on a team that will not contend in a couple of years with all their key players getting older.

5. Chauncey Billups

player photo Chauncey is a all around great PG. His game is fading as his age increases, but he is still i my top 5. He was up for a MVP but a couple of years ago and his skills have not slowed that greatly. He averaged 17 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists last season which are still very nice numbers, but they are low compared to a few years ago. Billups is still a floor general and demands respect. He can make the tough pass and drain the 3 pointer at will. He is a good defender and can lock down on most opponents. I think the Pistons like the Spurs are slipping a bit, but I think Chauncey could still lead the Pistons back into the Finals.

In The Mix:

Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, and Jose Calderon.

The only thing I see wrong in the list is his entire assessment on defensive abilities. Steals do not make you a good defender, it shows you gamble often to create fast breaks. Chris Paul, Baron Davis, and Gilbert Arenas are the biggest offenders in this.

Deron Williams is easily the best defensive point guard in the top 5. To say he "lacks the defense" Paul has is laughable. He has the strength to bully the smaller point guards, yet also has the quickness to stay with them. He also plays great fundamental defense. Paul is amazingly quick and has lightning fast hands, but he's susceptible to ball fakes and can be pushed around in the paint.

The assessment that Baron Davis is a good defender simply by the fact he averaged 2.3 steals is simply wrong. He rarely shows effort on the defensive side of the ball.

Gilbert Arenas can shoot lights out from anywhere on the court. When he's on, his range has no limits and he can carry an offense by himself. But, he might be one of the worst defenders in the NBA. Sure he'll score 25 points a night, but he's giving up 15-20 points a night because he simply refuses to hustle on defense.

1. Chris Paul
2. Deron Williams
3. Tony Parker
4. Steve Nash
5. Chauncey Billups

MrRedSoxBaller Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Apr 11, 2008	Posted on: October 16, 2008 9:57 am Score: 91 Breakdown: Top 5 Point Guards in the NBA. You hit the nail on the head. Just as I woud have. Great work as usual Cliff [ Reply to Comment ]
MAJOYENRAC Reputation: 98 Level: Superstar Since: Jan 3, 2007	Posted on: October 16, 2008 10:58 am Score: 93 Breakdown: Top 5 Point Guards in the NBA. Steve Nash is at worst #3 at best still #1....the guy can shoot from anywhere on the court and he hits well over 50% too, which is astounding considering his dimunitive size. He can pass as good or better than anybody else in the league, and runs the offense to perfection. I would pick personally Paul first, but there is no chance Steve Nash is out of the top 5. I guess I would pull out Tony Parker and add in Nash and then move things around.... Not a bad list though. I wonder if Arenas gets healthy how long it'll take him to crack this top 5.....if he can get heatlhy again.....if not ouch that sucks for the Wizards. [ Reply to Comment ]
mgnidovec3 Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Aug 24, 2006	Posted on: October 16, 2008 3:54 pm Score: 93 Breakdown: Top 5 Point Guards in the NBA. The only thing I see wrong in the list is his entire assessment on defensive abilities. Steals do not make you a good defender, it shows you gamble often to create fast breaks. Chris Paul, Baron Davis, and Gilbert Arenas are the biggest offenders in this. Deron Williams is easily the best defensive point guard in the top 5. To say he "lacks the defense" Paul has is laughable. He has the strength to bully the smaller point guards, yet also has the quickness to stay with them. He also plays great fundamental defense. Paul is amazingly quick and has lightning fast hands, but he's susceptible to ball fakes and can be pushed around in the paint. The assessment that Baron Davis is a good defender simply by the fact he averaged 2.3 steals is simply wrong. He rarely shows effort on the defensive side of the ball. Gilbert Arenas can shoot lights out from anywhere on the court. When he's on, his range has no limits and he can carry an offense by himself. But, he might be one of the worst defenders in the NBA. Sure he'll score 25 points a night, but he's giving up 15-20 points a night because he simply refuses to hustle on defense. 1. Chris Paul 2. Deron Williams 3. Tony Parker 4. Steve Nash 5. Chauncey Billups [ Reply to Comment ]
ChiTownCliff Reputation: 99 Level: Superstar Since: Jan 20, 2008	Posted on: October 16, 2008 5:35 pm Score: 94 Breakdown: Top 5 Point Guards in the NBA. mgnidovec3, I am not saying that Deron is a bad defender. I think he is a very good defender, but I still contend that Chris Paul is better. He is faster and yes I do think that Steals can indicate a good defender. Paul has good hands and does not take to many chances. With Baron Davis, I was simply saying he is a good defender bacause so many people think he is not. Sure he takes chances, but he has a keen eye and makes players think before passing. I think that accounts for something. MAJO, I badley wanted to put Steve Nash on the list, but I would want these 5 first if I could have one on the Bulls. I have a problem with taking Tony Parker out because he has put up great numbers on a Championship team. That is hard to take away from him. Baron Davis might be the one guy that could be moved down, but how far? I also wanted to put Jose Calderon in the top 5 as well. He has a crazy assist/turnover ratio. I think he will be a stud this year, and should break into my top 5. Thanks Guys for the replies. [ Reply to Comment ]

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