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The point guard position has always been arguably the most important position in the NBA because he is the first player to touch the ball every time he has possession. That means the point guard is an extension of the coach on the floor, responsible for making the right play every night. The point guard position has always been populated by the greatest players of all time, as the best point guards have earned individual accomplishments, team accomplishments, and left their mark on NBA history.
We’ve seen how a scoring point guard like Stephen Curry can be the best player on a championship team, and how a great playmaker like Magic Johnson is widely considered one of the best players of all time. As far as the current point guard position is concerned, there are only a handful of talents who have been selected as All-Stars or even superstars all year round. Still, we’ve seen greatness at the point guard position since a player first dribbled the ball professionally. But how are the best point guards ranked? We have seen a group of elite talents emerge from the ranks and become excellent ground generals.
Time to rank the 50 greatest point guards of all time.
50. Mike Bibby
Image credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports
Championships: 0
Player stats: 14.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.1 blocks
Honor: None
Mike Bibby was one of the most interesting players of his generation because he was a solid shooter with solid ball handling and playmaking skills. He’s never really been an All-Star, but with a skill set at the point guard position, he has to be top 50.
Bibby started his career with the Vancouver Grizzlies, was named to the All-Rookie Team, and developed into a sharpshooter and playmaker with the Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks. Bibby was also the king’s smuggler, pushing the Los Angeles Lakers to the brink in the playoffs.
49. Scott Skiles
Championships: 0
Player stats: 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.0 blocks
Honors: 1990-91 Most Improved Player
Scott Skiles is the current head coach of the NBA, but he was once one of the greatest playmakers of all time. Skiles is a typical point guard in that he’s only supposed to pass the ball, but he’s done it at an elite level. During his career, Skiles averaged 6.5 assists per game.
The talented playmaker also holds the record for most assists in a single game in the NBA when he dished out a stellar 30 assists against the Orlando Magic as a member of the Orlando Magic. We’ll probably never see Skiles’ record broken, which means he deserves a spot on the top 50 point guard list.
48. Andre Miller
Image credit: Chris Humphreys – USA TODAY Sports
Championships: 0
Player stats: 12.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.2 blocks
Honor: 2001-02 assists king
Andre Miller is one of the most unique point guards of all time, as he has few chances to hit the 3-pointer and has no natural athleticism. Instead, he’s a rim player who does most of his damage near the rim.
But somehow, Miller was an impactful point guard. He was an above-average playmaker, averaging a career-high 10.9 APG in assists per game in 2002. He is also very capable of finishing at the basket, once scoring 52 points in a single game.
47. Kevin Porter
Credit: Online Slam
Championships: 0
Player stats: 11.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.1 blocks
Honor: 4x assist champion
Kevin Porter Jr. is currently a player for the Houston Rockets and it is hoped that he can emulate what his father has accomplished in the league. Kevin Porter is a solid point guard who led the NBA in assists four times and has career averages of 11.6 points and 8.1 assists per game. The talented floor general spent most of his career with the Bullets.
Porter isn’t the tallest or most athletic guard as a 6-foot-0 point guard, but his understanding of the game is deep. He took full advantage of everything that was given to him athletically and continued to project a good image for his teammates based on his instincts.
46. Nick Van Exel
Championships: 0
Player stats: 14.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.1 blocks
Honors: 1 All-Star
Nick Van Exel is always the starter on the field, whether he starts or comes off the bench. As a sixth man, Van Exel is very solid and difficult to deal with when he has the ball. Despite being 6-foot-1 and weighing just 170 pounds, Nick Van Exel impacted the game offensively.
He’s a shot creator, shot maker and offensive guard. A member of the Los Angeles Lakers, he made the All-Star team in 1998, averaging 13.8 points and 6.9 assists in 46 starts in 64 games. Van Exel never won an NBA championship, but he was a talented scorer in his prime.
45. Rod Strickland
Championships: 0
Player stats: 13.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.2 blocks
Honors: 1997-98 NBA All-NBA Team, 1997-98 assists leader
Rod Strickland, despite his seemingly mediocre career and accolades, is one of the most gifted point guards of all time. It’s clear to anyone who’s seen Strickland play that he’s an elite ball handler and floor general. When looking more deeply at the data and his time, Strickland stood his ground.
The 6-foot-3 point guard averaged at least 8 assists in eight seasons, including a 10.5-assist average in the 1998 NBA season. He put up at least 13 points every season, showcased his skills as a finisher, and has to be one of the most underrated players of all time. Rhodes is also a very polarizing figure, as are his antics off the field.
44. Michael Ray Richardson
Image credit: Focus on Sports/Getty Images.
Championships: 0
Player stats: 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.6 steals, 0.4 blocks
Honors: 4 All-Stars, 2 All-Defensive Team selections, 1979-80 assists leader, 3 steals leader
Micheal Ray Richardson is a unique player, not because of the unique spelling of his name, but because he is an elite player on the defensive end. Richardson led the NBA in steals three times and was named to the All-Defensive Team twice. He was also a 4-time All-Star as a member of the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets, which is why New Yorkers love this guy so much.
In fact, Michael Ray Richardson made 3 straight All-Star teams in his second season with the Knicks and also led the NBA in APG in his second season. Ray Richardson, a talented all-around player hailed as the “next Walt Frazier” with the Knicks, certainly got off to a great start.
43. Steve Francis
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports
Championships: 0
Player stats: 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.4 blocks per game
Accolades: 3-time All-Star, 1999-00 Rookie of the Year
Steve Francis was a tough player in his prime. He’s very confident, can make mistakes at times, and has an All-Star-caliber offensive game. At 6-foot-3, Francis has a solid jump shot and is a capable scorer who likes to shoot. Steve “Franchise” Francis also had three seasons with at least 20 points.
Even as a scorer, Francis is a solid passer. When he attacks the rim, he often gets the attention of more than one defender, creating easy opportunities for his teammates. A star with the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, Francis finished his career with three All-Star appearances.
42. Baron Davis
Image credit: Kelvin Kuo – USA TODAY Sports
Championships: 0
Player stats: 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.4 blocks
Honors: 2 All-Stars, 2003-04 All-NBA Team, 2 steals
A powerhouse at point guard and one of the most explosive athletes his size, Baron Davis was a formidable offensive player in his prime. With his bulldog scoring style and solid defense, Davis has the ability to be the primary offensive player for a playoff team on a nightly basis.
Of course, Davis will be remembered mostly for being part of the “We Believe” Golden State Warriors team that somehow beat Dirk Nowitzki and Dallas in 2007. Mavericks. The Warriors have a slew of talented players, including Al Harrington and Monta Ellis, but Davis is the leader. Now a color analyst, Davis is a skilled player and certainly a fan favorite as a competitor.
41. Gilbert Arenas
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Championships: 0
Player stats: 20.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.2 blocks
Honors: 3-time All-Star, 3-time All-NBA Team, 2002-03 Most Improved Player
Gilbert Arenas should rank much higher as a point guard than his all-time No. 45. The man known as “Agent Zero” is one of the most prolific offensive point guards of all time, as evidenced by his three consecutive seasons of scoring at least 25 points per game between 2005 and 2007.
Arenas was so good at one point that he would make a clutch jumper and turn around before his arms dropped. One of the most iconic players on the Washington Wizards in the 2000s, Arenas had the talent to become a top 15 point guard of all time, but his off-court antics and frustrating injury history kept him from achieve this goal.
40. Kenny Smith
Image Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Champions: 2
Player stats: 12.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.1 blocks
Honor: None
Before becoming one of the best basketball analysts in the country, Kenny Smith was Hakeem Olajuwon’s point guard in back-to-back title-winning seasons in 1994 and 1995. An elite sharpshooter, Smith hit seven 3-pointers in Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals.
Kenny, known as “The Jet” for his prodigious speed, is a player who seems to step up when the Rockets need him most. Hakeem Olajuwon gets a lot of credit for bringing the Rockets to two championships, but Smith certainly played a vital role as well.
39. Mark Jackson
Credit: Getty Images
Championships: 0
Player stats: 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.1 blocks
Honors: 1 All-Star, 1987-88 Rookie of the Year, 1996-97 assists leader
Mark Jackson was one of the most consistent playmakers of his generation, averaging 8.0 APG as part of the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. Jackson wasn’t a star scorer from the perimeter or at the rim, but he made up for it with great playmaking.
Jackson led the league in assists in 1997, averaging 11.4 assists per game with the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers. The point guard’s only All-Star season came in 1989 as a member of the New York Knicks, his second season in the NBA, when he averaged 16.9 points and 8.6 assists.
38. Terry Porter
Credit: Detroit Free Press-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services LLC
Championships: 0
Player stats: 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.1 blocks
Honors: 2 All-Stars
Terry Porter was Clyde Drexler’s point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, a team that reached the NBA Finals against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Porter is 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds with above-average skills as a scorer and playmaker. During his career, Porter was selected to the All-Star team twice.
His two All-Star appearances came in 1991 and 1993, when he averaged 17.0 and 18.2 points per game, respectively. Porter needed to do most of the playmaking and scoring alongside Drexler, which helped him become one of the top point guards of the 1990s.
37. Rajon Rondo
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Champions: 2
Player stats: 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.1 blocks
Honors: 4-time All-Star, 2011-12 All-NBA Team, 4-time All-Defensive Team, 3-time assists leader, 2009-10 steals leader
Rajon Rondo has had an interesting career since developing into a star with the Boston Celtics. A playmaker and triple-double threat, Rondo captivated fans with his passing and helped the Celtics’ Big Three win a championship in 2008. Since then, Rondo has continued to showcase his incredible basketball brain and may one day become a coach.
His ability to understand the game is so deep, which is why he became the “playoff Rondo” in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 championship run. With two championship rings to his name, Rondo has every reason to be…
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