I have decided to start a new trend here at Ian’s Ramblings, which gets updated so infrequently and probably has a readership of 1, or 0. But starting tonight I vow to update semi regularly which in turn, will hopefully bolster my followers as well.
As I was saying before I started to digress, I am starting a new yearly ranked list that will rank each position’s top 10 players. I will do this list every year during the summer time before the beginning of the next season. I started doing one last year, with the intention of having a top 30 list, but kind of crapped out after my top 13 and never got back to finishing it. But this year, I am harder, better, faster, stronger and ready to get it done (Daft Punk and Kanye, don’t worry your checks are in the mail).
Let’s start with the point guards, some of my favorite players are 1’s and the duty that they have on an NBA team is of the utmost importance, unless you’re the Clippers in which case it doesn’t really matter what you do, as you are destined for eternity in the basement of the league anyways. Enough talk though, let’s get this list on the way.
To note: Monta Ellis, Allen Iverson, Jason Terry and OJ Mayo are considered Shooting Guards and will be judged with their brethrens.
1. Chris Paul
Hard to argue against it, I really don’t like the guy and his team kinda fizzled out this year. But numbers and tapes don’t lie. No one in the league at this time can hold a candle to what Paul does every night.
He led all guards in scoring and assists at 22.8 and 11 as well as leading the entire league in steals at an impressive 2.77/game. His shot is still pretty shoddy for a guy who has spent 4 years in the league and thus 4 years around the best shooting coaches in the world. But it doesn’t seem to matter because Paul gets his points anyways.
No one is better at penetrating and lobbing a pass to his pivot man, he has godly handles and a court vision that arguably rival’s Magic’s. He is deathly quick and great at finishing in the paint, even though he is a small guy, even by a point guard’s standard.
Defensively, he is tough to go up against because of his speed and sneakiness. His tendency to play off the ball in hopes of getting the steal can sometimes hurt his squad on the defensive end, but he gets enough steals that it probably balances out in the end. He could afford to work a bit more on his on the ball defense, but that is true for mostly anyone in the league.
The most impressive and telling stat for Paul is his assist to turnover ratio that is at a stunning 3.67. For an average guard that number would be impressive but for a franchise guard that is the focus of most teams entire defensive scheme, that stat is flat out outstanding.
I think it will be a while before anyone is able to challenge his point guard reign.
2. Tony Parker
A year ago, this pick would have been extremely easy, as Deron Williams would have taken his usual place, right behing Paul. But Deron struggled with injuries at the beginning of the season and was not able to play up to his usual outstanding performance upon his return. This left his spot on the list up for grabs and the Frenchman took the chance to nab it and literally sped off with it.
Playing for a slow, boring franchise, Tony Parker sure keeps the pace at 11. He was a close second to Paul in PG scoring at 22 point per game and managed to dish put 7 assists per game. This is from the guy who can’t shoot from the outside and isn’t a very talented passer. Damn the French, always being so deceiving.
The key to Toilet Paper’s game is that he is fast and he never stops running. True his shot has drastically improved from what it was a year ago, but his game will always be an inside-outside type of play. This is advantageous for the Spurs because he draws defenders away from Duncan and gets him open looks and it also keeps the outside defenders from breaking down on him because Parker has proven in the last couple of seasons that he is very capable of hitting the open man with a nice pass. (Just ask the Suns).
True, he is pretty horrible on the defensive side of the ball, flops a lot and is somewhat injury prone but it doesn’t matter because Tony is such an offensive force that it weighs out the entire negative.
3. Deron Williams
I am not sure he belongs here. His season was filled with injuries and inconsistencies. Turning the ball over was more of an issue for DWill this year compared to his previous three and he sometimes seemed incapable of running the offense smoothly.
However through his struggles, also came some amazing performances or stretches of performances. Including his 5 game 30 points or more that came after his exclusion from the all star game. Not to mention that he is one of only two active players with 4 games in which he had more than 20 assists. (Steve Nash is the other, as if you had to guess).
His shot is better than both Paul and Parker but it is still not perfect. Williams still needs to work on that stroke to get it to the point where teams will fear leaving him open, as that will open the passing lanes for a man that might be the best natural passer in the league, outside Nash of course.
He continuously gets the best of Paul in their head to head match ups and their stats are pretty similar. It seems their careers have followed very parallel paths. However, Deron took a step slightly backwards last season and I fully expect him to be in the top two spots by the end of next season. Especially considering that he showed flashes of his greater self in the Jazz’s five game series against the Lakers.
4. Devin Harris
Tough to leave the man out of the top 3. Truth be told, had the Nets made the playoffs Harris was probably number 2 on my list. But they didn’t and let’s not forget to mention that Devin stupidly uttered “I knew we would be a playoff team” midway through the season at a time when the Nets were barely above .500. I know it doesn’t take much to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, but such a display of dumb arrogance deserves to be criticized.
Harris is fast, and he is the type of guy that is good at everything while being amazing at nothing. He is a very well rounded player. Devin was right behind Paul and Parker as he rounded out the top 3 in PG scoring with a very respectable 21.3/game. That was about a 6 point upswing from his previous season, which goes a long way towards explaining why he won the NBA’s most improved player award.
He is also a steady facilitator, nothing impressive but still above average. His years in the NBA are starting to show in that Harris is making better decisions with the ball compared to previous seasons. He is turnovers were slightly higher than two seasons ago but that goes hand in hand with having the ball in his possession a lot more often than in previous seasons.
Defensively, he is like most guards, kind of a liability. But he is pretty good at managing steals of the ball and his quickness helps him avoiding getting burned by the small, quick guys (see: Paul, Chris and Rondo, Rajon).
5. Rajon Rondo
Yes, we all know what we’ve been hearing about Rondo. His GM calls him out for having an attitude, they make him available to offers, blah blah blah. The fact is, without the tiny little point man, the Celtics weren’t making it out of their first round tangle with the Bulls.
Sure his stats are less gawk worthy than some of his peers below him, but with the little man from Kentucky, it’s almost never about stats. It’s about what he brings to a Celtics team that in NBA time, should all be in wheelchairs.
Rondo brings a youthful exuberance to the starting lineup and some extra speed to boot. No one in the L is faster than Rondo from baseline to baseline. He is a good ball handler and it is easy to see that his passing abilities have already improved from earler in his career. At only 23 ,and already a legitimate threat for a triple-double even though he is often times the smallest man on the floor, it is possible to imagine many awards and accolades for Rondo in the near future.
Yes he shot is horrible, and yes he scores most of his points in the paint, off of layups, as Henry Abbott of Truehoop exposed earlier this year. But none of that matters because Rondo is tough as nails and the key member of the Celtics. Trust me and remember that you heard this here first, if Rondo is ever traded away, the whole Celtics team will implode. Pierce and Garnett are over rated, very much so.
At the very least, Rondo’s ceiling is a poor man’s Chris Paul and best case scenario, he is his equal. That’s pretty scary if you ask me.
6. Chauncey Billups
Ok, so maybe his “Mr. Big Shot” nickname has been, for the last few years at the least, undeserved. But it is hard to deny the effect Mr. Mediocre shot had on the Nuggets team he joined early on last season.
They went from a team that was laughable on the defensive end, had some real character issues and seemed to be next in line to become the new gangsta team in the L. Then the ringleader of this mess of a squad was sent to Detroit for Billups and Denver flourished.
Billups is definitely not the fastest guard, nor is he the best passer, ball handler or shooter. But what Billups give up to opponents, he makes up for in character and hustle. He got Melo, J.R Smith and the rest to give a damn about defense and look where it got them, to within 2 games of the NBA finals. That is a marked improvement for a team that traded its only defensive weapon for nothing in the off-season and was expected to be dispatched in the 1st round of the playoffs.
Billups probably does not have many years left at the top of his game, but for this year, he has earned himself a place in the top 10.
7. Derrick Rose
Coming off a fantastic rookie campaign, it looks like Rose has become the East’s Deron Williams as Rajon Rondo is the East’s Chris Paul.
Pooh still has a lot to learn about being an NBA guard, among other things that defense is actually part of the game too. He is a pretty horrible defender, but nothing worst than other guards that are coming up on the list. (Here’s looking at you, Steve Nash)
His jump shot is also not quite where it needs to be in order for him to dominate day in, day out but that will come with time.
What makes him truly magical is his great passing ability. He came make passes others wouldn’t dare attempt and combined with his great ability to get his shot off in the lane; he is a hard man to cover.
When he does get his shot up to par, Rose will be a monster on the offensive end, and if he manages to become an average defender, expect him to hang out in the top three for the better part of a decade or two.
8. Steve Nash
It kills me to have him this low on the list. A year ago, he was a top 5 lock, probably 3rd behind CP3 and DWill. But that seems like ages ago after the Suns went through hell and back last season.
It wasn’t necessarily that Steve started playing well below his average, though he did lose a step or two, but rather the Suns’ combination of horrible luck and a new style of play.
We can now safely say that the Shaq experiment was a bust, as he slowed down the pace of the game and did not dominate nearly enough to make up for his slow ass. To add, Amare Stoudamire’s eye injury was not only unlucky, it was dumb on STAT’s part for not wearing protective eye goggles.
With all the distractions in the desert this year, Nashty still put in a stellar campaign. He still flat out sucks defensively and has to be desperately hidden when the other team has possession. But defense was never Nash’s primary goal.
He is till the best facilitator in the game, one of the league’s all-time best passers and the most exciting player to watch direct a team. His no-look behind the back passes or alley-hoop lobs are practically trademarked to his name. Even as he ages and his back is deteriorating before our eyes, he still makes the impossible look normal. He sees the court with a vision comparable to how Gretzky saw the ice; he is almost omniscient on offense.
To add to his proficient passing skills, he is a terrific ball handler and probably the best jump shooting guard in the league. Because of this he is basically unstoppable on offense; opponents have the choice between doubling him, sagging of on him or playing him tight. If you double him he will hit his open teammates for easy shots, sag off on him and he’ll drill shot after shot in your face and play him tight and he’ll cross you over to finish at the rim or hit his big man with an amazing pass.
Though he is an offensive behemoth, his defensive ineptitude and the fact that the Suns missed the playoffs this season docked him quite a few spots on the list. And he is aging so his time at the time has more than likely almost expired.
It’s been an amazing couple of years though Steve, and for that I am very thankful as a fan and a basketball junkie.
9. Mo Williams
His lackluster conference finals aside, Mo had a great season for the Cavs. He settled in nicely as the 2nd offensive option next to Lebron in Cleveland’s offense and never complained.
Though not a traditional guard in that he will look for his shot before creating for others, Williams still averaged around 4 assists a game. For a PG, that isn’t a lot, but in a team like the Cavaliers the offense is bound to be different. The ball is in James’ hands 90 per cent of the time and for Williams to find the time to dish out 4 assists a game is actually pretty impressive.
What Mo can bring to the Cavs is a brilliant scoring touch. His .436 three point percentage is the only one that is near Steve Nash’s league lead among PGs. His shot is better than most and he finds ways to get it off even considering his small stature.
He isn’t amazing but he is good enough to help the Cavaliers win in the same sense that Rajon Rondo was two years ago for the Celtics.
10. Andre Miller
Rounding out the top 10 is a player who CANNOT shoot to save his life. How he holds on to a roster spot is beyond me but he manages to deliver pretty much every year.
It’s not like Andre is lightning quick either, he can’t break down most defenders because they have faster feet than them and he can’t shoot over them because he’ll just bounce it off the rim. Yet somehow he found a way to average 16 points per game and led the 76ers into the playoffs. He also added 6.5 dimes a game and was a true locker room leader for a team that needs to find an identity quick.
It looks as though Miller will not be resigned by the 76ers, which is a shame because he has helped them a lot in the last two seasons. But whichever team that signs him will get a good teammate that will find ways to deliver even though he looks like a scrub on the court.
That’s it for the top 10 but who is on the outside looking in?
Jose Calderon: Great PG, bad team, last year anyways. He will make next year’s top 10 if the Raps make playoffs next season.
Jason Kidd: Visibly lost a step averaged only 9 points/game and 9 assists/game last season. Still steady as hell though.
Russell Westbrook: Stellar rookie campaign, he has a legit chance to make top 10 next year.
Jameer Nelson: top 10 if not for injury in the middle of the season.
Rafer Alston: Surprisingly stellar last couple of years, just not good enough to be top tier.
TJ Ford: Good scorer, horrible facilitator, if he was taller definitely would have been a SG.
As I was saying before I started to digress, I am starting a new yearly ranked list that will rank each position’s top 10 players. I will do this list every year during the summer time before the beginning of the next season. I started doing one last year, with the intention of having a top 30 list, but kind of crapped out after my top 13 and never got back to finishing it. But this year, I am harder, better, faster, stronger and ready to get it done (Daft Punk and Kanye, don’t worry your checks are in the mail).
Let’s start with the point guards, some of my favorite players are 1’s and the duty that they have on an NBA team is of the utmost importance, unless you’re the Clippers in which case it doesn’t really matter what you do, as you are destined for eternity in the basement of the league anyways. Enough talk though, let’s get this list on the way.
To note: Monta Ellis, Allen Iverson, Jason Terry and OJ Mayo are considered Shooting Guards and will be judged with their brethrens.
1. Chris Paul
Hard to argue against it, I really don’t like the guy and his team kinda fizzled out this year. But numbers and tapes don’t lie. No one in the league at this time can hold a candle to what Paul does every night.
He led all guards in scoring and assists at 22.8 and 11 as well as leading the entire league in steals at an impressive 2.77/game. His shot is still pretty shoddy for a guy who has spent 4 years in the league and thus 4 years around the best shooting coaches in the world. But it doesn’t seem to matter because Paul gets his points anyways.
No one is better at penetrating and lobbing a pass to his pivot man, he has godly handles and a court vision that arguably rival’s Magic’s. He is deathly quick and great at finishing in the paint, even though he is a small guy, even by a point guard’s standard.
Defensively, he is tough to go up against because of his speed and sneakiness. His tendency to play off the ball in hopes of getting the steal can sometimes hurt his squad on the defensive end, but he gets enough steals that it probably balances out in the end. He could afford to work a bit more on his on the ball defense, but that is true for mostly anyone in the league.
The most impressive and telling stat for Paul is his assist to turnover ratio that is at a stunning 3.67. For an average guard that number would be impressive but for a franchise guard that is the focus of most teams entire defensive scheme, that stat is flat out outstanding.
I think it will be a while before anyone is able to challenge his point guard reign.
2. Tony Parker
A year ago, this pick would have been extremely easy, as Deron Williams would have taken his usual place, right behing Paul. But Deron struggled with injuries at the beginning of the season and was not able to play up to his usual outstanding performance upon his return. This left his spot on the list up for grabs and the Frenchman took the chance to nab it and literally sped off with it.
Playing for a slow, boring franchise, Tony Parker sure keeps the pace at 11. He was a close second to Paul in PG scoring at 22 point per game and managed to dish put 7 assists per game. This is from the guy who can’t shoot from the outside and isn’t a very talented passer. Damn the French, always being so deceiving.
The key to Toilet Paper’s game is that he is fast and he never stops running. True his shot has drastically improved from what it was a year ago, but his game will always be an inside-outside type of play. This is advantageous for the Spurs because he draws defenders away from Duncan and gets him open looks and it also keeps the outside defenders from breaking down on him because Parker has proven in the last couple of seasons that he is very capable of hitting the open man with a nice pass. (Just ask the Suns).
True, he is pretty horrible on the defensive side of the ball, flops a lot and is somewhat injury prone but it doesn’t matter because Tony is such an offensive force that it weighs out the entire negative.
3. Deron Williams
I am not sure he belongs here. His season was filled with injuries and inconsistencies. Turning the ball over was more of an issue for DWill this year compared to his previous three and he sometimes seemed incapable of running the offense smoothly.
However through his struggles, also came some amazing performances or stretches of performances. Including his 5 game 30 points or more that came after his exclusion from the all star game. Not to mention that he is one of only two active players with 4 games in which he had more than 20 assists. (Steve Nash is the other, as if you had to guess).
His shot is better than both Paul and Parker but it is still not perfect. Williams still needs to work on that stroke to get it to the point where teams will fear leaving him open, as that will open the passing lanes for a man that might be the best natural passer in the league, outside Nash of course.
He continuously gets the best of Paul in their head to head match ups and their stats are pretty similar. It seems their careers have followed very parallel paths. However, Deron took a step slightly backwards last season and I fully expect him to be in the top two spots by the end of next season. Especially considering that he showed flashes of his greater self in the Jazz’s five game series against the Lakers.
4. Devin Harris
Tough to leave the man out of the top 3. Truth be told, had the Nets made the playoffs Harris was probably number 2 on my list. But they didn’t and let’s not forget to mention that Devin stupidly uttered “I knew we would be a playoff team” midway through the season at a time when the Nets were barely above .500. I know it doesn’t take much to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, but such a display of dumb arrogance deserves to be criticized.
Harris is fast, and he is the type of guy that is good at everything while being amazing at nothing. He is a very well rounded player. Devin was right behind Paul and Parker as he rounded out the top 3 in PG scoring with a very respectable 21.3/game. That was about a 6 point upswing from his previous season, which goes a long way towards explaining why he won the NBA’s most improved player award.
He is also a steady facilitator, nothing impressive but still above average. His years in the NBA are starting to show in that Harris is making better decisions with the ball compared to previous seasons. He is turnovers were slightly higher than two seasons ago but that goes hand in hand with having the ball in his possession a lot more often than in previous seasons.
Defensively, he is like most guards, kind of a liability. But he is pretty good at managing steals of the ball and his quickness helps him avoiding getting burned by the small, quick guys (see: Paul, Chris and Rondo, Rajon).
5. Rajon Rondo
Yes, we all know what we’ve been hearing about Rondo. His GM calls him out for having an attitude, they make him available to offers, blah blah blah. The fact is, without the tiny little point man, the Celtics weren’t making it out of their first round tangle with the Bulls.
Sure his stats are less gawk worthy than some of his peers below him, but with the little man from Kentucky, it’s almost never about stats. It’s about what he brings to a Celtics team that in NBA time, should all be in wheelchairs.
Rondo brings a youthful exuberance to the starting lineup and some extra speed to boot. No one in the L is faster than Rondo from baseline to baseline. He is a good ball handler and it is easy to see that his passing abilities have already improved from earler in his career. At only 23 ,and already a legitimate threat for a triple-double even though he is often times the smallest man on the floor, it is possible to imagine many awards and accolades for Rondo in the near future.
Yes he shot is horrible, and yes he scores most of his points in the paint, off of layups, as Henry Abbott of Truehoop exposed earlier this year. But none of that matters because Rondo is tough as nails and the key member of the Celtics. Trust me and remember that you heard this here first, if Rondo is ever traded away, the whole Celtics team will implode. Pierce and Garnett are over rated, very much so.
At the very least, Rondo’s ceiling is a poor man’s Chris Paul and best case scenario, he is his equal. That’s pretty scary if you ask me.
6. Chauncey Billups
Ok, so maybe his “Mr. Big Shot” nickname has been, for the last few years at the least, undeserved. But it is hard to deny the effect Mr. Mediocre shot had on the Nuggets team he joined early on last season.
They went from a team that was laughable on the defensive end, had some real character issues and seemed to be next in line to become the new gangsta team in the L. Then the ringleader of this mess of a squad was sent to Detroit for Billups and Denver flourished.
Billups is definitely not the fastest guard, nor is he the best passer, ball handler or shooter. But what Billups give up to opponents, he makes up for in character and hustle. He got Melo, J.R Smith and the rest to give a damn about defense and look where it got them, to within 2 games of the NBA finals. That is a marked improvement for a team that traded its only defensive weapon for nothing in the off-season and was expected to be dispatched in the 1st round of the playoffs.
Billups probably does not have many years left at the top of his game, but for this year, he has earned himself a place in the top 10.
7. Derrick Rose
Coming off a fantastic rookie campaign, it looks like Rose has become the East’s Deron Williams as Rajon Rondo is the East’s Chris Paul.
Pooh still has a lot to learn about being an NBA guard, among other things that defense is actually part of the game too. He is a pretty horrible defender, but nothing worst than other guards that are coming up on the list. (Here’s looking at you, Steve Nash)
His jump shot is also not quite where it needs to be in order for him to dominate day in, day out but that will come with time.
What makes him truly magical is his great passing ability. He came make passes others wouldn’t dare attempt and combined with his great ability to get his shot off in the lane; he is a hard man to cover.
When he does get his shot up to par, Rose will be a monster on the offensive end, and if he manages to become an average defender, expect him to hang out in the top three for the better part of a decade or two.
8. Steve Nash
It kills me to have him this low on the list. A year ago, he was a top 5 lock, probably 3rd behind CP3 and DWill. But that seems like ages ago after the Suns went through hell and back last season.
It wasn’t necessarily that Steve started playing well below his average, though he did lose a step or two, but rather the Suns’ combination of horrible luck and a new style of play.
We can now safely say that the Shaq experiment was a bust, as he slowed down the pace of the game and did not dominate nearly enough to make up for his slow ass. To add, Amare Stoudamire’s eye injury was not only unlucky, it was dumb on STAT’s part for not wearing protective eye goggles.
With all the distractions in the desert this year, Nashty still put in a stellar campaign. He still flat out sucks defensively and has to be desperately hidden when the other team has possession. But defense was never Nash’s primary goal.
He is till the best facilitator in the game, one of the league’s all-time best passers and the most exciting player to watch direct a team. His no-look behind the back passes or alley-hoop lobs are practically trademarked to his name. Even as he ages and his back is deteriorating before our eyes, he still makes the impossible look normal. He sees the court with a vision comparable to how Gretzky saw the ice; he is almost omniscient on offense.
To add to his proficient passing skills, he is a terrific ball handler and probably the best jump shooting guard in the league. Because of this he is basically unstoppable on offense; opponents have the choice between doubling him, sagging of on him or playing him tight. If you double him he will hit his open teammates for easy shots, sag off on him and he’ll drill shot after shot in your face and play him tight and he’ll cross you over to finish at the rim or hit his big man with an amazing pass.
Though he is an offensive behemoth, his defensive ineptitude and the fact that the Suns missed the playoffs this season docked him quite a few spots on the list. And he is aging so his time at the time has more than likely almost expired.
It’s been an amazing couple of years though Steve, and for that I am very thankful as a fan and a basketball junkie.
9. Mo Williams
His lackluster conference finals aside, Mo had a great season for the Cavs. He settled in nicely as the 2nd offensive option next to Lebron in Cleveland’s offense and never complained.
Though not a traditional guard in that he will look for his shot before creating for others, Williams still averaged around 4 assists a game. For a PG, that isn’t a lot, but in a team like the Cavaliers the offense is bound to be different. The ball is in James’ hands 90 per cent of the time and for Williams to find the time to dish out 4 assists a game is actually pretty impressive.
What Mo can bring to the Cavs is a brilliant scoring touch. His .436 three point percentage is the only one that is near Steve Nash’s league lead among PGs. His shot is better than most and he finds ways to get it off even considering his small stature.
He isn’t amazing but he is good enough to help the Cavaliers win in the same sense that Rajon Rondo was two years ago for the Celtics.
10. Andre Miller
Rounding out the top 10 is a player who CANNOT shoot to save his life. How he holds on to a roster spot is beyond me but he manages to deliver pretty much every year.
It’s not like Andre is lightning quick either, he can’t break down most defenders because they have faster feet than them and he can’t shoot over them because he’ll just bounce it off the rim. Yet somehow he found a way to average 16 points per game and led the 76ers into the playoffs. He also added 6.5 dimes a game and was a true locker room leader for a team that needs to find an identity quick.
It looks as though Miller will not be resigned by the 76ers, which is a shame because he has helped them a lot in the last two seasons. But whichever team that signs him will get a good teammate that will find ways to deliver even though he looks like a scrub on the court.
That’s it for the top 10 but who is on the outside looking in?
Jose Calderon: Great PG, bad team, last year anyways. He will make next year’s top 10 if the Raps make playoffs next season.
Jason Kidd: Visibly lost a step averaged only 9 points/game and 9 assists/game last season. Still steady as hell though.
Russell Westbrook: Stellar rookie campaign, he has a legit chance to make top 10 next year.
Jameer Nelson: top 10 if not for injury in the middle of the season.
Rafer Alston: Surprisingly stellar last couple of years, just not good enough to be top tier.
TJ Ford: Good scorer, horrible facilitator, if he was taller definitely would have been a SG.
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