Top 10 Point Guards Of All Time
Magic Johnson
Offense: A+
Johnson was one of the most exciting players to watch during his time. He dominated the court with the combination of his size, quickness, and passing vision. He led the showtime Lakers averaging 19.5 points and 11.2 assists over his career. This includes a stretch where he led the league in assists in four out of five seasons.
Defense: B
He was also very solid on the other side of the floor especially early on in his career. Often his teammate Michael Cooper would take on the best opposing guard, but Johnson still ended up leading the league in steals twice. He also rebounded well for a guard averaging 7.1 per game.
Prime: A+
Magic was as close to perfect as it gets from 1986-89. He won 2 MVP awards, made the finals 3 times, and came out as champion twice. Along with this, he averaged 22 points, 12.3 assists, and 6.8 rebounds.
Postseason Success: A+
It didn’t take long for Johnson to find success in the postseason as he was Finals MVP in his rookie year. He went on to go 5-4 in the finals, with 3 of those matchups coming against the Celtics: 5x NBA champion, 3x Finals MVP, 9 Finals appearances
Regular Season Accomplishments: A
Even though he had to retire while in his prime, Johnson was able to rack up MVPs and lead the league in steals and assists multiple times: 3x MVP, 9x All NBA first team, 4x Assists leader, 2x Steals leader
2. Steph Curry
Offense: A+
Known as the greatest shooter of all time, Curry’s impact on the offensive side of the floor is almost immeasurable. Defenders worry about chasing him off-ball, doubling him on screens, and staying attached to him rather than playing help-side defense. Even with this treatment, Curry has been able to be one of the league’s top scorers with incredible efficiency. His playmaking ability with the ball is also elite as he averages a career 6.5 assists.
Defense: B
Curry’s size hurts him on the defensive side of the floor but he is still able to hold his own in many situations. He is never considered for any defensive awards, but he is still a ball hawk and has still managed to lead the league in steals.
Prime: A+
From 2014-17 Curry and his Warriors were almost unstoppable. He won two MVPs, went to three straight finals (coming home with the win twice), and was able to average 26.4 points, 7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. He also led the Warriors to break the regular season win record and became the only unanimous MVP in league history.
Postseason Success: A
Steph Curry was the face of a 2010s dynasty. Even after coming back from injury, he was able to lead his team to another championship. One of the only flaws to his postseason success is his lack of Finals MVPs: 4x NBA Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 6 Finals Appearances
Regular Season Accomplishments: B+
Curry also has an impressive regular season resume which will only continue to build: 2x MVP, 5x All NBA first team, 2x Scoring leader, 1x Steals leader
3. Oscar Robertson
Offense: A+
Right off the bat, Oscar was elite on offense as he had his infamous season where he averaged a triple-double in only his second season. He is known as one of the best playmakers ever as he averaged 9.5 assists over his career in an era where rules were more strict for what counted as an assist.
Defense: B+
Oscar was also helpful on the defensive side of the floor. Most of his value came from his ability to rebound as he averaged 12.5 in his best season. However his quickness especially for being 6’5 also made it so defenders couldn’t pick on his size.
Prime: B+
As impressive as his prime was statistically, there was much more to be accomplished in terms of awards and team success. From 1960-63 he averaged a ridiculous 29.8 points, 10.2 assists, and 11 rebounds. However, he was never able to bring his team to the Finals or win an MVP award.
Postseason Success: B
Oscar never found postseason success on the Royals. It wasn’t until he joined the Bucks where Kareem was the leader that he began to win in the playoffs: 1x NBA Champion, 2x Finals appearances
Regular Season Accomplishments: A-
Oscar was regarded as arguably the top guard in the league year in and out which led him to accumulate an impressive resume: 1x MVP, 9x All NBA first team, 6x Assists leader
4. Isiah Thomas
Offense: A-
Isiah Thomas was able to use his shiftiness and tight ball handling to become one of the NBA’s best playmakers. This led him to averaging a double-double with points and assist for four straight season peaking with a 21 point 14 assist season. These stats also translated very well come playoff time.
Defense: B+
Isiah was the leader of one of the toughest defenses of all time in the “Bad Boys” Pistons. Individually he also held his own being one of the top steals leaders especially early on in his career. However his size kept him from being an elite defender.
Prime: A-
From 1987-90 Isiah was regarded as one of the best point guards on the league and on the most dominant team. They won back to back championships, all while he made 3 All NBA teams and averaged 18.7 points and 8.7 assists.
Postseason Success: B+
Isiah was part of one of the greatest teams in the late 80s. He had many duels with the Celtics, Bulls, and Lakers which he was victorious in at one point: 2x NBA Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 2x Finals appearances
Regular Season Accomplishments: C+
Much of his accomplishments came as a team effort which is a big criticism for him: 3x All NBA first team, 1x Assist leader
5. Chris Paul
Offense: A
Chris Paul is regarded as one of the smartest NBA players to ever step on the court which led him to thriving as a playmaker. No matter where he played, he elevated his team which is why he led the NBA in assists while on three different franchises. Over his career he’s averaged 18 points and 9.5 assists.
Defense: A-
Paul’s hustle and quickness also got him the reputation as one of the league’s best guard defenders getting him on the All defensive team 9 times. He also was one of the best at creating turnovers as he led the league in steals 6 times.
Prime: B
His prime was with the Clippers from 2011-14. As a team they fell short in the playoffs time and time again but CP3 made the All NBA first team three times while averaging 18.5 points and 9.8 assists.
Postseason Success: B
The biggest knock of Chris Paul’s career is his lack of success in the playoffs. He was on some great teams but could never finish the job: 1x Finals appearances
Regular Season Accomplishments: B
Chris Paul had great longevity with his accomplishments but could never win the big awards like an MVP: 4x All NBA first team, 9x All NBA defensive team, 5x Steals leader, 6x Assists leader
6. John Stockton
Offense: A
John Stockton was an elite playmaker in the league for many years which is why he holds the all time record for career assists. He was known for his unstoppable pick-and-roll action with teammate Karl Malone. Stockton was also an efficient scorer usually near the top of the league in effective field goal percentage.
Defense: B+
He was also a positive on the defensive end. Despite his size, Stockton’s hustle allowed him to be effective. He led the league in steals twice while also being named to the All NBA defensive team five times.
Prime: B
Stockton’s prime lasted from 1992-95 when he was able to average 15 points and 12.3 points. However he and Malone weren’t able to make it to the NBA Finals as two of the years they were a first round exit. During this stretch he was also named to two All NBA first teams.
Postseason Success: B-
John Stockton made it to the Finals twice in his career but unfortunately matched up with Jordan’s Bulls both times, leaving him with an 0-2 record: 2x Finals appearances
Regular Season Accomplishments: C+
He also had a relatively unimpressive resume when looking at other NBA greats: 2x All NBA first team, 5x All NBA defensive team, 9x Assist leader, 2x Steals leader
7. Gary Payton
Offense: A-
Gary Payton was the focal point of the Supersonics’ offense throughout the 90s. During his all star years, he averaged 20.8 points and 7.9 assists showing he could playmake well along with scoring on his own.
Defense: A
Defensively, Payton terrorized other perimeter players which is why he was given his nickname “The Glove” for his tight defense. He was able to lead the league in steals once, and became one of the only guards to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Prime: B
His prime lasted from 1995-98 which included his one finals appearance in 1996 where the Sonics fell short to Jordan’s Bulls. In these three years, Payton was named to an All NBA first team and averaged 20.1 points and 7.6 assists.
Postseason Success: B-
Payton had many years where the Sonics looked like contenders but fell short in the playoffs. He was able to make on finals which ended in a loss: 1x Finals appearance
Regular Season Accomplishments: B-
Nothing jumps out at you in Payton’s resume, but it is still well-rounded: 2x All NBA first team, 1x Defensive Player of the Year, 9x All NBA defensive team, 1x Steals leader
8. Russell Westbrook
Offense: A
Russell Westbrook is one of the most explosive players in the NBA. He is consistently one of the best playmakers in the NBA due to this as he led the league in assists three times. Westbrook was also a great scorer, although some years being inefficient.
Defense: B
His athleticism also helped him as a capable defender. His hustle was infectious and also allowed him to be at the top of the league in guard rebounding.
Prime: B+
Westbrook’s legendary season of averaging a triple double stands out as one of the most memorable individual seasons of all time. His prime lasted from 2015-18 with that season coming in the middle. In this stretch he averaged 26.8 points, 10.3 assists, and 9.5 rebounds but wasn’t able to find any postseason success as he was a first round exit each year without Durant.
Postseason Success: B-
Westbrook was able to make deep playoff runs as the second option on the team, but could never get anywhere as the leader himself. He made it to the Finals once with Durant early in his career: 1x Finals appearance
Regular Season Accomplishments: B
Headlined by his legendary season, Westbrook’s resume continues to grow in his career: 1x MVP, 2x All NBA first team, 2x Scoring leader, 3x Assists leader
9. Steve Nash
Offense: A
Whatever Steve Nash touched on offense turned to gold. He was one of the greatest playmakers in NBA history leading the league in assists five times. Although not a volume scorer, Nash was one of the most efficient scorers the league has seen averaging a career 43% from three and 90% from the free throw line.
Defense: C+
Nash was a liability on defense. He wasn’t the most athletic which made it hard especially when switched onto bigger players. Advanced statistics also back this up.
Prime: B+
His prime lasted from 2004-07 which were his first three years rejoining the Phoenix Suns. During time he won two MVP awards and led the team to a top two seed in the west. Nash did this while averaging 17.7 points and 11.2 assists which were only elevated in the playoffs. However the team always fell short of the finals losing twice in the Western Conference Finals.
Postseason Success: B-
Nash was able to make some deep playoff runs with the Suns, but never made it to the NBA finals.
Regular Season Accomplishments: B+
Nash had two controversial MVP awards which headline his resume. Deserved or not, he put some great seasons together: 2x MVP, 3x All NBA first team, 5x Assists leader
10. Jason Kidd
Offense: B+
Kidd was known for his impressive court vision finding teammates who didn’t even realize they were open. In doing this, he led the league in assists five times averaging 9.3 in his first 14 years. He was also a decent scorer averaging 14.2 points in that same stretch, however was very inefficient averaging a career 40% from the field.
Defense: A-
Defensively Kidd, was consistently dominant. Being a 6’4 point guard, his size allowed him to lock up smaller guards and switch onto bigger players without it being a mismatch. He was named to 9 All NBA defensive teams throughout his career.
Prime: B
Kidd’s best years were from 2000-03 which included his last year on the Suns and first two years with the Nets. In these first two seasons with the Nets. He led the team to back-to-back NBA finals but coming up short to the Lakers and Spurs. Kidd was also named to two All NBA first teams while averaging 16.7 points, 9.5 assists, and 6.7 rebounds.
Postseason Success: B-
Being the main guy, Kidd was able to take his team to the finals but never getting the championship. However, he finally won a ring while being an essential role player on the Mavericks with Dirk Nowitzki: 1x NBA champion, 3x Finals apperances
Regular Season Accomplishments: B-
In terms of accolades, Kidd was able to win awards for his effort on both ends of the court: 5x All NBA first team, 9x All NBA defensive team, 5x Assist leader
