Today, he'd be lucky to be top 10 and thats only because his recent trade placed him in an ideal situation to mask his short comings. He is a god awful shooter from outside of 10 feet, he gambles too often on defense and finds himself out of position, and he is a liability at the end of games because he can't shoot a free throw to save his life. Yes he is consistently on triple double watch as one of the premier rebounding point guards in the league. But that doesn't take away from the fact that he recently admitted in an interview after his trade to Dallas that, for the last few years he hasn't really played any defense and didnt try to hide it. You have to be dedicated in all facets of the game to be considered a top player at your position.
The NBA is flourishing right now at the point guard position. This position used to be just a run the offense and pass the ball scoring when needed type role which Rondo had mastered. Now it's a core group of athletic freaks who fight tooth and nail every possession on both ends of the ball. Not only are a few of these guys top point guards but they are some of the very best players in the league as a whole, and with that here is my list of the current top 5 point guards in the NBA.
5. Chris Paul:
A few years ago CP3 was a consensus top 5 player and overall number 1 point guard in the league. Yet as they say, age is undefeated. He still puts up fantastic numbers averaging 17 and 9 a game for an underachieving Clippers squad. Personally that is what drops him to #5 for me. He is supposed to be the quarterback and hold everyone accountable yet he can never seem to get his teams over the hump, after a long career of never really winning numbers can only mean so much, especially at the point guard position.
4. Damian Lillard:
Big Game Dame is only in his third season in the NBA and has already made a resounding impact on the league. From winning rookie of the year as an unknown kid from a mid major college to his playoff series winning 3 at the buzzer to eliminate the heavily favorited Houston Rockets in last years playoffs, if there is a big moment Damian will rise to the challenge. Anchoring what is now a household name after years of irrelevance in the Portland Trailblazers, Lillard has put up impressive numbers averaging 22 ppg and 6 assists, although he has been known to on a whim go off for 40.
3. John Wall:
Coming out of college I was never all that high on John Wall. He was a great athlete with ridiculous speed but he had no jumper and was on an awful team so his numbers were always inflated by circumstance. These last two years however have shown me that he has truly taken the step towards greatness and understands what it means to win. His shooting percentage has gone up steadily over the last few seasons to a career high 45% this season while averaging 17 points per game. My intrigue in in his assist numbers. Wall has always been a flashy player who would occasionally try to do to much, however now that he has a full compliment of players surrounding him he is taking less bad shots and making more intelligent passes which has ballooned his assist totals to an average of over 10 a game which ranks him first in the league. He also dominates on the other side of the ball, averaging 2 steals a game, putting him 3rd in the league, on what is now one of the most efficient teams in the Eastern Conference.
2. Russell Westbrook:
Russy is a freak of nature. He can explode from out of nowhere and bring down the house with a rim wrecking dunk, he can also play the inside out game and hit big jump shots in critical situations. His defense is tenacious and at times downright impenetrable. Averages of 27 and 7 from a point guard are unheard of. It was really a toss up between him and the #1 guy for that coveted spot but there is something about Russell I just can't get behind. He shoots the ball too much. When your running mate is the best player in the league and one of the greatest scorers in the history of the game, you shouldn't be averaging more shots per game then him. Westbrook and Durant have the ability to be the greatest duo of all time, and they would be, if Westbrook could learn how to stop shooting them out of games at times. Which brings me to my number 1 point guard...
1. Stephen Curry:
Steph Curry, the Baby Faced Assassin. He's truly the most talented point guard in the league right now. Not only is he my number 1 point guard but I wouldn't hesitate to place him amongst the top 5 overall. The Splash Brothers have turned what was an embarrassment of a franchise into the top team in a loaded Western Conference, including the team record for wins last season. He's second in steals, sixth in scoring, fifth in assists. He is, as Stephen A Smith would say, A Bad Man. Ice water runs through his veins as he drills ridiculous three pointers from anywhere he wants, slicing up defenses with his unmatched ball handling ability, and most importantly he wins, and has fun doing it. There is not a single player I enjoy watching play basketball as much as Stephen Curry and his Golden State Warriors, and thankfully they'll be around for a long time.
Honorable Mention: Tony Parker, Mike Conley
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