Power Rankings All 30 NBA Backcourts: Spurs on Top

30. Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers main goal for the off-season was to acquire a veteran point guard to run the team (out of losing land). They struck out in every level trying to achieve this. Larry Bird is not saying the team’s focus will be towards 2011.

Although the Pacers have some promising pieces in Lance Stephenson, AJ Price and Brandon Rush, these are inexperienced players.

The Pacers have enough expiring contracts to strengthen their backcourt and perhaps rank higher on this list. But as of now, they have the worst backcourt in the NBA.

29. Minessota Timberwolves

The Wolves will rank at the bottom of the league in plenty of categories next season. Free agency was a confusing time for most Wolves fans and one can only hope that there is some Mater Plan in the front office. But likely there isn’t any.

With a point guard slot filled by injured sophomore Jonny Flynn and Luke Ridnour, and a shooting guard slot filled by swing-man Corey Brewer and seldom used Wayne Ellingon, there are plenty of areas to improve. This backcourt can challenge the Pacers for the least productive in the league.

28. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are in clear rebuilding mode and they will be there for the next few years. This is a great opportunity to develop experience in their backcourt with youngsters Sony Weems and Demar DeRozan along with NBA veterans Jose Calderon and Leandro Barbosa.

There is enough talent to develop a solid backcourt, but currently they are very close to the bottom of the league.

27. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavalier’s offense was ran through LeBron James. LeBron had ball-handling duties for almost every position. Two point guards in the roster, Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson, are shooting guards trapped in point guard bodies. They only have one shooting guard in Anthony Parker, who although a solid basketball players, will rarely be anything to talk about.

The trade for Ramon Sessions should help their backcourt. But after a disappointing season playing behind Jonny Fynn, many questions surround his productivity.

26. New York Knicks

Raymond Felton was a solid addition to the roster. Toney Douglas showed plenty of flashes of becoming a solid contributor last season and should only improve with another year under his belt.

Kelenna Azubuike and Wilson Chandler should be able to produce at a high level within the Mike D’Antoni’s system.

Plenty of things could go right for this team’s backcourt, but the reality is that even if all things do go right they are just not that good.

25. Charlotte Bobcats

Their guards are DJ Augustin, Larry Hughes, Stephen Jackson, and Gerald Henderson (who is really more of a small forward).

They have an up and coming point guard in Augustin that will finally be given the opportunity to show what he is made of. They have a great player in Stephen Jackson to lead their back court. Besides these two players, they have an inexperienced youngster in Henderson and a border-line NBA player in Hughes.

Not a great line-up to go into a season after the franchise’s first every playoff berth.

24. Sacramento Kings

Besides Tyreke Evans and to an extent Beno Udrih, this team has no depth in their backcourt. Francisco Garcia should be back healthy enough to contribute to their backcourt woes, but won’t be a significant factor to make his team much better.

The reason this team isn’t at the bottom of the list is because Evans is pretty darn good.

23. Memphis Grizzlies

Their point guard, Mike Conley, is not at the level of the rest of their starting line-up. They currently do not have a solid back-up especially with the injury to rookie Grievis Vasquez, who had a poor outing in the summer league.

Xavier Henry will be a solid shooter off the bench behind OJ Mayo, but their point guard woes will have this backcourt struggling throughout the season.

22. Philadelphia 76ers

Evan Turner had a poor summer league, but he will come around. Anybody that saw him play in college will agree with that. Jrue Holiday looked and played like a veteran in the summer league and will be much improved next season.

With Lue Williams off the bench, the Sixers have a solid 3 guard rotation to work with. Their back-up shooting guard will likely be Willie Green, who leaves much to be desired. For that reason, this team does not rank higher.

21. Golden State Warriors

As far as statistics go, I can be ready to crown the Golden State Warriors backcourt as the best in the league. Curry and Ellis can post incredible numbers even playing together. What is the problem? Behind them two, the team has Charlie Bell, Reggie Williams, and… that is about it.

Reggie Williams is a solid player that can play multiple positions and will be ready to provide plenty of scoring.

This team will be exciting to watch and their guards will provide plenty of plays to get off of your seat for, but it won’t translate into many wins. The team will quickly find out they need to add a few pieces and that losing Morrow, Watson and Azubuike will hurt more than they thought.

20. Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers have a nice combination of talent, veteran experience and youth. Baron Davis and Eric Bledsoe will be a solid point guard combination, while Eric Gordon and Randy Foye will surely hold their own against other shooting guards.

There are plenty of things to like about the Clipper’s backcourt and overall roster. They can surprise some teams next season under a new coach and new management.

19. New Jersey Nets

Ownership and management had big plans this coming season to elevate this team to a playoff caliber team. Most plans were quickly aborted and others just failed miserably.

Out of free agency, they acquired Jordan Farmar and Anthony Morrow to strengthen their already promising backcourt. Farmar will be a formidable back-up for Devin Harris and Morrow will surely make plenty of threes.

Current players like Terrence Williams can only get better with another year. Courtney Lee will be back full strength and provide hard nose defense and long range shooting.

The New Jersey backcourt is promising to say the least.

18. Detroit Pistons

Wait… are the Pistons really ranked higher than the Nets and Clippers? Yes, and here is why.

The point guard duties will be split between Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum. That combination is solid to say the least. The shooting guard duties will be split between Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon. Having second thoughts?

The Pistons do not have much to talk about besides their backcourt, but the backcourt can be pretty darn good. If the team is able to develop good chemistry among their guards, they can be an excellent basketball combination.

17. Utah Jazz

There is not much more here after Deron Williams. But Deron Williams is among the best point guards in the league. Ronnie Price is a solid back-up and considering Williams' superstar play, he won’t be called upon for more than 15 minutes per game.

As far as their shooting guard position goes, they lost a solid player in Wesley Mathews, but obtained another solid player in Raja Bell. CJ Miles should continue his steady improvement and provide scoring and solid defense.

16. Chicago Bulls

Similar to the Jazz, the Bulls talent goes through a big drop off after Derrick Rose. Regardless, their complementary guards are not slouches either.

CJ Watson, an underrated defender, can provide quality minutes behind Rose. Ronnie Brewer plays excellent one-on-one defense to complement Rose’s scoring mentality in the starting line-up and is also athletic enough to be the perfect fit next to Rose.

Even with a drop off after Rose, the Bulls still have a solid backcourt that should provide enough production for the team to forget about losing Kirk Hinrich and failing to sign Joe Johnson.

15. Miami Heat

Why are the Miami Heat ranked so low? Name the team’s starting point guard, back-up point guard, and back-up shooting guard. Unless you are a Miami Heat fan, those names will come automatically to your head.

The point guard duties will be split between youngster Mario Chalmers and re-signed Carlos Arroyo. That is not a combination to get excited about, not even a little. Although Dwyane Wade will play some point to help their cause, it is not like they are very deep at the two-guard either.

Shooting guards include Dwyane Wade himself and…another name that can’t come to mind? That name is Eddie House. Eddie is a solid player, but not great. Behind Wade, though, he should be sufficient at least offensively.

You can argue the team can play Mike Miller at the two guard, but then that leaves another gap at the small forward slot behind James.

Conclusion? A championship caliber team with a mediocre backcourt. Sounds strange, doesn’t it?

14. Portland TrailBlazers

The TrailBlazers are three men deep into each guard position with the addition of Wesley Mathews and Patrick Mills. The problem is that team chemistry is a big issue. At different times during last season, several players were uncomfortable with their roles within the team.

Andre Miller, Jarryd Bayless and Rudy Fernandez all expressed discomfort and even suggested trade demands. With that kind of mentality, the Blazers hinder their ability to be among the elite backcourts in the NBA.

The backcourt will likely look different come season start. But as it is right now, this is a case of great talent and potential with not-so-great chemistry.

13. Orlando Magic

Yes, Vince Carter is old and it showed. But JJ Reddick will pick up the drop in productivity from the former half man half amazing player.

The signing of Chris Duhon is very underrated. He thrived in Chicago as the back-up point guards, and will be given the same opportunity once again, especially since he will be making $6 million a year now.

Jameer Nelson is coming off an all-star game appearance and a couple of brilliant playoff series. He will continue this trend and have the Magic in contention of an NBA title.

12. OKC Thunder

Russell Westbrook will be looking to become an all-star guard. He has the complete package of athleticism, court vision, aggressiveness, defense and an improved jump shot off the dribble.

They have one of the most promising back-up point guards in the league in Eric Maynor. Thabo Sefelosha is among the league’s best one-on-one defenders and is also an athletic player that greatly complements Westbrook in the fast break.

Behing Sefelosha is rising player James Harden, who can arguably become the team’s starting shooting guard if his improvement keeps its steady pace.

11. Washington Wizards

There will be plenty of things to be excited about the Washington Wizards. As far as the backcourt goes, John Wall is a cornerstone player able to take the franchise off the ground and into contention in just a few years.

As far as his back-up, Kirk Hinrich could be the most underrated acquisition of 2010 free agency. He will provide leadership, defense, and experience to their backcourt.

Another exciting player to watch is Gilbert Areans. Exciting? Yes. Why? Nobody can predict how he will mesh with the newly reconstructed team. If he is able to move to the shooting guard role, he can thrive there. John Wall is strong enough to guard bigger guards, making the pairing of Wall and Arenas less painful. Nick Young behind Arenas is also another player that can thrive playing next to Wall.

The team might not be a contender or even a playoff team, but their backcourt will be something to talk about through the season.

10. New Orleans Hornets

Chris Paul will be back with the Hornets at least through the start of the season after reports came out saying that no official trade demand was made. Whether he will be traded or not through the season is another topic on its own.

Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league. And his back-up was easily one of the best point guards of last year’s rookie class posting Chris Paul like numbers in his absence. The beauty is that these two guards were also able to play together, which makes minutes distribution even better.

The Hornets have a hole at the shooting guard slot being sophomore Marcus Thornton. Although Quincy Pondexter should provide some minutes at shooting guard, the team will need to figure out rotations to keep their backcourt firing in all cylinders at all times.

9. Milwaukee Bucks

Probably the most overachieving team in the NBA last season, the Bucks will come out of the gate next season considered one of the top teams in the East. The addition of Kenyon Dooling to back up Salmons was a brilliant cheap acquisition by management. No longer a rookie, Brandon Jennings will be competing for an all-star spot.

As far as shooting guard duties go, the team resigned underrated John Salmons to a long term deal and will be bringing Michael Redd back. Nearing the end of his career for various reasons, Redd will see a reduced role, but one in which he can thrive in.

Another solid addition was shooting guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, who showed last season that given the minutes, he can be very productive.

8. Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have a solid combination of youth, athleticism, basketball IQ, and experience. Jason Kidd, although in his late 30’s, has been able to play solid for extended minutes.

Jose Barea is a very intelligent player, that although short for the NBA game, is able to provide good defense and speed. Rodrigue Beabuois is still figuring out the NBA game but with a year of experience should be more productive than he was last season, while playing more minutes.

The team is also stacked at the shooting guard slot with minutes distributed among Jason Terry, Caron Butler, and rookie Dominique Jones. Jones showed he belongs in the NBA with solid summer league play, while Terry and Butler are proven veterans.

The Mavericks have one of the deepest rotations in their backcourt in the NBA and will have proven players in the court at all times.

7. Atlanta Hawks

It really doesn’t get much better than Mike Bibby, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, and rookie Jordan Crawford.

The Hawk’s backcourt was near the top of the league last season, and that shouldn’t change this coming season.

If Jordan Crawford is able to be productive in the backcourt next to these other great players, this group of guards will give other teams nightmares.

6. Houston Rockets

The Rockets have a solid backcourt rotation deep enough to give teams a run for their money. Both Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry provide amazing speed and ball handling to play up-tempo style basketball, but also possess good basketball IQ to settle down in a half-court set.

At the shooting guard slot, Kevin Martin provides all-star caliber play. Martin was averaging 30 points per game in Sacramento before his injury. Although he will not be averaging such numbers in Houston, he will be providing plenty of scoring to go along super length for his position.

Backing up Martin will be Chase Buddinger, who at the summer league showed his leadership and efficient play not to mention his extreme athleticism.

5. Denver Nuggets

Similar to Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups is another player getting into the mid 30’s but has shown little to no effect in his play. Still among the NBA’s top point guards, he provides leadership, basketball IQ and championship experience to the team.

Ty Lawson played a few summer league games being the best player on the court at almost all times. He will see a much greater role within the team and extended minutes which will translate in more production for the Nugget’s backcourt.

At the shooting guard slot, the team has the services of superb defender Aaron Affalo as well as sharp shooter JR Smith. Affalo provides excellent one-on-one defense while also showing at extremely good shooting touch from three. JR Smith is a scoring machine, that although reckless at times, will be responsible for winning a share of games during the season.

4. Phoenix Suns

The Suns have one of the best backcourts in the game. Steve Nash, former 2-time MVP, is still going strong and playing at the same level he did when we won the awards.

Goran Dragic has opened eyes across the league with his leadership and improved basketball IQ. There is much to like from the future of Phoenix as far as next season and the coming years at the point guard position.

Jason Richardson is coming of one of the best playoff performances of his career as well as a solid regular season. Still in his prime, he will continue to feed off Steve Nash and Goran Dragic and producing at a high level next season.

The addition of Josh Childress only strengthens the team’s backcourt when he plays shooting guard. He is a solid defender and shooter that off international experience, will provide plenty of reasons to make Phoenix’s backcourt a top 4 in the league.

3. Boston Celtics

Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen are all-star players and right at the top of starting backcourts.

Rondo is an emerging player that seems to not have reached his peak yet. Allen, although decreasing in productivity, is still able to take over games effectively and knock down clutch shots when called upon.

On the bench, the team has a solid contributor in Nate Robinson who was instrumental in their championship run last season. Marquis Daniels will come back healthy and if he is able to play at the level he did in Indiana, the back-up guards will provide plenty of productive minutes.

Although the back-up guards are not as good as other teams like Atlanta or Orlando, the starting guards provide plenty of talent and experience to have Boston have the third best backcourt in the NBA.

3. Boston Celtics

Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen are all-star players and right at the top of starting backcourts.

Rondo is an emerging player that seems to not have reached his peak yet. Allen, although decreasing in productivity, is still able to take over games effectively and knock down clutch shots when called upon.

On the bench, the team has a solid contributor in Nate Robinson who was instrumental in their championship run last season. Marquis Daniels will come back healthy and if he is able to play at the level he did in Indiana, the back-up guards will provide plenty of productive minutes.

Although the back-up guards are not as god as other teams like Atlanta or Orlando, the starting guards provide plenty of talent and experience to have Boston have the third best backcourt in the NBA.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant is the best guard in the game. By himself he can probably make the Laker’s backcourt a top 10 in the league. He is not solely responsible for the Lakers being ranked second.

The addition of Steve Blake and re-signing of Derek Fisher solidifies the point guard position. Both guards are veteran players that are able to knock down open shots and make the right pass at the right time.

The team is close to re-signing Shannon Brown who did a formidable job filling in for Kobe Bryant during his minutes of rest. With another year of experience in the triangle offense, he will be more comfortable and therefore more productive.

The Lakers arguably have the best backcourt they have had in the past 3 years, two of which the claimed NBA championships in. That is a scary thought.

1. San Antonio Spurs

Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, when healthy, are the league’s best combination of point guard and shooting guard no questions asked. Former NBA champions and multiple all-star selected players, the duo can play at an extremely high level.

Coming off the bench is George Hill, who has shown he will be an all-star player very early in his career. His productivity, shooting, ball-handling, defense, speed, and basketball IQ is very impressive for a young player. He will only continue to grow and someday become the next Tony Parker for the Spurs.

Another formidable acquisition for the Spurs was sharpshooter James Anderson. Anderson will need to mature as a player before he reaches his potential. But what better way to mature than next to former NBA champions and all-stars?

Although not the dynasty they once were, they are still a very good team which success will depend on this formidable backcourt.