Boston Celtics: Ranking Rajon Rondo Among the Top 10 PGs

After being rumored to be on the NBA trade block, Boston Celtics PG Rajon Rondo is fresh off of his second triple-double in four games and looking to prove the doubters wrong.

Scoring 18 points, grabbing 17 rebounds and dishing out 20 assists is a stat line that hasn't been recorded since NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1968.

Talk about impressive.

His play has proven just why Rondo is as valuable a PG as he is, and why he easily cracks the top 10 list for the leagues best point guards.

Here are Rajon Rondo and the top 10 points guards in the NBA based on their play in the 2012 season.

No. 10: Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors

The Statistics:

Points: 10.6

Assists: 8.6

Steals: 0.7

Rebounds: 3.3

FG %: 45.1

Breakdown:

Jose Calderon is leading the Toronto Raptors and could well be the reason that the team has even won 12 games.

Calderon, although ranking No. 3 in the league with 8.6 assists, has his troubles shooting the basketball and can be a defensive liability.

An especially underrated passer that needs some work in the scoring department and on the defensive end, Calderon earns himself the No. 10 spot on the countdown.

No. 9: Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Statistics:

Points: 10.6

Assists: 8.3

Steals: 2.3

Rebounds: 4.3

FG %: 35.5

Breakdown:

Unlike Jose Calderon, Ricky Rubio is a much more aggressive PG that isn't afraid to take the ball to the basket.

Yet at the same rate, his strength can also be his weakness, as he shoots just over 35 percent. This aggression makes him a positive asset defensively and a PG that creates scoring opportunities by moving an opposing defense.

The Spanish sensation has burst onto the scene in his first year in the league and will only continue to improve with time.

No. 8: Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

The Statistics:

Points: 19.2

Assists: 7.9

Steals: 1.1

Rebounds: 3.0

FG %: 46.0

Breakdown:

The San Antonio Spurs have looked to Tony Parker to lead the troops this season—and he has done just that.

The Spurs are 13-3 in the team's last 16 games and Parker has been the major reason why. In the month of February, Parker averaged 23.5 points and 8.6 assists while leading the Spurs to a 12-2 record.

The veteran PG will only look to improve the production, as it seems Parker is ready to take on the challenge of leading the team offensively.

No. 7: John Wall, Washington Wizards

The Statistics:

Points: 17.6

Assists: 7.8

Steals: 1.3

Rebounds: 5.0

FG %: 43.6

Breakdown:

Talk about an underrated talent in the league.

John Wall has the makings to soon become on of the top if not the top PG in the league. His end-to-end speed is unmatched on both ends of the floor, as he makes for one of the tougher covers in the league at the position.

Unfortunately for Wall, he plays with some of the more inconsistent players offensively in the league. With time, his numbers and production will only continue to improve, as this is a PG to watch out for in the next few seasons.

No. 6: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Statistics:

Points: 23.7

Assists: 5.5

Steals: 1.7

Rebounds: 3.3

FG %: 45.1

Breakdown:

There is no denying that Russell Westbrook is one of the most talented scorers in the game of basketball and easily the best scoring PG in the NBA alongside Derrick Rose.

The thing that knocks Westbrook out of the top five is his mere 5.5 assists per contest. He plays on far too dynamic and productive a team offensively to average so few assists. His passing ability in the NBA is yet to prove to be a strength.

Pair this with 4.1 turnovers per game, and there is certainly an area that Westbrook knows he has to and can improve in.

Yet Westbrook's explosiveness scoring the basketball and tough defense give him more than enough to crack the top six on this list. With a little work on running his team and moving the basketball with passes, Westbrook has the makings to easily become the best PG in basketball.

No. 5: Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

The Statistics:

Points: 13.8

Assists: 10.9

Steals: 0.7

Rebounds: 3.1

FG %: 53.8

Breakdown:

It's difficult to have Nash any lower than No. 6 on this list, as despite his 38 years of age, the PG from Santa Clara is still making the younger talents appear incapable.

The elegance with which Nash makes his passes and his accuracy in the open floor is something to watch. The issue for Nash has been in his ability to play consistently on the defensive end.

Regardless of his weaker defense, there is no doubt Nash is a top PG in the league.

No. 4: Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

The Statistics:

Points: 14.3

Assists: 10.2

Steals: 1.7

Rebounds: 5.4

FG %: 46.7

Breakdown:

With a career-high 5.4 rebounds per game this season as well as three triple-double performances, Rondo has elevated himself into the elite list of PGs in today's game.

Rondo has an ability to lead an offensive unit and guide the play of others around him as well as any player in the league. The floor general for his Boston Celtics, Rondo is a top-notch passer as well as a key defender for his ball club.

His two major liabilities have been his jump shot and free-throw shooting, both of which need improvement if Rondo expects to become a top-three PG in the NBA.

No. 3: Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

The Statistics:

Points: 19.7

Assists: 8.3

Steals: 2.2

Rebounds: 3.5

FG %: 48.7

Breakdown:

It has been something to watch since the very day that Chris Paul threw on an L.A. Clippers uniform.

One of the more complete point guards this league has to offer, Paul is a tremendous scoring threat, a tough defender and an accurate passer. These qualities are all those that make up a complete, effective point guard in the NBA.

Paul has also improved shooting-wise, hitting nearly 50 percent of his shots this season and proving to be an even more effective scoring threat down the stretch of games.

No. 2: Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets

The Statistics:

Points: 22.6

Assists: 8.2

Steals: 1.1

Rebounds: 3.5

FG %: 41.1

Breakdown:

On as poor a team as the New Jersey Nets have been this season, Deron Williams still continues to amaze basketball fans worldwide.

His 57-point performance most recently was the most by any player this season, as scoring the ball is anything but a problem for the All-Star PG.

Williams is also a tremendous threat passing the basketball in the half-court set and has continued to improve in this regard this season.

Williams is not only one of the better PGs in the game—he is a top 10 player in the league.

No. 1: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

The Statistics:

Points: 22.4

Assists: 7.7

Steals: 0.9

Rebounds: 3.3

FG %: 46.0

Breakdown:

The 2011 NBA MVP has struggled with injury throughout the course of the first-half of the season, and even still earns himself a top-spot in the countdown as the league's best PG.

Rose is an explosive, clutch, physical scoring threat that has willed the Bulls to another promising season in 2012. The Bulls have proven to be the second-best team in the East yet again, with much of the credit going to D-Rose.

He is also an especially underrated defender, as his numbers fail to reflect his physicality and athletic ability on the defensive end. His Bulls are the No. 2 defense in the league this season, allowing just under 88 points per game to opponents.

As great as Chris Paul and Deron Williams are, Rose continues to boast the slight edge as the best PG in the NBA.