NBA Free Agency 2012: Where Steve Nash and Deron Williams Rank Among Elite PGs

The NBA free-agent class of 2012 is surprisingly long on quality point guards, though Deron Williams and Steve Nash still clearly stand head-and-shoulders above their "unemployed" peers at the position.

Aside from the short list of broken down Hall of Famers (i.e. Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups), Williams and Nash are the only two of this summer's available floor generals who've been selected to multiple All-Star Games and All-NBA teams over the course of their illustrious careers.

As such, they'll be the ones who set the market once the financial floodgates officially open on July 1. Only one of them (D-Will) figures to command a max contract, but Nash, even at the tender age of 38, will garner more than enough interest to make a pretty penny on a short-term pact, if he so desires.

But where do these two Princes of the Pass, these Dons of the Dime, rank among the 10 best in this "Golden Age" of point guards in basketball, regardless of current employment status?

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Injuries: Derrick Rose and Ricky Rubio

Derrick Rose and Ricky Rubio would both rank among the top 10 point guards in the NBA with some ease if they were healthy or, at the very least, recovering from "minor" injuries.

But, unfortunately for them, the Chicago Bulls, the Minnesota Timberwolves and hoop heads everywhere, that's not the case. Both of these bright, young talents saw their respective seasons ended by devastating knee injuries.

Rubio tore the ACL in his left knee against the Los Angeles Lakers in early March, a month and a half before Rose did the very same in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers in late April.

Rubio had been in the running for Rookie of the Year honors prior to his knee giving way, with 10.6 points and 8.2 assists per game merely outlining the story.

He provided eye-popping passes, tremendous chemistry with T-Wolves All-Star Kevin Love, new hope on the hardwood in the Land of 10,000 Lakes and beautiful basketball played with the sort of youthful exuberance rarely seen in the NBA today.

Rose was certainly deserving of his own flattering set of superlatives, though injuries throughout the 66-game schedule stunted his campaign for a second consecutive MVP award and, all told, may have presaged his eventual demise.

Nonetheless, Rose's role as the leading man in Tom Thibodeau's intense production, along with his 21.8 points and 7.9 assists, would've likely landed him among the top five floor generals.

There's no telling when either of these two young guns will be back in live game action. They may be much less up to the speed they formerly enjoyed, assuming they'll ever be the whirling dervishes they once were again.

In any case, both possess the talent and the star power to merit honorable mentions among their peers until they return.

10. John Wall

At first glance, John Wall is as impressive a young point guard as there is in the NBA.

At 6'4" and 195 pounds, Wall, the Washington Wizards' No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, is something of a physical specimen, even more so when he's on the move. Few players on the planet, if any, can match his sheer speed with the ball in his hands, not to mention his agility to maneuver around and the athleticism to jump over defenders.

The basic numbers are fairly impressive, too—career averages of 16.3 points, 8.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals, with his 22nd birthday still upcoming.

So why, then, is Wall "only" the 10th-best point guard in basketball right now?

In a word, feel. As in, Wall doesn't really have one for the position yet, at least to the extent that one might expect of the upper-upper echelon.

He's shown a proclivity for out-of-control play at times, as best quantified by his 3.9 turnovers per game during the 2011-12 season (second-most in the NBA) and 5.1 turnovers per 48 minutes (third-most).

Whereas some top-notch point guards turn the ball over as a matter of always having the ball in their hands, Wall's mistakes often come as a consequence of his immense gifts and the extent to which he has yet to harness them.

If/when Wall tightens his dribble, learns to play with patience and can change speeds effectively, he'll find himself in rarefied air at his position.

Also, his shooting stroke could use some sharpening—and that's putting it mildly. His overall performance from the field (42.3 percent) and from the free-throw line (78.9 percent) improved to an extent during his sophomore season, though not nearly enough to cancel out the ghastly cratering of his three-point shot (7.1 percent, the worst among anyone who made at least one three).

Now, nobody's expecting Wall to be the next Steve Nash as far as his shot is concerned, but he'll have to be able to hit the broadside of a barn from time to time if he's going to limit his own liability. 

9. Jose Calderon

When compiling an off-hand list of the best point guards in the NBA, Jose Calderon doesn't usually come to mind, though he probably should.

Granted, the Spaniard has never been to the All-Star Game or chosen for an All-NBA team and has only tasted the playoffs twice in his seven years on this side of the Atlantic, though that has as much to do with the fact that he's spent all seven with the Toronto Raptors as anything else.

Truth be told, Calderon won't often blow anyone away with his scoring (he's never averaged more than 12.8 points per game in a single season) or his durability (he's played a full schedule once).

Nor are either of those factors likely to change going forward, given that Calderon will be 31 by the time the 2012-13 season tips off.

But, as far as efficiency and steady-handedness are concerned, Calderon is about as underrated as they come.

Calderon annually ranks among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio, including an impressive rate of 4.5 to lead all qualified candidates during the 2011-12 season.

What's more, he checked in fourth in the NBA with 8.8 assists per game and third in assists per 48 minutes with 12.5.

And while Calderon may not be a scorer, per se, his outside shot is still smooth enough to keep defenses honest. He's hit 38.1 percent of his three-point attempts in his career and has converted better than 80 percent of his free throws in six of his seven NBA seasons. The one time he didn't (in 2009-10), he finished at a mere 79.8 percent.

That being said, Calderon isn't exactly a defensive dynamo, with a net rating of negative-3.5 this past season and, again, isn't getting any younger.

Still, his skills are formidable enough to land him in the top 10 for now. 

8. Ty Lawson

At this point, it's fair to say that it'd be a disappointment if Ty Lawson doesn't make at least one All-Star team within the next few years, if not next year.

The squat speed demon came close to representing the Denver Nuggets in Orlando this past February.

With Chauncey Billups no longer in the picture, Lawson went on to average 16.4 points, 6.6 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from three, 82.4 percent from the line and boosting his player efficiency rating to 19.4.

Lawson also ranked among the Top 16 in the league in effective field goal percentage (53.5 percent) and true shooting percentage (57.9 percent).

Lawson certainly passes the eye test. He's the Maurice Jones-Drew of point guards, with the sheer speed and quickness to get where he wants, particularly in transition.

He has the strength to out-muscle defenders and finish through contact, and a compact shooting stroke to complement his similarly stocky build.

With Andre Miller likely leaving the Mile High City via free agency, look for Lawson's numbers to continue to grow, along with his role and minutes played for the Nuggets.

7. Kyrie Irving

Like Lawson, Kyrie Irving came this close to sneaking into the actual All-Star Game this past season.

But while Lawson was left off during his third campaign, at the age of 24, Irving nearly punched a ticket to Orlando while he was still a teenager.

As well he should've. Irving was spectacular during his inaugural season as a pro, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers in scoring (18.5 ppg) and assists (5.4 apg) while garnering Rookie of the Year honors and bringing hope back to C-Town in year two of the Post-LeBron James Era.

Along the way, he joined LeBron, Oscar Robertson, Allen Iverson and Magic Johnson as the only former No. 1 picks to average 18.0 points and 5.0 assists as rookies.

So far, the Duke product grades out as more of a scoring point guard, thanks to his crafty game and effective shooting stroke. He shot remarkably well in all three phases—46.9 percent from the field, 39.9 percent from three and 87.2 percent from the line—and already has an impressive handle over how to use his dribble and his deceptive athleticism to get to the rim.

He's still a bit too mistake-prone (3.1 turnovers per game) and his defense has a ways to go (a net rating of negative-5.6), though he figures to improve in both areas as he matures and adjusts to the pro game.

And when he does, he'll find that he won't have to slide surreptitiously into the All-Star Game. Rather his play will merit recognition enough from fans, coaches and fellow players to get him there, year in and year out.

6. Steve Nash

It's a testament to Steve Nash's will, skill and tremendous attention paid to the condition of his body that he's still within arguing distance of the NBA's top five point guards, even after 16 years in the league and 38 overall on this earth.

An eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA performer and two-time league MVP, Nash has just about done it all, except win that elusive championship, which he may well chase once he hits free agency next month.

As it stands, Nash is not only a surefire Hall of Famer, but also still one of the best and most consistent players at his position. He averaged a double-double for the eighth time in as many seasons since he rejoined the Phoenix Suns, finishing second in the league in assists with 10.7 per game.

As far as shooting is concerned, few in The Association do or have done it as well as Nash does and has. You can practically pencil him in to shoot around 50 percent from the field, around 40 percent from three and around 90 percent from the line, a split that only a handful of players have ever achieved over the course of a season, but that Nash has managed to pull off four times.

Most of all, he led the Suns—featuring such household names and "current" superstars as Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley, Grant Hill and Michael Redd—to within three games of a playoff spot in the Western Conference, another testament to Nash's true value and ability to lift his teammates like a rising tide from the Great White North.

And if you're worried about Nash's longevity, don't be. He hasn't missed more than eight games in a single season since 2000-01 and takes care of his body more meticulously than just about any professional athlete in the world today.

5. Tony Parker

The San Antonio Spurs can only hope that Tony Parker's spot in the crossfire of a recent nightclub dust-up between Drake and Chris Brown won't affect his performance on the court next season, even if the resulting eye injury prevents him from partaking in the London Olympics with France.

As well they should. It's no fluke that Parker finished fifth in the MVP race and might've actually garnered more votes if not for a national disregard for the Spurs' continued success.

Which actually seems somewhat counterintuitive, considering he posted his worst field goal percentage (.480) since 2003-04 and the worst three-point percentage of his NBA career this past season.

Of course, shooting, at least from any significant distance, has never been Parker's forte.

Rather, it's Parker's quickness, tight dribble and soft touch on the floater and at the rim that make him a defender's nightmare from 15 feet in. In fact, Parker regularly ranks among the league leaders in points in the paint, where he took 52.2 percent of all his shots and connected on 57.6 percent of them this past season, per NBA.com.

That would be remarkable enough for any forward over, say, 6'6", but Parker's just 6'2", making his proclivities all the more astounding.

Oh yeah, and he also distributes the ball pretty well. He placed eighth in assists per game (7.7) and sixth in assist percentage (40.3) while turning the ball over on just 9.38 percent of the possessions he used.

Overall, Parker posted a PER of 22.0, the second-best of his career and the 15th-best in the NBA, and .177 win share per 48 minutes, which was also his second-best such mark and good enough for 18th in the league. 

For all the attention that Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili attract in San Antonio, the Spurs are undoubtedly Parker's team now.

He may not be a lock-down defender up top, but Parker is the engine that makes the Spurs go (Spurs go). How long he can sustain such excellence, now that he's just past 30, remains to be seen, though he'll remain a top-five point guard until further notice. 

4. Russell Westbrook

Let's get something straight here: Russell Westbrook is NOT a pure point guard by any stretch of the imagination. Calling him a scoring point guard might even be a bit of a stretch.

In all honesty, he might be better characterized as a combo guard, in a category similar to Derrick Rose or Tyreke Evans, and, size aside, wouldn't exactly be out of place at shooting guard.

And there's nothing wrong with that!

Say what you want about Westbrook's occasional bouts of wildness (3.6 turnovers per game in 2011-12), his declining assist numbers (from 8.2 per game and an assist percentage of 42.7 in 2010-11 to 5.5 and 29.8 this past season) and the fact that he shoots nearly as frequently (19.2 times per game) as does Kevin Durant (19.7), a three-time defending scoring champ who's noticeably more efficient from the field.

To focus too singularly on Westy's supposed shortcomings is to ignore his brilliance in the grand scheme of things. In essence, he's the Blake Griffin of point guards—an explosive athlete who's skyrocketed to superstardom in the past two seasons and, as such, has come under intense scrutiny for his faults as a result of his increased exposure.

Except Westy's better than that.

He ranked fifth in scoring (23.6 ppg), 13th in total win shares (7.9) fifth in total free throws attempted (of which he converted 82.3 percent) and ninth in PER (22.9).

Along the way, Westbrook proved himself to be a dangerous (if not perpetually lock-down) perimeter defender while earning his second consecutive selections to the All-Star Game and the All-NBA Second Team.

Not to mention the pivotal role he played in lifting the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Finals.

Haters will continue to hate Westbrook because he turns the ball over "too much" and shoots "too much" and dominates the ball "too much" and doesn't fit neatly enough into the mold of what a point guard should be.

But when Russell's teammates simply let "Westy be Westy," he is often among the most unstoppable forces in the NBA today, irrespective of position.

3. Deron Williams

If there's any player in the NBA who embodies Gottfried Leibniz's "best of all possible worlds" at the point guard position, it's Deron Williams.

As far as "measurables" are concerned, D-Will is the complete package.

He possesses about as ideal a blend of size (6'3", 210 pounds), speed, strength and agility as you'll find among floor generals at this very moment.

He hasn't played a complete schedule since 2007-08, but he's never been victimized by any particularly serious lower-body injuries of the sort that can and do so often limit the careers of star guards.

He might be the only player in the league who's fully capable of averaging 20 points and 10 assists over an entire season, as he did in 2010-11. He's as comfortable carrying the scoring load as he is getting his teammates involved, and has been known to do both on any given night. He's had games of 57 points (vs. the Bobcats) and 20 assists (vs. the Warriors) in the past year alone, albeit against the flimsiest of competition.

Not that his Nets have been any better, though it's with his perhaps-soon-to-be-ex-team that his prestige often comes into question.

On the one hand, D-Will's advanced stats (i.e. PER, win shares, etc.) over the last season and a half aren't quite as impressive as those of some of his peers because the Nets have been terrible, with a roster of misfits around Williams that might be generously characterized as a "supporting" cast.

On the other hand, if D-Will is such an elite talent, shouldn't he be able to single-handedly lift his squad to at least a few more wins than he has? Might he have withheld some of measure of energy while in New Jersey, knowing that even his best efforts wouldn't have made the Nets a playoff team in the East?

And what about the fact that he hasn't been to the conference finals on either side since 2007?

These are all questions that Williams won't likely have to answer if he joins forces with Dirk Nowitzki on his hometown Dallas Mavericks this summer, or if he sticks with the Nets and builds a winner in Brooklyn over the long haul.  

2. Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo? The second-best point guard in basketball?

I'll admit, this seems and feels a bit high for a guy whose career-high in scoring over a full season is 13.5 points per game, who's never registered a PER better than 19.1 during the regular season and who's something of an offensive liability beyond 20 feet.

But great players and franchise cornerstones are made in the playoffs, where Rondo has thrived like few others at his position.

His most impressive performance came during this past postseason, when he carried a depleted and decrepit Boston Celtics squad to within one lousy quarter of the NBA Finals while averaging a remarkable 17.3 points, 11.9 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals, with four triple-doubles along the way.

This after a 66-game campaign in which he led the league in assists per game and made his third-straight All-Star Game, his fourth-straight All-Defensive team and his first-ever All-NBA team.

Not bad for a 26-year-old kid who supposedly has a bad attitude and is constantly overshadowed by his three future-Hall of Fame teammates.

His resume has more peaks and valleys than that of just about any elite star in today's NBA, but the overall package—offensively, defensively and otherwise—is more than good enough to place him in this particular stratosphere.

And, most importantly, he's the only player on this list, other than Tony Parker, to have basked in the glorious glow of the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

1. Chris Paul

Chris Paul has never guided a team past the second round of the playoffs. He's done what star players aren't "supposed" to do and demanded a trade. He's no longer the explosive athlete he was when he first came into the league, his hops since diminished by a major knee injury.

None of that, mind you, has done much to deter CP3's ascent to the cream of the current point guard crop, even if it has lowered his ultimate ceiling to some extent.

But five consecutive All-Star Games, four All-NBA and All-Defensive selections, two assist titles and Rookie of the Year honors pale in comparison to what Paul pulled off in his first season with the Los Angeles Clippers.

That is, he came to one of the league's worst franchises and, without the benefit of a full training camp or a regular practice schedule during the season, helped to flip their winning percentage from the season prior, propel them to the playoffs for the eighth time in franchise history (and to the second round for just the third time) and, most of all, bring a much-needed dose of respectability to a perennial laughingstock.

That, in itself, was enough to make CP3 a legitimate MVP contender, and not just some guy who "deserved" a few votes for his efforts.

The numbers, all from Basketball Reference, certainly help, too—19.8 points (13th in the NBA), 9.1 assists (third), 2.5 steals (first), .581 true shooting percentage (15th), 43.8 assist percentage (fifth), 4.38 assist-to-turnover ratio (second), 126.1 offensive rating (second), 27.0 PER (second, behind only LeBron James), 12.7 win shares (second, behind LeBron) and .278 win shares per 48 minutes (second, again behind LeBron).

When it comes to evaluating CP3, though, you might as well throw the stats out the window, as impressive as they are.

The numbers can't quite describe just how strong a leader Paul is, both on the floor and in the locker room. The numbers don't illustrate how easily or how poetically Paul controls the action on the court, how he uses his dribble and changes speeds to make world-class defenders look like cardboard cutouts in a windstorm or how he seamlessly shifts between distributor and dominant force over the course of a game.

He possesses all the attributes of a pure point guard and a scoring point guard in abundance, and may well go down as the best to ever play the position, though he'll likely have to win at least one title before that conversation comes up.

For now, he'll just have to settle as the best still in the business.