Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose and the 10 Best Young Point Guards in the NBA
The NBA is in an era of the point guard. There so many great point guards in the league today that nearly every team has a quality floor general.
Players like Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and John Wall make every dollar of your ticket worth it.
So many guards have been chosen in the top 10 picks of the last five drafts due to the successes of the young point guards since 2005. The point guard is the most important position in basketball, so let's look at the top 10 young point guards in the NBA.
John Wall
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John Wall was labeled as a sure-fire star when he was drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2010 NBA Draft.
In Wall's first-ever home game, he recorded a triple double and showed the supporters he is ready to make the Wizards a much better team.
Wall is a very good scorer, but is an underrated defender. However, his best asset is his deadly speed. It makes him an amazing fast-break player.
Wall has all the physical skills a coach could want in a player and now needs some professional experience to learn how to use them effectively.
Darren Collison
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Darren Collison accomplished a near impossible task last season. He made the New Orleans Hornets forget about Chris Paul last season, as Collison filled in for Paul at point guard exceptionally when Paul was injured.
Collison's great play last year made his trade value very high and led to him being traded to the Indiana Pacers earlier this year.
He is a great defender and possesses great end-to-end speed. Collison gives the Pacers a true point guard who is very good defensively—something the franchise hasn't had in a long time.
Stephen Curry
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Stephen Curry is one of the best young guards in the NBA and has shown he is fully ready to compete at the professional level.
Curry proved he was physical enough to play well in the NBA in his rookie season after experts thought the guard from Davidson was too small and slender to compete with NBA players.
Curry is an exceptional scorer who can shoot very well from the outside and penetrate to the basket exceptionally.
Curry is a great passer as well as a very smart player.
Brandon Jennings
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When the Milwaukee Bucks entered the 2010 NBA playoffs without their starting center Andrew Bogut, rookie point guard Brandon Jennings took the fate of the team on his back.
Jennings courageously led the Bucks to a Game 7 vs. the Atlanta Hawks in the first round that the they ultimately lost.
Jennings had an amazing rookie season and has proved he is a capable scorer and playmaker. He has the ability to score in great numbers, as evidenced by a career-high 54 points last season against Golden State.
After slipping to the 10th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Bucks landed a great player who will be a star for years to come.
George Hill
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The San Antonio Spurs have an unbelievable eye for talent. Over the years, they have drafted players relatively unknown before arriving to the NBA, such as Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
Over the past year, the Spurs were unsure if Tony Parker would re-sign after the 2010-11 season, so they young guard George Hill was given more playing time to prove himself.
Hill has shown he can be a very effective player and plays great perimeter defense.
George Hill is just one of the great late first-round picks the Spurs have made to remain competitive for over a decade. He has the talent to start on many teams.
Russell Westbrook
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Russell Westbrook has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate this season and has risen his game to the level of his superstar teammate, Kevin Durant.
Westbrook is not only one of the league leaders in assists, but he is among the league leaders in scoring as well.
Westbrook is a dynamic player who has very few weaknesses. His improvement so far this season has made many think Westbrook could be a top-five player someday.
Derrick Rose
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Derrick Rose is an elite point guard in just his third NBA season. He is a great scorer, passer and rebounder, making him one of the most complete guards in the league.
Rose has become one of the league's best scorers this season because Carlos Boozer's early-season injury forced the Bulls to lean heavily on Rose to score.
Rose has been a clutch player for Chicago lately as he carried the Bulls to a win vs. Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers last night.
Rajon Rondo
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The best point guard in the NBA? That man is Rajon Rondo.
Rondo is the most complete point guard in the NBA. He scores over 10 points every game, dishes out 15 assists nearly every night and rebounds better than any guard since Jason Kidd in his prime.
Rondo is also an elite defensive player, earning an all-NBA first-team defense honor last season.
The Celtics are filled with great players throughout their entire roster, but Rondo is by far Boston's most valuable guy. Without him, they would never make it back to the NBA Finals.
Aaron Brooks
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Aaron Brooks is a great example of late first-round gems that the smartest general managers discover on draft day. Out of the University of Oregon, Brooks has exceeded the expectations in Houston and is now one of their best players.
Brooks averaged over 19 points per game last season, but hasn't made an impact this year due to injuries. The Rockets' awful start to the season explains how valuable Brooks is to the franchise.
Brooks runs the offense very well and provides timely scoring too. When he returns to full strength, the Rockets will play much better.
Mike Conley Jr.
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Mike Conley took a little longer to develop than most of the players in this slideshow, but his improvement since his mediocre rookie season earned him a rich, new contract at the beginning of the year.
Conley has improved his scoring and rebounding numbers in each of his NBA seasons since his 2007-08 rookie campaign.
Many feel the Grizzlies gave the future to Conley too soon, but there is no question he has the talent. He must now earn his contract and take his game to the next level.
However, on a team full of quality young guards, his development may continue at a gradual pace.
Recap? Agree or Disagree?
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There are so many good young point guards in the NBA, and these are the 10 best. The NBA is so exciting right now because nearly every team has an electric, speedy point guard running the offense.
All of these players are so vital to the success of their team, and several are legitimate MVP candidates for this season.
Did I miss a player? Let me know!
