NBA Power Rankings: Who Are The Top 10 Point Guards at Midseason?
Now that every team has played at least half of its regular season games, trends have been established.
The Spurs can't seem to lose and the Cavaliers can't seem to win. The Heat are more than capable of getting hot and the Lakers can go ice cold. Blake Griffin and Kevin Love know what it's like to get a double-double and Amar'e has New York smiling again.
With a few big guys in the limelight, one might think that the NBA's guards aren't quite up to par this season.
Wrong.
The point guard position has provided some of the best performances of the season thus far, making it hard to choose who's better than who at playing the point.
Some take it to the hoop, some shoot the three, others dish the rock. Heck, some of them even grab boards. The elite few that made the list of my top 10 do a little bit of everything.
Here's who I think has been most efficient from the one-spot in the league thus far.
11. John Wall (15.2 PPG And 9.2 APG): Washington Wizards (13-30)
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High-rising rookie John Wall barely missed making the list for a couple reasons.
1.) He's averaging over ten assists per game in the month of January, but he also is tied for the league lead in turnovers per game with 3.9.
2.) He's full of confidence and energy as he showed in the Wizards' home opener when he had 29 points, 13 assists and 9 steals. His energy leads to inconsistency at times.
Give Wall time and he'll be a top five point guard, but for now check him out on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pry6Cp0kSO0) and enjoy the show.
10. Joe Johnson (19.7 PPG and 5.5 APG): Atlanta Hawks (29-16)
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I still remember the days when a young Joe Johnson was raining threes down in Phoenix. The move to Atlanta has shown the world that Johnson is more than just a shooter.
What gives Johnson the edge over Wall is his ability to lead his team to wins and take a game over if need be. JJ can go for 30 on any given night and is strong enough to post up on other point guards.
He only has 1.9 turnovers per game, but I still feel he is not a true point guard. His assists are low and he looks to shoot before he passes.
His style of play seems to work for the Hawks, however, as they sit tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference.
9. Monta Ellis (25.8 PPG and 5.6 APG): Golden State Warriors (19-25)
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There's no doubt about it: Monta Ellis can score. In the first game of the season, he dropped 46 on the Rockets on only 24 shot attempts.
He can shoot, he can drive. He even averages 2.2 steals per contest. So what can't he do?
Defend.
This tiny-framed point guard shows little to no effort on the defensive end and the Warriors record shows that. Also, Ellis hasn't proved his ability to trust his teammates.
The last factor is Ellis' play away from home. In Oracle Arena, Ellis averages 30 points and six assists. When the Warriors travel, those numbers drop to 21 and five, respectively.
If Ellis wants to be a recognizable point guard in the NBA, he has to get his teammates the ball, play better on the road and get the Warriors into the playoffs.
8. Tony Parker (17.4 PPG and 7 APG): San Antonio Spurs (38-7)
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This may be the surprise of the list. How is Tony Parker number seven when the Spurs are 38-7 you ask?
He is shooting 52 percent from the field this season, but he has only had more than 10 assists on seven occasions, fairly low for a point guard.
In the Spurs' seven losses Parker has been non-existent, averaging barely over 13 points and 3 assists.
What Parker does bring to the table is a solid scoring option and great game management at almost all times.
Maybe I'm being overly critical of the Frenchman and his squad. Maybe Gregg Popovich is simply not wearing out his aging lineup while giving the younger players some time.
Only time can tell, but for now I believe there are seven point guards in the NBA having a greater impact on their team.
7. Raymond Felton (17.5 PPG and 8.9 APG): New York Knicks (23-21)
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Even though the Knicks are 3-7 in their last 10 games, they still sit above .500 and look to be a safe bet to make the playoffs. It doesn't hurt to add Amar'e Stoudemire to your lineup, but don't forget about Raymond Felton.
I'd be willing to bet New York's team would be well below .500 if it weren't for the addition of Felton. The North Carolina guard is shooting 87 percent from the free throw line and has no fear of taking the big shot.
He has also started all 44 games for the Knicks and has been more than willing to feed the point-hungry Stoudemire.
The only downside of Felton is his inconsistent shooting touch, but he has been able to bounce back from each poor outing.
If the Knicks get a low seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, watch out for a first-round upset.
6. Deron Williams (21.7 PPG and 9.5 APG): Utah Jazz (27-17)
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The fact that Deron Williams is number six on my list shows the depth of point guards in the NBA. There is little to dislike about Williams. He passes extremely well, shoots effectively and keeps a sub-par team towards the top of the Western Conference.
So what kept him out of the top five?
For a guard as strong as Williams, he could rebound much more. He also averages 3.4 turnovers per game and doesn't steal the ball as often as other guards.
My main gripe about Williams is his inability to take over a game. It seems he would rather go down passing than try to win himself. I'm not saying he needs to pull a Kobe or LeBron, but I think he could definitely pull the trigger more.
Come playoff time we will see if Deron is up to the challenge.
5. Russell Westbrook (22.5 PPG and 8.4 PPG): Oklahoma City Thunder (28-16)
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Russell Westbrook may be the most exciting point guard in the league at the halfway point. In just his third year removed from UCLA, his remarkable athleticism has been on display this season and he's averaging six more points than last year.
On Dec. 1, Westbrook exploded for 38 points, 9 assists and 15 rebounds. He has since recorded two triple-doubles and he tops point guards with 8.3 free-throw attempts per contest.
The current troubles for Westbrook are three-point shooting and turnovers. He is only shooting 24 percent from downtown and turns the ball over 3.8 times per game.
When he takes the ball to the basket, however, he is nearly impossible to stop.
The Thunder are my Western Conference version of the Knicks; a team that can really surprise people come playoff time.
4. Steve Nash (17 PPG and 10.9 APG): Phoenix Suns (20-23)
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He may be getting older, but Steve Nash is still not declining. It's a tribute to the position that I believe there are three better players at point guard then the two-time MVP.
Always great from the charity stripe, the 14-year veteran is shooting 92 percent on the year. He has posted 11 games with more than 20 points and 10 assists.
What I believe he does better than any other point guard, is shoot from mid-range. His silky smooth jumper is falling 53 percent of the time, keeping the Suns afloat for the time being.
Look for Nash to come on strong in the second half of the season and possibly crack the top three.
3. Derrick Rose (24.6 PPG and 8.1 APG): Chicago Bulls (31-14)
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The Bulls may be the surprise team of the season and they have Derrick Rose to thank for that. No point guard in the NBA can do as much around the rim.
He has put up over 30 points on 11 occasions this season, but he's not afraid to pass it off to teammates in any situation. Watching Rose fly through the lane is always an adventure because you don't know what he's going to do.
He sometimes has problems with turnovers, but when he's on, watch out. His shooting could also use a little more work, but he does log a lot of minutes so that could be to blame for some missed shots.
Rose will be a force for the rest of the year and in the upcoming years. I'd be appalled if he retired without an MVP under his belt.
2. Rajon Rondo (10.5 PPG and 13 APG): Boston Celtics (33-10)
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Rajon Rondo has played the point about as good as you can throughout the season. He is a prime example of a player who is good in college, but blossoms in the NBA.
In the second game of the season, Rondo registered 24 assists in a win over the Knicks. His season low in assists is seven, which he has done just twice this season.
Yes, he is surrounded by talent, but it just doesn't get much better than that.
He also averages 2.4 thefts per game. So why isn't he first on the list?
His scoring is rather low at just over 10 and he could fault his free-throw shooting for that. He's only shooting 47 percent from the line this year which is lower than Shaq's percentage. He's also tied with Wall with 3.9 turnovers per game.
Lastly, he missed 11 games with injury this season. The team is 26-6 with him and 7-4 without him.
Rondo is the oil that keeps the Celtics running, but there's one guy who's playing the position better and that is...
1. Chris Paul (16.4 PPG and 9.6 APG): New Orleans Hornets (30-16)
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Chris Paul.
If you just look at points and assists, Paul is having an average year.
Wrong.
Paul is shooting a career-high 47 percent from three and 89 percent from the line. He's leading the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.27) and steals (2.67). He's also leading guards in efficiency with a 24.07 rating.
How's that for average.
Most importantly, he has led his team to a 30-16 record, starting every game at point. The only complaint someone could have is that he isn't scoring as much as usual, but he's averaging more points in losses so he is choosing to distribute instead.
He has talent around him and he knows how to utilize them. If he needs to take over, he can (he got plenty of practice doing that at Wake Forest).
In my opinion, Paul is the number one point guard at the midway point of the season.
What do you think?
