10 Greatest Guards in Utah Jazz History

What do Jim Les, Delaney Rudd, Howard Eisley, Eric Murdock, Ronnie Price and Sundiata Gaines all have in common?

In addition to every one of these guys playing in the NBA, enduring being yelled at by Jerry Sloan, and playing behind an All-Star guard, each one played the guard position for the Utah Jazz.

I mean no disrespect to any of these players, but they are not exactly the guys that made this list.

The players on this list are the ones that are known for playing the guard position for the Utah Jazz. While some of them may not have been with the team for long, each one made an impact with the club.

While there may be some others who have contributed to the team, here is a list of the 10 best guards in Utah Jazz history.

Instead of being ranked in order of who is the best, they are in a general chronological order of the time periods that they played in. A ranking system would have been obvious with Pistol Pete and Stockton on top.

Pete Maravich, Jazz Point Guard 1974-1980

After a great college career at Louisiana State University, it was only fitting that the first great point guard of the Jazz franchise was "Pistol" Pete Maravich.

Originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1970, Maravich was traded to the New Orleans Jazz in time for their first season in the NBA.

In his homecoming season, Pistol Pete played alongside Henry Bibby, Rick Adelman and Aaron James, but quickly became the star of the team by averaging 21.5 points, 6.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.

This electrifying, Harlem Globetrotter type player was exactly what this young franchise needed at the time, and Maravich did not disappoint. His best scoring season came during the 1976-77 year when he led all players in the league with a 31.1 point per game average.

This five time NBA All-Star wasted no time by becoming the face of the Jazz franchise the day that he joined the team.

After five great seasons in New Orleans, Maravich did make the move to Utah but only appeared in 17 games before being waived by the team.

Pete Maravich was named to the Hall of Fame in 1987, shortly before his death in 1988.

His No. 7 is retired and hangs in the rafters at Energy Solutions Arena.

Darryl Griffith, Jazz Shooting Guard 1980-1991

As the first great draft pick in franchise history, Darrell Griffith brought athleticism and excitement to the team.

Drafted at about the same time the team moved to Utah, Griffith was one of the first star players to call the old Salt Palace home.

After winning just about all that he could at Louisville, Dr. Dunkenstein went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award after his first season in the league.

Over his career, Griffith averaged 16.2 points per game, but that number is low due to a decrease in minutes over his last couple of years with the team.

As one of the few guys to play his entire career with the Jazz, and only one of two on this list who did, Griffith enjoyed four seasons averaging above 20 points per game and led the NBA in three point shooting percentage and three pointers made in 1983-84.

The Golden Griff was truly one of the Jazz team pioneers in Utah. In addition to being one of the first to play in Utah, he played home games in Las Vegas, and was a member of the first Jazz team to reach the playoffs.

Surprisingly, Griffith was never named to an All-Star team, but his No. 35 has been retired by the team for his career achievements.

Ricky Green, Jazz Point Guard 1980-1988

Until another point guard came onto the scene in 1984, Ricky Green was one of the top players on the team.

After being picked up off of waivers and signing as a free agent in 1980, Green was able to revive his career and lead the team to the playoffs from 1984 to 1988.

Perhaps it helped that he played alongside Darrell Griffith and Adrian Dantley, but "The Fastest of Them All" was a great player on his own.

Named to the 1984 All-Star game, Green was the team steals leader for many seasons, and was among the league leaders in assists. He led the NBA two straight seasons in thefts with over 200 per season.

Unfortunately for Green, a guy named Stockton came along and got in the way of his career with the Jazz. After spending eight years with the team Green was left unprotected in the expansion draft and was picked up by the Charlotte Hornets.

Although he was close after leaving the team, Green did not regain the same level of play he enjoyed in Utah, and is an underrated player in Jazz history.

Over his career he averaged 13.7 points and 8.1 assists per game. 

Bobby Hansen, Jazz Shooting Guard 1983-1990

With the 54th pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz selected Bobby Hansen from the University of Iowa.

While Hansen is best known for missing playing time due to a face injury he suffered at the fist of teammate Bart Kofoed during a New Years Eve party, he actually put together a decent career with the Jazz.

Hansen spent seven seasons with the team and was a hard working player that did whatever was asked of him. Depending on the season, or even the night, Hansen sometimes had a starting role, and sometimes played as a back up.

Over his career, Hansen did not throw up spectacular numbers, but was a solid player that found a way to stay in the NBA. He had the ability to come into games and spark the team with a timely basket or a good defensive play, which is what he did during the 1992 NBA Finals with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Of all of the players on this list, he is the only one besides Derek Fisher to have won and NBA Championship.

Hansen was traded in 1990 in the three team deal that brought Jeff Malone to the Jazz.

John Stockton, Jazz Point Guard 1984-2003

In 1984 the Utah Jazz struck gold in the draft when they selected their best draft pick ever in a 6'1" point guard from a small school in Washington.

Many experts around the league did not feel that John Stockton would amount to much in the NBA, and no one predicted that he would become the type of player that he did. He was left off of the Olympic team that year, and fell to the 16th draft position where the Jazz took him.

Easily the best guard ever to play in Utah, and one of the best ever to play in the NBA, Stockton accomplished almost everything possible during his career.

In addition to his two gold medals, Stockton was named as one of the 50 greatest players in league history, was a 10 time All-Star, led the league with double digit assists nine seasons in a row and led the NBA in steals twice.

He ended his career as the all time NBA leader in assists and steals. Both are marks that may never be equaled.

Playing most of his career alongside Karl Malone, Stockton helped make the franchise in Utah into what it is today. Without the accomplishments of these two Hall of Fame players, the Jazz may not have stayed in the Beehive State.

He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2009.

Jeff Malone, Jazz Shooting Guard 1990-1994

In June of 1990, the Utah Jazz thought they had finally acquired the perfect scoring compliment to Stockton and Malone, and the piece of the puzzle that would lead them deeper into the playoffs.

During his time with the Washington Bullets, Malone was known as a scorer who averaged over 20 points per game nearly every season with the team. With the Jazz, he continued his scoring and became the third option the team was looking for.

For his career, he averaged 19 points per game and was a two time All-Star with the Bullets.

His best season in Utah came during his second with the Jazz where he played in all but one game and scored 20.2 per game.

After three-and-a-half seasons playing with John and Karl, Jeff Malone was traded to Philadelphia in one of the best trades in team history that brought sharpshooter Jeff Hornacek to the team.

Malone ended his career with a few good seasons with the 76ers, and retired after spending seven games with the Miami Heat in 1996.

Jeff Hornacek, Jazz Shooting Guard 1993-2000

After years of watching him beat the team with the Phoenix Suns, Jeff Hornacek finally came to Utah and helped the Jazz to accomplish more than they ever had in franchise history.

Hornacek entered the league as a great second round find for the Suns, made the 1992 All-Star team, and was a creative and consistent shooter throughout his career.

Even though "Horny" had thought that he had found a good home in Arizona, the Suns did not hesitate to trade him away when they had the opportunity to get Charles Barkley from the 76ers.

After a couple of seasons in Phoenix, Hornacek was again traded, this time to the Jazz. He was part of a trade that sent Jeff Malone away from the team.

While in Utah, Hornacek truly became the complimentary piece to Stockton and Malone that the team had been searching for.

He not only became an instant fan favorite, he helped the team to finally get out of the Western Conference Playoffs and make it to the Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Hornacek will always be remembered for being a consistent outside shooter, a great free throw shooter and a family man who said hello to his children each time he was at the line by touching the side of his face.

Despite only making the All-Star team only once in his career, he is a two-time Three Point Shootout Champion, and led the league in free throw shooting percentage in his final season by hitting 95 percent of his shots.

Hornacek retired in 2000 but has remained connected to the team. He joined the coaching staff of Tyrone Corbin last season to try to share his basketball wisdom with the young team.

His No. 14 has been retired by the Jazz.

Raja Bell, Jazz Shooting Guard 2003-2005, 2010-2011

Raja Bell is one of the few guys in team history to play with the team on two different occasions in his career.

After enduring a disappointing season, Bell does not make this list for his most recent performance.

The reason he does check in as one of the best guards is for his contribution to the team the first time he was here.

Even though he had not been drafted, Bell signed as a free agent with the Jazz in the fall of 2003. 

This was a time of uncertainty for the team who had just lost its two Hall of Famers when John Stockton retired, and Karl Malone left to chase a title with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Uncertainty was high and the team and fans wondered who would lead the team in the post Stockton to Malone era.

Along with Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring and a cast of relatively unknown players, Bell came off the bench to give the Jazz the spark needed to help the team exceed expectations, and shorten the team rebuilding period.

Bell quickly became known as a good defender and an energy guy that helped the team to a 42-40 record. He averaged about 12 points per game, and was part of the the team that barely missed the playoffs, but were expected to be much worse.

Bell spent a couple of years with the Jazz and was well on his way to becoming a fan favorite, and a player that could fit with the team for years to come.

Like Derek Fisher later did with the Lakers, that all ended abruptly as Bell signed a free agent contract with the Phoenix Suns in the first possible minute of the free agent signing period in 2005.

After playing for the Bobcats, and one game with Golden State, Bell rejoined the Jazz before last season.

Hopefully this year will be better for Bell. 

Deron Williams, Jazz Point Guard 2005-2011

After enduring one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Jazz were able to move up to the third position in the 2005 NBA Draft to select the point guard that would try to lead the team as John Stockton had for so many years before.

Deron Williams did not disappoint the team or the fans and quickly helped the team to turn around and begin to reach the playoffs again. As part of the second coming of Stockton and Malone with Carlos Boozer, Williams played his way into becoming one of the best point guards in the league.

Along with Boozer and Mehmet Okur, Williams led the Jazz back to the Western Conference Finals, back to winning records and back trips to the playoffs.

With the Jazz, he was a two time All-Star, and has averaged 17.2 points and 9.2 assists per game.

In the middle of last season, Williams was traded away from the team shortly after it was speculated that he forced long time head coach Jerry Sloan to retire, but not before he had solidified his case as one of the best Jazz guards of all time.

The dream of him staying with the franchise for his entire career as Stockton had done was not to be, and the Jazz got a veteran, a young player and some high draft picks in return for Williams.

Williams most recently made headlines by becoming one of the first players to agree to play overseas if the lockout continues.

He also remains dedicated to the State of Utah by returning for charity events with his Point of Hope Foundation.

Derek Fisher, Jazz Shooting Guard 2006-2007

Even though he only spent one season with the Utah Jazz, it did not take Derek Fisher long to become a fan favorite in Utah.

It also did not take him long to become hated, but that is a different story.

After winning several titles with the Lakers, and spending two tough seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Fisher joined the Jazz to be a veteran leader and a good example to franchise point guard Deron Williams.

While his lone season with the Jazz was not the most impressive statistically, he was able to average over 10 points and three assists per game in about 27 minutes per game.

Fisher makes this list due to his part in one of the greatest moments in Jazz history that is depicted in the video above.

Following his playoff heroics, Jazz fans loved him until he talked kind hearted owner Larry H. Miller into allowing him out of his contract.

Citing a need to be closer to specialized health care for his daughter, Fisher split the fan base between those who believed him and those who just thought he wanted to go back to the Lakers.

Either way Jazz fans, watch the video again and tell me if you hated him on that night.