Anybody missing basketball yet? Let's talk point guards ala one of ESPN's latest roundtable discussions.
1. Who's the best point guard in the NBA today?
Maybe this time last year I would have said Rondo- despite his flaws, I love purist point guards, and he's as pure as they come-but this year's playoffs made me think twice. Chris Paul is a machine. Be honest, did you expect the hornets to contend as much as they did in this year's playoffs? They may have lost 4-2, but they were in every single game down to the wire, and it was probably the most purely entertaining from a basketball standpoint- as opposed to the off-the-court-storyline standpoint that surrounded the Heat-Mavs final series. CP3's postseason play this year was absolutely superhuman, a wonder to behold, an instant highlight reel from start to finish. He elevated a shaky offensive club into an efficiency machine with a combination of leadership, distribution, shot selection, and energy that is incredibly rare. He's the general I want leading my army on the floor over anyone else in the NBA today.
2. Who's the most underrated point guard in the NBA today?
Part of me wants to say Stephen Curry, but he's still putting the pieces together/learning to actually play defense. (If you want proof of that, consider that the warriors were in the top 2 practically all year in points allowed, right up there with the Knicks) Part of me also wants to say John Wall, because he played incredibly all year, but the hype surrounding him only lasted about six games until he nabbed his first triple-double. I'm going with a guy already pretty far up the food chain- Deron Williams. He's a fantasy basketball staple and a frequent offender on the highlight reels, but as a fellow blogger stated, "analysts and experts alike seem to develop amnesia when discussing the league's best point guards." D-Will gets in there and does his job. He often times doesn't have the Hollywood touch, but he puts up beyond solid numbers night in and night out and is as reliable as they come. He is undervalued, even as a perceived franchise player.
3. Who's the most overrated point guard in the NBA today?
I've been saying this forever- Chauncey Billups. When the big Nugs-Knicks trade happened, I really thought that New York came out on the wrong end of it. Many people I talked to assured me that I was overreacting and that a big asset that New York had gained was Chauncey Billups. I really never understood what was so great about him, and now that we're almost six months, half a season, and one playoff session later... well, I still don't. The guy plays mediocre defense, he's proan to having off nights just as often as he has good nights, and he doesn't have the leadership of a Dwayne Wade or other elite point guards. He gets a rap from the media and others of being a top tier guard when I would only put him as above average.
4. Who's the most promising point guard in the NBA?
I think John Wall has somehow become a cliche answer to this question by now, but I'm still going with the youngin from Kentucky. His athleticism alone puts him above other young point guards, and he's picked up some serious battle experience in his first year with the wizards- much more than your average NBA freshman would. I would have liked to at least gotten to consider Kyrie Irving for this question, but the hard truth is that Irving hasn't even played half a season of college basketball. As talented as he looks, he's beyond untested. I hold him responsible for Duke's loss to Arizona in the sweet sixteen, and I'm not sure I can look past his selfishness and lack of understanding of the game that I witnessed in that sweet sixteen loss. Until he can prove me wrong in the NBA, J-Wall is my guy.
5. Who's the best point guard of all time?
Jerry West, call me unbiased. He's the logo, Mr. Clutch, one of the all time greats who had as much talent as he did class. He literally did it all and inspired so many of the other all time greats, playing in the 60's and 70's. However, the position he played is rather ambiguous, so I suppose I have to give another answer that is a definitive point guard. That person has to be Magic Johnson. Magic had every skill set imaginable and was still the pinnacle of humility and grace outside of the basketball arena. His combination play will probably never be seen again.
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