Best Point Guard in the NBA Today
Recently I did a poll on my Google+ page asking who people think is the best point guard in the NBA today. The results:
I probably should have replaced Kyrie Irving with Russell Westbrook or maybe even Rajon Rondo.
I personally voted for Chris Paul, but the large majority picked Stephen Curry. I was actually surprised by this result. Curry has been the best so far during this short season, but Chris Paul has been the undisputed top dog at the position since Rose became a victim to injuries. However it was obvious that these two held the top spot as nobody else even came close in the rankings.
These poll results made me want to make a video about it, so I made a mix.
I was very proud of my work. But that’s not the point.
The point guard is arguably the most important position in the game of basketball. They are (or at least should be) the leader of the team’s offense, most important distributor of the basketball, and for many teams, one of the top scorers. Modern point guards tend to be much bigger scoring threats than they once used to be and assists are now more uncommon as a result.
Paul and Curry are the best point guards in the league today. That’s easy. But of the two, who is the absolute BEST at the position in the game today? Let’s break it down based on several different areas.
Scoring
Of the two, Curry has been the superior scorer. For his career, Curry averages 20.4 PPG, although in his last two seasons he has climbed to nearly 23.5 PPG. If it weren’t for his less productive seasons during the beginning of his career, his career averages would be much greater than they are. He has shot well over 40% from three point land throughout every season with an overall average of nearly 44%. His field goal percentage has been solid throughout his entire career, with 45% being his lowest mark and 49% his highest.
Paul, on the other hand, has consistently been much less of a scoring threat. He currently stands at 18.6 PPG on his career with his peak scoring production coming back in 2007-2009, where he maintained over 22 PPG for the two seasons. While his scoring only slightly lacks Curry’s, his three point production is far behind. His numbers have fluctuated greatly year by year and he stands at 36% overall on his career. Paul is slightly better than Curry in total field goal percentage, although he only leads him by 0.7% on his career.
Since his recent outbreak as a great point guard, Curry has been the obvious leader in scoring on his team. Paul, however, has had to play behind Blake Griffin since he joined the Clippers back in 2011. While Curry’s scoring ability is still much greater than Paul’s, part of the reason for his large advantage in the stat sheets is because Paul cannot take as many shots per game due to the presence of Griffin on the floor.
Winner: Stephen Curry
Passing
Paul has been among the league leaders in assists for many years. On his career, he just barely misses a double-double average at 9.9 APG. From 2007-2010, he spiked up to well over double-digit assists per game, maxing out at 11.6 APG in 2008. Since then, he has only seen one other year in which he averaged a double-double, coming last season at 10.7 APG. For the most part, Rajon Rondo is his only competition throughout the league in assists today. Paul should remain as one of the league’s best passers for many years to come.
Curry is also a great passer, but his numbers are nowhere near the level of Paul’s. Last season he set a career high with 8.5 APG, but stands at less than 7 assists per game on his career. His numbers have been on the rise since 2013, but he has quite a ways to go until he reaches the level that Paul is at.
Winner: Chris Paul
Steals
Paul has been one of the league’s best at coming up with steals throughout the entirety of his career. He has led the league six times, including all three seasons that he has been a part of the Clippers. His career average is currently 2.4 per game. As a result, he has been named to four NBA All-Defensive First Teams as well as two All-Defensive Second Teams.
Curry has yet to see the outstanding numbers on the defensive end that Paul has put up. He has been consistent throughout his career, but has never managed to reach 2 SPG in any of his seasons. He currently averages 1.7 per game on his career. While this puts him near the top in that department, he has yet to be named to any NBA All-Defensive teams or anything of the sort. This doesn’t mean he one day won’t, but to this point he has yet to do so.
Winner: Chris Paul
Leadership
Both players are the leaders of their teams. Curry’s spot as the leader is more obvious, but only because Paul plays alongside another All-Star in Griffin. Both guys are vital parts to their team’s success, but in slightly different ways.
As stated before, Curry prefers to help his team as a scorer rather than a distributor. The Warriors rely on his tremendous shooting and finishing abilities to get points on the board. He also chips in on the defensive end, although Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green are the dominant defenders on the team.
Paul is more of a passer and leads his team through the offense. He is still a constant scoring threat, but not at the level that Curry is. His teammates rely on his ability to draw in the defense with his ball handling and get them open looks as a result, along with some scoring here and there. Unlike Curry, Paul is the dominant defender on his team, but only because he doesn’t play along an elite defender like Iggy.
Both guys lead in different ways. But because Paul leads his team on both ends of the floor, I would have to say he is the overall bigger leader of the two players.
Winner: Chris Paul
Overall
As I stated at the beginning of this article, I still believe that Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league today. Him and Stephen Curry are the only two guys that should even be in the conversation. Despite lacking on the offensive end, Paul is the more well-rounded player, getting it done tremendously on both ends of the floor. Any team in the league would love to have a guy like him and every player in the league would love to play alongside a guy like him.
While Paul is the best point guard today, his position at the top is not secure forever. Curry has been steadily improving into a superstar and is currently leading his team to one of the best record’s in this young 2014 season. At some point, Curry will probably be considered the top dog at the point guard position if he continues to develop as a player and his team continues their success. He continues to climb the ladder towards the top.
But for now, Chris Paul is the best point guard in the NBA.
Do you agree with my choice? Who do you think is the best PG in the league? Let me know in the comments below!
