Best Point Guards of All-Time
This is my hierarchy list for the best Point Guards of All-Time. This is based on not only talent, but also career accomplishments. Keep in mind that Jerry West and Allen Iverson will both be included on my shooting guards list instead.
Check out the 2023 updated list of the best point guards of all-time here!!!
TIER 1:
Magic Johnson – Don’t fall for recency bias. Magic Johnson is still on the top of the mountain in terms of the best Point Guards of all-time as well as the best Passers ever.
Stephen Curry – You can’t crown Stephen Curry just yet. He has made history as the best shooter in NBA history, but he is not yet the best Point Guard ever.
TIER 2:
Oscar Robertson – The original triple-double machine. The Big O was way ahead of his time averaging nearly a triple-double throughout his entire career.
Isiah Thomas – Far too overshadowed. He played in an era with some of the all-time greats leaving him out of the GOAT conversation, but managed two championship wins with the infamous Bad Boy Pistons.
TIER 3:
John Stockton – Longevity matters. Stockton is the all-time leader in both assists and steals. He has no championships to show for it, but had the not so luxury of always going up against the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls.
Chris Paul – Continuing the no championships to show for it theme, Chris Paul keeps the pure point guard alive in the modern NBA. Chris Paul has moved around and no matter the team made everyone around him better.
Gary Payton – They call him the Glove for a reason. Gary Payton may not be the exciting offense player like others on this hierarchy list, but is considered the greatest defensive point guard ever.
TIER 4:
Russell Westbrook – People call him a stat padder. While his stats are a little inflated, his game should not be disrespected. Westbrook is an athletic freak who is one of the most electric players ever.
Jason Kidd – This could very well be the most underappreciated Point Guard ever. He transcended passing as a Point Guard and managed to help the Mavericks win a championship while out of his prime.
Steve Nash – A ranking that a lot will disagree with. Steve Nash did not deserve two MVP awards. That being said this is another guy who made everyone around him better.
Bob Cousey – The Boston Celtics have a long list of legends including Bob Cousey. He won six championships with the team while earning All-NBA honors twelve times over his career.
TIER 5:
Dennis Johnson – Another Celtics legend though he only has three championships to show for it. Wasn’t a great scorer, but 9x all-defensive nominations show his prowess on defense.
Derrick Rose – What would have been if Derrick Rose never got injured. The youngest player to ever win MVP. Later in his career, he became more of a role player
Tony Parker – The San Antonio Spurs were not fancy, but they got the job done. Winning four championships with the team, Tony Parker was a team first point guard.
Walt Frazier – When Point Guards were mainly facilitators, Walt Frazier was one of the first to take on a scoring first approach. He has two rings to show for it.
Nate Archibald – Back when the ABA-NBA merger, Nate Archibald was the gold standard at the point guard position. He was also playing an absurd 46 minutes per game.
TIER 6:
Lenny Wilkens – One of the betters all-around point guards ever who never get’s talked about. Over shadowed by Oscar Robertson and Bob Cousey who were both the leaders of the era.
Kevin Johnson – It takes a special Point Guard to dunk over Hakeem Olajuwan. He was also a great facilitator of the basketball averaging over 10 assists for four straight seasons.
Mark Price – The man who held most of the Cavs franchise records until LeBron James decided to shatter them. Both a great passer and knock down shooter, he was top 10 in MVP voting four different times.
Damian Lillard – By the end of his career, Lillard could very well end up in the top 10 for best Point Guards of all-time. One of the clutchest shooters ever, Damian Lillard is a superstar teammate away from competing for a championship.
Kyrie Irving – One of the best ball handlers in NBA history, Kyrie Irving has been electrifying since being drafted 1st overall. That being said, he isn’t the type of guy to single handedly bring his team to a championship.
Sidney Moncrief – Gary Payton is the best defensive point guard ever, but Moncrief may very well be a close second. He won the Defensive Player of the Year two different times.
Chauncey Billups – The nickname of Mr. Big Shot speaks for itself. Chauncey Billups was as clutch as can be even winning a Finals MVP award leading his Pistons to a championship in 2003.
Penny Hardaway – Another what if story. Penny Hardaway was plagued by injuries throughout his career, but early in his career was a top 5 point guard in the NBA.
Dave Bing – The Pistons floor general over his time. He scored nearly 30 points per game in his best season while also averaging 7 assists.
Tim Hardaway – RUN TMC! One of the nastiest crossovers ever, Tim Hardaway helped his Heat time win 21 more games than the previous year in his rookie season.
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