Top 5 Point Guards Next Season

Who are the top 10 point guards in NBA history?

I'll say this up front: The notion of who is really a point guard is a tough one. We tend to say that guys who are either 1) great passers, or 2) are clearly the smallest guy in the lineup are point guards, and pretend that larger scorers are playing with a point guard when in reality it's more likely that whoever the star of the backcourt is, he's effectively the team's point.Were I ranking guys who are typically called "point guards", my list varies a little from time to time, but off the top of my head in terms of career:1. Magic Johnson - no one embodies what a point guard is more than him2. Oscar Robertson - the only one who can truly be in debate with Magic.3. Steve Nash - truly revolutionary player4. John Stockton - Mr. Reliable5. Chris Paul - basically a lock to surpass the two guys right above him6. Walt Frazier - a brilliant player who'd rank even higher if he'd lasted7. Jason Kidd - phenomenal player who got a smidgen overrated in Jersey8. Gary Payton - great two way player9. Kevin Johnson - incredible player, too easily forgotten10. Isiah Thomas - quite overrated, but still quite good.Notes:Bob Cousy should perhaps be the big surprise among omissions on the list. He's a legend, but when you really look at how he played there were serious flaws that people didn't notice because of how dominant Bill Russell's defense was.Steph Curry isn't far from making this list.If I were ranking all the guys I consider to be true team "points", basically everyone who is the primary on-ball decision maker on their teams, it would look like this:1. LeBron James - it's just plain absurd not to count him as one2. Magic Johnson3. Oscar Robertson4. Jerry West - it's actually pretty comical that he's seen as playing a different position that his primary rival (Oscar)5. Kobe Bryant - I'm not a huge fan, but he's certainly an all-timer6. Julius Erving - like LeBron, it's absurd to pretend he wasn't a point at his peak7. Steve Nash 8. Dwyane Wade - here we've actually seen the issues with treating him like something other than the point9. John Stockton10. Chris Paul

Is Isaiah Thomas one of the top 5 point guards in the NBA?

I think you could argue that he is at this point. The only problem is that there are so many good ones playing right now, which means there is tough competition.Tier 1 (Not in Order)-Russell WestbrookSteph CurryJames HardenAfter what he did this year, it all has to start with Mr. Triple-Double Russ. You can argue whether who should win MVP this year, or if Curry is still better than the other two but I think the three of them make the top tier.Tier 2-Chris PaulIsaiah ThomasDamien LillardKyrie IrvingJohn WallThis is where a lot of the debate can come when ranking everyone in this tier. Chris Paul might not be what he used to be but he's still an elite point guard in my opinion. Then you have Lillard, Thomas, and Wall who I think are all rising and could be considered. And then there's still Kyrie who might have fallen over the past year but still a star point guard.Going back to the question, I think Thomas has proven over the past year that he's right on par with Chris Paul, Damien Lillard, and the others so I would put him in my top 5 with Curry, Westbrook, Harden, and Paul. But it still is pretty subjective.

Is Harden ranked in the top 5 guards in the NBA this season?

There are no ‘official’ rankings of guards, but anyone would be silly to say he isn’t one of the top 5 back court players. I’d also easily put him in the top 5 players of all the NBA. Harden is averaging THIRTY SEVEN POINTS per game, 8 assists and 7 rebounds per game. He is also shooting pretty well despite everyone in the world knowing he is the rocket’s only scoring option at this point (44% FG and 37% 3pFG). To do this when he is constantly double teamed is incredibly impressive.The only areas you could say he struggles in are turnovers (5 per game) and that he isn’t a good defender, although he is actually much better than people will tell you. He also gets a ton of free throws, but frankly, it’s also incumbent on the defenders to know that Harden is hunting for fouls and to make adjustments accordingly.His usage rate is astronomically high and consider this; he’s scored 30+ points in 27 straight games, and that streak is still active. It’s hard to think that any other players could bear the burden of going 27 straight games scoring 30+ when everyone on the other team is focused solely on them. And it’s not like these numbers are meaningless, this insane streak of his has seen the Rockets go from 14th in the West to 5th. The rockets are winning, and the only reason is James Harden.

Will Stephen Curry become one of the top 5 point guards of all time when he retires?

He arguably already is.Let’s rank the point guards who are ahead of him:Magic Johnson. No argument here. Unless he really elevates his game to unprecedented heights, he’s unlikely to ever surpass Magic, who revolutionized the game in his day. Curry is an avant-garde talent in his own right, but his first years were good but not great and apart from anything else he’s simply missed too much time compared to Johnson, who dominated ever since his rookie year.Oscar Robertson. The Big O averaged a triple double for a season and was an all-around threat. Due to the differences in era (no three-point line, much smaller league, etc.) it’s hard to compare them but it’s hard to take away anything from Robertson. Curry may surpass him if he keeps dominating for several more years, wins another title or two, and remains effective into his late thirties. Even that is debatable.John Stockton. NBA’s all-time assists and steals leader. Never won a title, so the more championships Curry ends up with the better for his legacy relative to Stockton. But to be the NBA’s all-time leader in two categories speaks to Stockton’s greatness, and that’s tough to top, even for a great shooter like Curry.Isiah Thomas. An incredible competitor, a great passer and scorer, a champion with Detroit. Thomas is as tough as they come, but it’s totally possible for Curry to surpass him both statistically and by reputation.Who else would you say is unequivocally ahead of Curry? Chris Paul? Steve Nash? Nash was brilliant in Phoenix, but Curry has been equally scintillating in Golden State and actually has a title to his name. Hard to think of anyone else.I think it’s a virtual certainty that Curry will finish his career as a top-5 point guard. Top 3 all time is where it starts to get interesting.

Who would win, 5 shooting guards or 5 point guards?

Let's go with a nameless answer.Point guards run the offense. They are great dribblers, passers, and occasional scorers. Shooting guards are the offense. They are great ball protectors, shooters, and finishers.Let's take the 5 point guards. They will be a faster paced team than the shooting guards. They will move the ball more and have open looks. But, their defensive side will lack against the bigger shooting guards.Let’s take the 5 shooting guards. They will be more explosive and powerful. Height advantage will cause mismatches all over the place. Scoring would come easier than usual. Will push point guards to extra passes and outside shots.Both offenses will be pretty much even, but the defensive advantage goes to the shooting guards. Even though the point guards are faster, the shooting guards are a little more athletic due to size.By calculated default, the bigger men will win a SERIES against all point guards.