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Daily Featured Ranking Question for 2022-05-10

The All Time Top 5 NBA Point Guards by Mark D. Hauser

(To give your answer and view the results to this ranking question, go to: Basketball: NBA: All Time: Individuals)

I placed four point guards in the top 25 in my article "Who are the 25 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time." Here is their rankings and what I wrote about each of them:

3. Magic Johnson (5 NBA Titles, 3 NBA MVPs, 3 Finals MVPs, 9 times 1st team All-Pro, 1 time 2nd team All-Pro) was a good shooter (.520 FG%, .303 3pFG%, 19.5 ppg) who could score in a variety of ways and could have scored more if it had been needed by his teams. He was a great ballhandler, a fantastic passer, and an excellent rebounding guard (7.2 rpg).

7. Oscar Robertson (1 NBA Title, 1 NBA MVP, 9 times 1st team All-Pro, 2 times 2nd team All-Pro), as practically any basketball fan knows well, once (1961-62 season) averaged a triple double for an entire season (wow!). Robertson was one of the best passers ever (9.5 apg for his career) and probably the best rebounding guard ever (7.5 rpg). He was also a great scorer (25.7 ppg, .485 FG%), who could score in a variety of ways, and a good leader.

21. John Stockton (13.1 ppg, .515 FG%, .826 FT%, 10.5 apg, 2.2 spg). The other half of the fabulous "Stockton and Malone" duo who together, unfortunately, finished with zero NBA Titles, zero MVPs, 2 times All-NBA first team (6 times second team). Great all-around unselfish point guard who was an underrated outside shooter (.384 3pFG%), a good defender (twice leading the league in steals), and was probably the 2nd best passer in NBA history (after Steve Nash).

25. Bob Cousy (18.4 ppg, .375 FG%, .803 FT%, 5.2 rpg, 7.5 apg). "The Houdini of the Hardwood" had 6 NBA titles, 1 MVP, 10 times All-NBA first team. Truly revolutionized the point guard position with his great ballhanding skills, court vision, and flashy passes while leading the league in assists 8 consecutive seasons. Probably should be higher, but it is tough to know where, since all I have is highlights of him to go by. (Note: his shooting percentage was typical for back then.)

Hence, my top 5 point guards of all-time are: 1. Magic Johnson 2. Oscar Robertson 3. John Stockton 4. Bob Cousy 5. Isiah Thomas and rounding out my top 10 are 6. Walt Frazier 7. Jason Kidd 8. Nate "Tiny" Archibald 9. Steve Nash 10. Gary Payton.

I was blown away by Chris Paul as much as the next NBA fan last year, especially in the playoffs; but, with only three full years in the league, he is going to have to wait to make an all time list. Who are your all time top NBA point guards?

Comments

• Why, I...But!!! Umm....I actually agreed with your top five. I must be getting senile or something. I would probably put Jason Kidd above Isiah Thomas, simply because he is a great rebounder and (was) a great defender when younger (Thomas was an excellent defender, but not helpful on the glass). One other player, whom I might place in the top 10 over GP was KC Jones. He had pedestrian stats, but was a great defender and initiated the offense for the 60s Celtics, winning 10 championships. Defense and team play are often hard to capture on stats, but his success as a player and later as coach are hard to deny.
  Posted by CryHavoc
• You are not getting senile -- just smarter with age. FYI, K.C. Jones played 9 years in the league and the first 5 years he was not the point guard for the Celtics -- Bob Cousy, who retired in '63, was the Celtics point guard.
  Posted by mdh88

Past Featured Ranking Questions

The All Time Top 5 NBA Power Forwards by Mark D. Hauser
The All Time Top 10 NBA Centers by Mark D. Hauser
The All Time Top 5 NBA Shooting Guards by Mark D. Hauser
The All Time Top 5 NBA Point Guards by Mark D. Hauser
The 10 Greatest Boxers of All Time by Mark D. Hauser
The 10 Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All Time by Mark D. Hauser
The Top 25 NBA Players of All Time by Mark D. Hauser