The NBA and the Era of the Point Guard

I was reading Bill Simmons' Annual Trade Value Column and he made a point that really got me thinking.  The NBA has never been this talented and deep at the point guard position.  Ever.  You could even make the argument that the league has never been this talented at any position in its long history.

This reminds me of a similar phenomena we have seen in the NFL which many have coined "The Era of the Quarterback."  The American public is moving away from their desire to see fundamentally strong, structured sports and is more interested in fast paced, exciting, Sportscenter Top 10 worthy games night in and night out.  This translates to more kids growing up wanting to be the high profile star of their team i.e quarterback, point guard, shortstop. 

Now that we are ushering in the Era of the Point Guard in the NBA I thought it would be a worthwhile to endeavor to break down what I feel are the top PGs in the game.  Since Simmons really got me thinking about this I am going to attempt to structure this in a similar way that he might do it. 

Honorable Mention

D.J. Augustin
Eric Bledsoe
Ty Lawson
Jrue Holiday
Darren Collison
Brandon Jennings

Group 3

15) Raymond Felton - Although Amar'e has been the leader of the revolution at MSG this season, Ray Felton has been the one running the show.  A quality point guard is important in every offense but none more so than Mike D'antoni's fast paced system.  Felton seems reenergized under D'antioni which isn't surprising since Roy Williams had him running a similar system at UNC.

14) Chauncey Billups - Billup's has Finals experience and he has always been able to hit the big shot.  He is a great leader and it's showing with the development of Ty Lawson  Although he has lost a step recently I think he still has one more run left in him.  As Simmons mentioned, he could be the missing piece for a championship contender.

13) Devin Harris - He was a guy that was viewed as one of the top up and coming point guards in the league when he was with Dallas but has been somewhat forgotten since hes been in New Jersey. Harris is averaging 15 points and 7.6 assists so far this season. If Ivan Drago can somehow weasel Melo out of Denver, Harris could once again be considered a top point guard.

12) Tyreke Evans - I had a hard time placing Evans in this list.  Last season's rookie of the year has put up solid numbers in his first two seasons, but hasn't been able to parlay that into wins.  I had very high expectations for the Kings after they drafted Demarcus Cousins, but they haven't lived up.  In fact they have been downright awful, winning just 13 games in the first half of the season.  Evans has showed in his first two seasons that he can score with the best of them, but he still hasn't put up quality assist numbers.  He averaged 5.8 assists last year and that number has actually gone down to 5.5 this year even with the addition of Cousins.

11) John Wall - Although it has been over shadowed by Blake Griffin's amazing rookie season, John Wall has put up a solid campaign of his own. He has handled the pressure of an entire franchise being on his back and performed well. In the first half of his rookie year he has put up 15 points and 8.9 assists per game. He has lived up to the high expectations and the Wizards will build around him for years.

Group 2

10) Jason Kidd - Despite losing a step in recent years Kidd is still the leader of a title contender. Kidd has always been a prestigious passer and has improved his shooting prowess over the years. He's always been clutch and knows how to lead a team deep in the playoffs. The only thing that still confuses me about Kidd is whether he's black or white.

9) Tony Parker - I still can't wrap my head around why someone would ever cheat on Eva Longoria but regardless Parker has been solid ever since entering the league.  He has learned under one of the best coaches and has played alongside a few of the best big men ever.  He has championship experience and still has a few years left in his prime.  He could be a big time free agency target in the coming years as the Spurs dynasty slowly fades.

8) Stephen Curry - I've been on the Steph Curry bandwagon since he led Davidson to the Elite 8 in his sophomore season.  He had a lot doubters coming into the NBA.  He was to small, to weak, and was framed as nothing but a shooter.  He has proved everyone wrong every step of the way and is an elite scorer in the NBA, not just an elite shooter.

7) Jameer Nelson - Nelson has the great advantage of playing with one of the best, most athletic big men to ever play the game.  He sets the town offensively for Stan Van Gundy's magic and he is one of the smartest basketball players in the league.  To me he really embodies the typical point guard in that he really is a coach on the floor.  If he can keep Howard in town he could have an amazing career.

6) Russell Westbrook - Westbrook has played a huge role in OKC's upswing.  He does it all for that team, even taking on a lead scoring role in a few games that Durant missed.  In my opinion, having the leagues scoring champion on your team is one of the best compliments a point guard can receive.  Westbrook and Durant will be a force to be reckoned with for the next 10-15 years.  Don't forget he is only 22 years old.

Group 1

5) Steve Nash - Nash has been one of my favorite players to watch over the years.  He is by far the most skilled passer I have had the privilege of watching.  I like to call him the second coming of Pistol Pete Maravich.  Nash can do it all, and even though he is approaching the end of his great career I believe he could lead a team to the title today if he had the chance.  Unfortunately, he is too loyal to Pheonix to ever push for a trade.

4) Chris Paul - Chris Paul led the Hornets deep in the playoffs in his third year and hasn't really managed to stay healthy since.  His knees have held him back in recent years but he is still a huge free agency target for 2012.  Paul's leadership and will to win is what really separates him from a lot of other guys.  He could be the tipping point for a franchise if he leaves New Orleans.

3) Deron Williams - Despite reportedly running Jerry Sloan out of Utah, Deron Williams has been impressive in his short NBA career.  His scoring is up to 21.3 per this season and his assists are up to 9.7 per game.  The Jazz are going to need another piece now that they lost Boozer and AK47 is only getting older.  Regardless, Williams has cemented himself has a top 3 point guard in the league.

2) Rajon Rondo - Rondo has turned the "Big 3" into the Big 4 in Boston recently.  He is leading the league with an amazing 12.2 assists per game and has done his fair share of scoring this season as well.  If he can correct the one glaring weakness in his game (his shooting) he will by nigh un-guardable.

1) Derrick Rose - Not only is Rose the best point guard in the league right now, I believe he is also the leading candidate for MVP as we enter the all-star break.  He is leading all point guards in scoring at 24.9 per contest and has his assists up to 8.2 per game from his career average of 6.7.  All of these stats are impressive, but what really sets him apart is his intensity and will to win.  Rose has that special ability to put a team on his back and go into the "I'm pissed off and now I'm going to take this game over" mode that really sets the great ones apart.