Here are some of the Top Point Guards from the NBA

The point guard position in the NBA accommodates all sizes and shapes. From the likes of Magic Johnson who is 6 foot 9 inches tall to 5 foot 3 inches Tyrone Bogues, this position demands exceptional skill, agility, talent, basketball IQ, and power. A good point guard can dominate the game without even scoring a point. Deciding on the top 5 point guards from the NBA was tough, but I was able to narrow it down. Most point guards are pass-first type of players. They typically have the offensive talent and mindset to get other teammates involved. Due to this, assist totals can indicate the level of point guard play. We have seen a lot of young point guards who want to get their teammates involved and others who shoot the basketball every time they touch it. There needs to be a good balance, but as mentioned, high assist totals with other high performing stats indicates that a player playing the PG position is really good! In my opinion, here are the top 5 point guards of all time.

Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson is considered to be one of the most underrated point guards. During his 12-year career, he averaged 9 assists, 18 points, 1.5 steals and 3.3 rebounds per game. He even shot an excellent 49.3 percent from the field. From the free-throw line, he shot 84 percent. Kevin Johnson was selected to be a part of three All Star teams. You can’t tell me that wasn’t an AMAZING player playing the point guard position. In addition to this, he was also named as a member of four All NBA teams. Three of these selections were second-team selections. When it comes to assists per game, he ranks 6th all-time. He was also considered to be a great defensive player. This is key for young point guards! You can play well on the offensive end, but can you defend? Kevin Johnson was also one of the primary players on the Suns team, which reached the finals in 1993.

Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd has always been considered one of the best point guards ever and one of my favorites. During his career, Kidd was a member of the All Star team nine times. He was a member of the All NBA team six times, and was selected nine teams to the All Defensive team. Jason Kidd won the 1995 Co-Rookie of the year with Grant Hill. Jason Kidd’s career averages are 9.3 assists, 14.2 points, 2 steals and 6.7 rebounds per game. He has led the NBA league in assists per game on five different occasions. In total assists, he has led in that category three times. In addition, he has led the NBA in steals once. Unfortunately, Jason Kidd has never won a ring. It’s the only accomplishment he hasn’t achieved. Both times Kidd led his team to the finals, they were defeated by the Spurs and the Lakers. He may have not won a NBA Championship but he will go down in history as one of the top 5 point guards in NBA history! Check out Jason Kidd’s highlight video and you will see why he is considered one of the best point guards in NBA history.

Jason Kidd NBA Highlight Video 

Nate Archibald

Nate Archibald was one of the first powerful and explosive players in the NBA. It’s worth mentioning that he’s the only player to have led the league in both assists and scoring in the same season. This was achieved in 1972-73. During this year, Archibald averaged 11.4 assists and 34 points with the Kansas City Royals. During his career, Archibald was a part of the All Star team six times. He also won the All Star MVP in 1981. In this year, he also won the championship while playing for the Boston Celtics. Archibald was a member of the All NBA team five times. Three of them were first-team selections.

Gary Payton

Gary Payton is considered to be one of the best defensive and offensive point guards of all time. When it comes to defense, he tied with another player for nine All NBA first-team selections. It’s worth mentioning that Payton is the only point guard to have won the prestigious Defensive Player of the Year in 1996. He’s ranked third in All Time total seals. When it comes to offense, Payton averaged 6.7 assists, 16 points and 4 rebounds. He had an illustrious 17 year career. He averaged more than 20 points in eight seasons and shot 47 percent from the field. During his entire career, Payton missed only 25 games. As a member of Miami Heat, he won the championship on 2006.

Stephen Curry

I had to put Davidson’s own Stephen Curry in this list. Stephen Curry is the reigning NBA and MVP champion with a long road ahead of him. There’s a long list of retired players who have performed better and done more. But at a young age, Stephen Curry has already achieved some AMAZING accolades. Curry is already being considered the best shooter ever. Curry is a miraculous, prodigious and a balancing act for the Warriors. Besides being a great marksman on the hardwood, he’s shot 7.73 PA and 42 percent per game in the last three seasons. Curry hardly misses shots and performs at a high level every single night. How does he do this? By being hungry and having a consistent and solid work-ethic. In the summer, he doesn’t take days off! In the last two seasons, Curry averaged 8.5 and 7.9 assists respectively. Since he started playing, experts have believed that he’s one of the best shooters ever to play the game. He’s won the Larry O’Brien trophy already. He’s become the master of the point guard position and is redefining how that position is played. A long career is waiting ahead with more achievements and accomplishments for that guy. A list of the top 5 point guards in NBA can’t be complete without including young Stephen Curry. There’s a lot more left for him to achieve in the next few years. He is already crushing this year’s season and the Warriors are currently 23-0!

Conclusion

If you noticed, I didn’t add rankings to these players in my top 5 point guard list! I will leave that for the reader to judge. This is my list of the top 5 point guards ever in NBA history. I would love to hear your thoughts about upcoming point guards or NBA point guards that you think should be included in this list. Pro Skills Basketball also helps to develop young players in to great point guards by focusing on fundamentals, basketball IQ, training and more. By attending one of our camps or training sessions, you will see what it takes to become a really good point guard.