Rob Peterson is an NBA editor for ESPN.com. April 5, 2019, 12:17 AM . There's no way Stockton & Curry are better than Isiah. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. -- Adande, Teams NBA Power Rankings: Which reloaded teams are on the rise? -- Adande, Possessed incredible court vision and creativity, all while orchestrating the frenetic game pace of his era. When people think of NBA point guards, he set the mold. 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, .485 FG%, The player The Top 100 will begin to roll out next week. The greatest point guard in NBA history. -- Doolittle, The great Knicks ball-movement offense started with him. 30d Zach Lowe. -- Adams, The fashion forerunner to Russell Westbrook. ALL-TIME #NBARANK, 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25, The player Teams Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. -- Kevin Pelton, NBA Insider, May be the strongest point guard ever and consistently made everyone around him better. Golden State Warriors (2009-present), Honors Meanwhile, we are presenting the top 10 by position. 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5APG, .375 FG%, The player If Snit needs a right-handed arm to close out some games for the Braves this season, Martin should be at the top of that list. Lakers still king, surprises in top 10 By Ethan Strauss Feb 19, 2021 71 In this necessarily strange season, the NBA tried something a bit different. He has been the best in the league at making hitters earn it with the bat. Only J.T. Between 2018 and 2019, Smith racked up 48 saves with a 2.66 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 118.1 innings pitched. Three-time MVP (1986-87, 1988-89, 1989-90), three-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-D selection, co-Rookie of the Year (1994-95), Career stats -- Pelton, So precise with his passes and timely with his shots. 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats by Tom Raabe. 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, .384 3P%, The player New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers, (2011-present), Honors 5-on-5: Will Curry pass Magic as best PG ever? De’Andre Hunter- Atlanta Hawks NBA Playoff Scenarios. The big difference is that d’Arnaud has played in about 50 fewer games than Realmuto and Grandal. -- J.A. -- Adams, He could hurt defenses in so many ways: Controlling tempo was one, and he was a hell of a defender, too. Nash is the answer. -- Tom Haberstroh, NBA writer, No guard in NBA history pulled down more rebounds than Kidd, who finished with more career rebounds than Willis Reed and Alonzo Mourning, among others. There will be a total of 20 teams in the NBA playoffs for the 2020-21 season, up from 16 in previous seasons. On Wednesday, we will have the top 10 shooting guards of all time, followed by small forwards, power forwards and centers. He was transcendent. With 10 marquee NBA stars wearing it to close the 1970s, the Top Ten became one of Adidas' first flagship basketball models and helped influence countless additional Adidas models since. The classic definition of a point guard, orchestrating offense and shooting when necessary. Teams Rushmore of greatest postseason performances in league history. Despite not earning a single save last season, he still has the tenth-most saves since the beginning of 2019. MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships -- Adande, The only players in NBA history with more games with 20 points and 10 assists are Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. That is evident not just by looking at the list of top-ten, but by also looking at some of the players that did not make the list. Went from dominating games strictly with his passing to making the fifth-most 3-pointers in NBA history. The result is our all-time NBA Top 100. -- Brad Doolittle, Robertson's averaging a triple-double in 1961-62 is probably overrated because it was a product of the fast-paced play in the 1960s, but his role in the Milwaukee Bucks' early '70s championship run is probably underrated. The NBA’s Triple Trouble. A massive ten game slate filled the schedule on Saturday, with a number of new faces suiting up for teams as the dust settles on the trade deadline. -- Peterson, He's one of only a few players in history who has been deemed too good for the sport's own good. 2 The Cavaliers allow the second-highest three-point percentage in the league at 48.4 %. -- Kevin Pelton, Teams -- Haberstroh, Honors 8. The guy simply does not allow free passes. The former All-Star closer began his Braves tenure by missing over a month with COVID-19. Guaranteed ATS Capper Free Pro Basketball Picks ATS Best Bets Daily. -- Adams, An early ballhandling wizard, he was a point guard who was a focal point at a time when the game was dominated by big men. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images). Ten games on tap for Saturday including a marquee matchup in Portland between the Blazers and Bucks. -- Peterson. J.A. All-Time #NBArank: Top 10 point guards ever, NBA experts debate: Big questions facing the Lakers and Nets right now, Harden (hamstring) available to play vs. Knicks, Bucks, Holiday reach deal worth up to $160M, George: Rondo enters as instant leader for Clips, Curry, Dubs search for answers after losing 7 of 8, Sources: AD responds to security guard's crash, Embiid nets 24 in return from 10-game absence. Shortly after Winston's 3's put the Spartans on top 62-56, Nia Clouden made two breakaway layups, the first on her steal and the second on Winston's, that made it 68-58 with 3:47 to go. Since the beginning of 2019, Chris Martin leads all major league relievers with a minuscule 2.8% walk rate. -- Pelton, Today's children will ask, "Who was the Steph Curry before Steph Curry?" -- Adams, Thomas was as tough as they come, could score with the best of them (such a sweet stroke) and, make no mistake, was the baddest of the Bad Boys. The annual playoff to determine the NBA championship will begin on Saturday, July 8. ESPN ranked the Top 10 PGs of all time & they have @iamisiahthomas ranked 5th. Since the beginning of the 2019 season, Travis d’Arnaud is tied for seventh among catchers in home runs with 25. 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, .490 FG%, The player Despite some players previously on this list moving to the guard and power forward positions, there is still a lot of depth at the top 30 small forwards for the 2020-2021 NBA season. Surely the most underappreciated great player in NBA history because he was quietly dependable rather than flashy and never broke through on the biggest stage. -- Adande, He led the NBA in assists nine straight seasons from 1987 to 1996. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. NBA experts debate: Finals predictions and best play-in matchups, New NBA playoff projections: Likely winners in seeding, play-in races. No surprise here, the top team in NBA history is the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls that were led by Michael Jordan. At 6-foot-1, he's the shortest NBA Finals MVP in league history, a reflection of his unique ability to dominate at the point guard position. Smith enters camp as the favorite to close out games for the Braves. In that same timespan, Martin boasts a 2.81 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP. 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats Mr. -- Peterson, He was the forerunner of Magic Johnson and LeBron James, and it's telling that both of those stars revere the Big O. Ten teams will clinch the postseason playoffs from each conference – check out your favorite team’s playoffs chances. -- Pelton. Adande, His Game 6 in the 1980 Finals, while jumping center as a 20-year-old rookie, has to be on the Mt. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook. 30. Realmuto (115) and Yasmani Grandal (104) have more RBI than TDA’s 103 in that time span. James is also heading into the top ten in assists, and is top … Phoenix Suns (1996-98, 2004-12), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-15), Honors The Atlanta Braves are loaded with talent heading into 2021 season. -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. -- Pelton, Perhaps the most incredible part of the Big O's triple-double season is that he finished third in MVP voting (behind winner Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 50.4 PPG). Saturday, April 3 – NBA scores, updates, news, stats, highlights and top fantasy performers. The 1987 NBA draft produced a lot of talented players, and the coaches and general managers at the top of the draft did a great job of evaluating that potential. With a healthy off-season, the Braves will look to the lefty to return to his All-Star form. Jordan’s squad went 72-10 in the regular season and easily moved through the playoffs with a … MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 15: Ronald Acuna #13 and Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate after beating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 at Miller Park on July 15, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ten of the top … James is now 5th in points all-time, and will not stop there. by Larry Alex Taunton. I want to see it over a larger sample. Watch free NBA video highlights, news, and analysis. Breaking down stats and film from around the NBA, including Luka Doncic's catch-and-shoot numbers and the Pelicans' perimeter defense. -- Rob Peterson, One can only imagine how impressive his career totals might have been if not for the HIV virus. Two-time MVP (2004-05, 2005-06), eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, Career stats One of the best -- and quickest -- lob passers the game has ever seen. Triple Double was so far ahead of his time in terms of size, speed, strength and stats. Also, explore NBA TV & League Pass subscriptions to watch live games on your favorite devices. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. New York Knicks (1967-1977), Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-1980), Honors: Saturday, March 27 – NBA scores, updates, news, stats, highlights and top fantasy performers. -- Peterson, Teams 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player -- Doolittle, Perhaps someday Paul will reach the conference finals and we can focus more on his incredible accomplishments as a scorer, distributor and defender and less on his teams' inability to turn them into deep playoff runs. The strength of the Big Ten this season is its top-end teams and their strong finish to the regular-season. -- Peterson, A menace on both ends of the court, Frazier was at his best in the 1970 NBA Finals when tallied 36 points, 19 assists, 7 rebounds in a title-clinching Game 7. -- Haberstroh, Teams A list. 18.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 9.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, The player 7-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, 7-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook. -- Doolittle, Over the past season and a half, Curry has played point guard as well as anyone else in NBA history. His 2.8% walk rate equates to less than one batter per nine. The Atlanta Braves are loaded with talent heading … Wayne Gretzky on the court, Nash could hurt opponents by getting rid of the ball quickly or by holding on to it for so long that the defense finally made a mistake. -- Peterson, Thomas' willingness to share the spotlight helped make the Bad Boy Pistons incredible, and he had a consistent ability to step up his game in the postseason during Detroit's title runs (and near miss in 1988). Eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, seven-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (2005-06), Career stats Still, Nash's greatest historical legacy will be paving the way for Stephen Curry and a new generation of point guards in a league that embraced point guards making plays with a wide-open court. He was a master at leading the fastbreak, which led to Celtics titles. The Top Ten Evilest People of All Time . MVP (2014-15), two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, Career stats Here are the top 30 small forwards in the NBA heading into this season. Los Angeles Lakers (1979-91, 1995-96), Honors -- Adams, Combined savvy with underrated strength. Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74), Honors Paradoxically tough on the court and flashy off of it, Frazier epitomized the '70s-era backcourt style in which roles were less defined. He did it not once, not twice, but three times. -- Doolittle, Cousy was an And-1 mix tape in black-and-white. Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Career stats -- Peterson, Teams Adande, Brad Doolittle, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton are NBA writers for ESPN.com. 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, .428 3P%, The player He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. Dallas Mavericks (1994-96, 2008-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-2001), New Jersey Nets (2001-08), New York Knicks (2012-13), Honors -- Pelton, If he had played with The Mailman or a defense as stout as the Pistons, he might have made a couple of Finals by now. James is a three-time NBA Champion, and has been a Finals MVP three times as well. Let me remind everyone, young and old, I played against @iamisiahthomas when he was hurt & hobbling on one leg... ...and @iamisiahthomas still scored 25 points in one quarter in the NBA Finals! -- Adande, Teams MVP (1963-64), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year (1960-61), Hall of Fame, Career stats -- Adande, The best two-way small player in league history, Paul embodies the era in which he plays by running the pick-and-roll as well as anyone has ever run it. February 25, 2021 Power Rankings, Week 10: Nets jump to No. -- Adams, Honors -- Pelton, No player his size, 6-foot-3, has ever bent defenses to his will as Curry does. 6 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963), Career stats With the Atlanta Braves regular season upon us, we rank the top ten players on the team right now. The undisputed first great point guard, Cousy remains the only guard in NBA history to be named First-Team All-NBA in 10 straight seasons. (3rd highest in the NBA) The Cavaliers allow a league-high 6.0 blocks per game. 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, The player The result of that in the updated Coaches Poll … Lowe: Ten NBA things I like and don't like, including peak Embiid. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images), Chris Martin of the Atlanta Braves. Many will want to talk about the finals record, but his production should overshadow it. His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. The NBA is a point guard's paradise these days, so let's start All-Time #NBArank with our pantheon points. -- Adams, For nine consecutive years, Nash's teams led the NBA in offensive rating. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. On top of his 6-0 record in Finals series, MJ averaged 33.4 points per game in the postseason and led the NBA in playoff points per game in 10 of the 13 years in which he participated. TOP 10 POINT GUARDS. The best shooter ever not just in terms of accuracy but also in creatively getting looks with but a sliver's opening and with unlimited range. Rarity: Legendary (1 of 25) Top sale: $39,999 (#11) – Feb 22, 2021 Significance: The Beard crosses over two NBA All-Defensive Team players and draws the And-1. Thomas was ultra-quick with the ball and, at any moment, could pull up for a deadly jump shot. Herring showed he's a top 130-pounder, but can he beat Stevenson, Valdez? -- Adande, Nash is the only player in history to go 50-40-90 while averaging 10 assists per game. There are still concerns about his control and that may or may not show its face over the course of a 162-game season. He had the best peak for any point guard in NBA history, hands down. Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70), Honors 22h Nick Parkinson. He could play any spot on the court as well. The true driving force of his partnership with Karl Malone. Micah Adams is the lead NBA research specialist for ESPN Stats and Info. 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, .520 FG%, The player Disclaimer: Ian Anderson did not make the list. 21.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, .441 3P%, We counted down the greatest players in NBA history. This page is all about providing you with free NBA betting advice from some of the most trusted experts in the industry today.. Our roster at Sports Capping consists of nearly 100 of the best handicappers, who all … Probably the most versatile point guard in NBA history, and perhaps a tad underrated given that the focus on his assists overshadowed how valuable his defense was. Magic had unparalleled vision; he could see players get open and deliver the ball before they even realized they were open.