Top 10 NBA PGs of all time

[Manwiththeplan]

Espn did a list, just curious what you guys think.

1.) Magic Johnson
2.) Oscar Robertson
3.) John Stockton
4.) Steph Curry
5.) Isiah Thomas
6.) Chris Paul
7.) Steve Nash
8.) Jason Kidd
9.) Walt Frazier
10.) Bob Cousy

3,4 and 5 jump out to me. Isiah really belongs at #3 despite what he did as an exec or some of the things he said as a player. Stockton should be #4 ahead of any current player. I definitely like Curry over Paul, Nash and Kidd, but I'm not sure if they got 6,7, and 8 in the right order either.

 

[big dog cowboy]

With any kind of list or ranking you have to decide if longevity gains a player a higher ranking or not, or is it skill based only.

I stopped watching the association 25 or so years ago so I can't really comment on that list.

 

[Biggems]

Curry doesn't belong on that list yet.

 

[Tabascocat]

Curry doesn't belong on that list yet.

Agreed along with Paul.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

lol

 

[darthseinfeld]

Curry doesn't belong on that list yet.

Wouldn't have shocked if if ESPN had Baron Davis on that list 10 years ago.

Granted Curry if FAR superior to anything Davis ever was. But the here and now gets the younger fans interested

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

 

[Future]

Magic was a forward...might as well put LeBron on this list too.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

Magic was a forward...might as well put LeBron on this list too.

You mean in your opinion?... because most of his career he played pg, next scott,worthy, green, & kareem during the highpoint of his career.
sometimes he guarded forwards... but he sure did guard zeke a lot in the conference finals when zeke drop a quarter in a quarter on him...

I recognize him as point as do most.

 

[Future]

You mean in your opinion?... because most of his career he played pg, next scott,worthy, green, & kareem during the highpoint of his career.
sometimes he guarded forwards... but he sure did guard zeke a lot in the conference finals when zeke drop a quarter in a quarter on him...

I recognize him as point as do most.

I guess it's subjective, as Point Forward is probably the best way to describe him, but yea, in my opinion, he's not really a guard. I don't think just handling the ball makes him a guard.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Magic was a forward...might as well put LeBron on this list too.

Magic was a PG. Why do you say he was a Forward?

Edit: Nevermind, I see you responded to this question already. Thank you.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

How does any list of PGs not include Jerry West? You could argue that he should be on the to 10 of all time. He is the face of the NBA, literally!

What a fail by ESPN...... Again!

JMO

 

[Manwiththeplan]

How does any list of PGs not include Jerry West? You could argue that he should be on the to 10 of all time. He is the face of the NBA, literally!

What a fail by ESPN...... Again!

JMO

he's on the SG list

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Wouldn't have shocked if if ESPN had Baron Davis on that list 10 years ago.

Granted Curry if FAR superior to anything Davis ever was. But the here and now gets the younger fans interested

yea, I agree. the here and now will always more recognition that it really deserves, but Curry has already won a league MVP and an NBA championship.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

I guess it's subjective, as Point Forward is probably the best way to describe him, but yea, in my opinion, he's not really a guard. I don't think just handling the ball makes him a guard.

Magic didn't really play in the front court though. Kareem was the center, James Worthy typically played PF with some SF, and the other staring forwards were guys like Kurt Rambis (PF), Jamaal Wilkes (SF), AC Green (SF/PF).

Lebron plays with 2 guards the vast majority of the time, thus he's not a PG, but that was not the case with Magic.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

he's on the SG list

West played both but he was a PG, more so then SG. Gail Goodrich was the SG on those Lakers teams. In 68, Goodrich went to Phoenix and played PG. For basically two seasons, West played SG with the departure of Goodrich, 68/69 and 69/70. In 70. Goodrich came back to the Lakers and again became their SG. West went back to his natural position at PG and remained the PG until his retirement in 74. So basically 12 seasons at PG and 2 seasons as SG.

Listing him as SG is inaccurate IMO. Further proof of ESPN's fail.

JMO

 

[Manwiththeplan]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankPFs/ranking-greatest-power-forwards-nba-history

Pretty much the only list remaining is center. PF will be done today at 2:30pm, but they have released 10-3 and 1-2 are obvious.

10.) Dennis Rodmon
9.) Pau Gasol
8.) Elvin Hayes
7.) Bob Petit
6.) Kevin McHale
5.) Kevin Garnett
4.) Charles Barkley
3.) Dirk Nowitzki
2.) Karl Malone
1.) Tim Duncan

Not a bad list, I don't put too much thought into guys that long before my time, so Hayes and Petit are where they are, but I would say I disagree with #3, #4 and #5. Kevin Garnett imo, has a better argument for #2 than Dirk or Barkley have for #3. He was just too good offensively and defensively for me to rank Dirk or Barkley ahead. I'd likely stick with Dirk ahead of Barkley even though Barkley was a much stronger rebounder and presented problems for opposing defenses in a different yet also unique way, but I can't put either over KG.

 

[jterrell]

PG IMHO
1980 on.

1.) Magic Johnson -- Size changed the way the game has been played. Ability to pass over people led to fast break. Father of position-less basketball.
2.) Isiah Thomas -- Toughest, meanest little dude on list. Pressured ball relentlessly and scored. Competed 100% all the time.
3.) John Stockton -- Insane IQ and passing acumen plus dead eye shooter from range. Better defender than credited.
4.) Steph Curry -- Most skilled player in history of the league. Has to work on that defensive end.
5.) Jason Kidd -- Best Magic clone. Fast break specialist who would rebound and defend. Great post up PG.
6.) Russell Westbrook -- Best pure athlete on this list. Still getting better. Can score, defend, rebound, post up, fly and shoot it.
7.) Steve Nash -- Was Curry before Curry. Defense was worst on this list but Nash did everything else very, very well.
8.) Gary Payton -- Created more pressure than anyone ever had on ball handlers. Game changer with defense and intensity.
9.) Tony Parker -- Simply wins. Scores when needed to win, pushes pace when needed to win, passes when needed to win.
10.) Kevin Johnson -- Tough hard-nosed hybrid PG that scored and defended well.

notable omissions
Chris Paul. Arguably as high as 6 or 7 on this list but I am so over his over-rating that I have to grade him versus his peers in wins and he lacks there. Small. quick player whose ever only really excelled in the 2 man game.
Stevie Franchise. Great scorer but efficiency was up and down then just down.
Gilbert Arenas. Agent 0 was white hot with scoring but his flame burned out too quickly.
AI. Arguably most fun to watch of anyone but he was a 1 man show and not a PG.

 

[jterrell]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankPFs/ranking-greatest-power-forwards-nba-history

Pretty much the only list remaining is center. PF will be done today at 2:30pm, but they have released 10-3 and 1-2 are obvious.

10.) Dennis Rodmon
9.) Pau Gasol
8.) Elvin Hayes
7.) Bob Petit
6.) Kevin McHale
5.) Kevin Garnett
4.) Charles Barkley
3.) Dirk Nowitzki
2.) Karl Malone
1.) Tim Duncan

Not a bad list, I don't put too much thought into guys that long before my time, so Hayes and Petit are where they are, but I would say I disagree with #3, #4 and #5. Kevin Garnett imo, has a better argument for #2 than Dirk or Barkley have for #3. He was just too good offensively and defensively for me to rank Dirk or Barkley ahead. I'd likely stick with Dirk ahead of Barkley even though Barkley was a much stronger rebounder and presented problems for opposing defenses in a different yet also unique way, but I can't put either over KG.

If you watched Dirk play KG in the playoffs you'd know why Dirk is rated higher.
Dirk basically owned KG. He averaged 33 PPG, 16 Rebounds and Dallas won 3-0.

Barkley is a different generation but he was simply not as efficient with his scoring. Barkley's lack of height was a lot like Dirk's lack of quickness in that it made defense mediocre but both rebounded and scored extremely well.

In all playoff action Dirk averages 26 PPG and 10 rebounds. That's insane. He's also shot 38% from the 3 point line for his playoff and career avg.

You'd think KG would have insane edges in steals and blocks but it's really not that far apart. KG has about half a block edge and .2 steal edge per game.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

If you watched Dirk play KG in the playoffs you'd know why Dirk is rated higher.
Dirk basically owned KG. He averaged 33 PPG, 16 Rebounds and Dallas won 3-0.

For starters, it's one series, three games. Second, KG avereged 24 ppg, 18.7 rpg 5 apg 1.7 bpg and 1.7 spg vs Dirk's 33.3 ppg, 15.7, 0.6 apg, 1.3 bpg and 2 spg, looks to me like both played great, and Dirk just had a better team. Unless you're suggesting switching the two players would have resulted in a different outcome.