Who's the best point guard in the NBA?

Certainly agree with this. The distinguishing thing about Paul is the utter absence of a weakness, something that can't be said about others here. Rondo's a piss poor outside shooter and often wildly erratic (both on and off the court), Nash can't defend my grandma nowadays, Westbrook is by far the poorest passer and decision-maker on the list, Rose (and Westbrook) often plays more like a shoot first two guard than a point, etc.

But Paul? There are NO weaknesses with Paul--great passer, defender, shooter, decision-maker, penetrator, leader EVERYTHING. Not a single weakness you can point to (other than maybe size, as he is the smallest guy on the list).

 

That about sums it up.

 

I don't really understand the justification for voting against Chris Paul.

Derrick Rose can't even plant his leg for a crossover right now. It seems premature to pick him. Rajon Rondo might be a better pick than Paul if you were starting a team, as he's younger and less injury prone, but he can't shoot and remains volatile. He's not better than Paul right now. Russell Westbrook has had trouble balancing his game since college, though he would be my pick if I were starting a franchise. Steve Nash can't defend and is about two steps slower now than he was five years ago. And Tony Parker never has been a true playmaker, though he fits perfectly in the Spurs' system and has improved his passing over the years.

Deron Williams has no votes, but he might be second on my list. There's nothing he doesn't do well. He's not as exciting as the other candidates, but he almost is like a Super Sam Cassell, a big, strong point guard who has it all. And his ball-handling might top the list.

 

Versatile,

Paul will be 27 this season...He's not as old as anyone thinks...just as been around for a minute

 

Brian Urlacher

 

He already is 27. But his injury history is extensive, and small guards age poorly.

 

That's true I agree with that...

Deron Williams could be playing at an all-star level at 36....Paul could be out of the league by 34

 

I think the effort level worries people about Deron. New Jersey wasn't that good the past couple of years, and Deron made the all-star team anyway, but as a Celtics fan I never really felt that afraid of him.

It just feels like he half-asses it out there - the All World guy from Utah isn't around anymore, for whatever reason. He went from shooting about 45 percent every year to between 35 and 40 percent the past year and a half. I still think he's an all-star for the next five years anyway, but if we're splitting hairs about the best of the best at point guard, I'd rather have (in order) Paul, Rose (if healthy), Rondo, Westbrook and then Williams.

If I had to win for just one year, then Nash might sneak on to that list, depending on the composition of the team. I think he's probably the best at maximizing the talent of the guys around him, so its his presence on the Lakers that scares me the most, assuming that Kobe doesn't act like Kobe and somehow sabotage everything.

 

Your Media Narrative is showing.

 

Indeed, exactly how both of those lines struck me as well.

 

Maybe! It could be, especially more so on Deron than Kobe. But when I look at the stat line, I see a drop in shooting percentage, an uptick in 3PA per 36 minutes, a drop in FT attempted, etc. His team was garbage, so I'm curious to see how the year plays out for him. He did have a good Olympics as well, and players seem to play better after that experience. (Or at least, I feel like they do - That could be just another media-filtered thing though.)

Kobe is Kobe. He's probably not going to get to shoot 23 times a game this year, so I want to see how he adjusts to that. (On a smaller scale, if Ray Allen wasn't thrilled to come off the bench for Boston and thought he should have been getting more shots, I don't know how he really fits in on Miami.)

 

Shooting percentage drops and three-point attempts increase. Sounds to me like a guy who went from a team with multiple solid post options and decent wings to Kris Humphries and Anthony Morrow.

Give the guy a break. He was asked to be a scorer, which isn't his niche.