Point Babies: An ode to the position

Point Babies: An ode to the position

They look up, crystallized eyes shining in the bright lights, but they do not cower and they do not cry. So youthful, so full of promise, they reach their small arms upwards towards the sky and stretch. They hardly even walk before they are asked to run. Gazing up towards expectant parents, coaches, teammates, owners, managers, and fans, they carry the weight of cities on their young backs but they do not stumble, they do not falter. The next generation arrives to the admiration of all who have come before, with hope for all their growth, development and future success.

We stand today on the verge of a new era in the NBA. Some would say it has already arrived. The game is faster, more exciting and guard-friendly than ever, and dominating big men are a dying breed. The latest influx of point guard talent has taken the NBA by storm and these point-babies inspire the admiration of many. Fans feel affinity with the smallest players on the court, who have made the most of their dedication to the game and not relied on height to ease their way into the League. These point-guards have developed distinct styles to take advantage of their body types and have tailored their games to fit with their teams and coaches as well, but only they dictate their on-court performance. The question often arises; “who is the best point guard in the league?” but this will someday be phrased “who was the best of his generation?”

What defines “best” then? Is it championships, assist totals, MVPs, wins, scoring, or making teammates better? Undoubtedly it is a mixture of all of these factors and more that, when a players’ career is looked at in retrospect, defines his success. The last generation of guards has come and gone, for the most part, and youth is served in the NBA. These young guards would be well served to learn from the careers of those that came before them to realize the trials of the League, and mold their games in an image of “success.”

Players like Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Andre Miller, Mike Bibby and Chauncey Billups continue to guide franchises with a veteran presence. Even Tony Parker is still just 28, but is a three-time champion. These players’ longevity is a testament to the hard work they put into their game. Nash at 37, has spent 14 years in the League, won two MVPs, and still leads his team in ppg with 16.0 and is second in the NBA in assists with 11.4. He has put in the work, maintained his body, and soldiers on through black eyes, broken noses and bad backs. His court vision, ability to run the pick-and-roll, leadership, and ability to make teammates better hasn’t resulted in a championship ring, but he is in the discussion of best-ever at his position. Kidd is 37, has spent 16 years in the League, and like Nash has never won an NBA championship, but is second all-time in assists with 11,447, and third all-time in triple-doubles with 107, a testament to his all-around game.

On the other end of the point-guard spectrum, players have come and gone with so much promise, but without NBA “success” and leave fans asking “What if?” Baron Davis has been called lazy for not staying in shape, not developing his game, and his selfishly poor shot selection, but he remains in the League. Allen Iverson was a number one pick in the draft, averaged 29.7 playoff ppg for his career (second all-time) but lately struggled through stints in Memphis, Detroit, and a brief return to Philadelphia before playing in Turkey and retiring. Stephon Marbury was a two-time all-star, the best PG ever to come out of New York, and currently has limited success for the Foshan Dralions of the Chinese Basketball Association. Steve Francis was supposed to pair his athletic game with Yao in Houston, but ended up out of shape, and playing for the Beijing Ducks for four games, averaging 0.5 points and 0.7 rebounds there before retiring. Gilbert Arenas was hibachi-hot for years although he never liked to pass, but injuries and conduct detrimental to his team (drawing a gun on a teammate in the locker room) has robbed his career of its potential. Through studying what went wrong in some of these careers, and what players might have differently in the pursuit of “success” would reward the youthful influx of the modern NBA.

School is in session in the League and players are getting younger every year. This past summer’s USA “B-team” that took home gold in Turkey was a youthful collection of NBA talent, none of which were on the 2008 Olympic team. In the NBA, Chris Paul (25 y.o.) and Deron Williams (26) are hardly elder-statesmen, but are usually not even considered in the ‘youthful’ crop of the most-recent NBA talent. They are like the older students in a grade 1/2 split class. They have been constantly compared since they were both picked in the top 5 of the 2005 draft, and now have to contend with the likes of Rajon Rondo (25), Russell Westbrook (22), and Derrick Rose (22) for the title of “best point guard in the League” (as well as cagey veterans like Kidd and Nash). After Rose won ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 2009, Tyreke Evans (21), Brandon Jennings (21) and Stephen Curry (22) were the top three vote-getters for the award in 2010. Point guards aren’t supposed to win rookie of the year, it’s supposed to take them the longest to adapt to the positional differences, pace, and size of the professional game, but clearly we live in a new era of the NBA. John Wall was an early favourite for 2011 rookie of the year, but injuries have set him back this season after he was drafted first overall in the 2010 draft. The future of the NBA game looks to be bright with teams handing the reigns (and the ball) to young, explosive point guards who can run the show.

If Chris Paul stays healthy and keeps up his intensity he can get on a roll, scoring, assists, steals and leadership make his the ultimate point-guard package. Deron Williams uses size (6’4”) and strength uncommon for his position to muscle defenders, but his speed, grace and court awareness to run his offence. His future is bright in New Jersey. Derrick Rose was been developing a three-point shot which would make him unstoppable, he already drives to the basket and finishes like no other PG in the League. Rondo is possibly the best at running a team, but he needs that team around him. His 12.1 assists per game leads the league and his defense is possibly the best of the PGs in the league, but his shot is lacking and his free-throws are suspect. Russell Westbrook can take off, if he develops more of a distributor type of game while retaining his scoring prowess, the Thunder will be lethal. Tyreke averaged 20-5-5 as a rookie, ‘nuff said. Jennings has shown spurts, like the 55 point game. Curry won the Point Guard skills challenge in LA for All-Star Saturday Night. John Wall got his first professional triple-double with 19 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds less than a month into the season. All of these guards have a legitimate claim of “most potential” but the depth of wealth the NBA is currently experiencing at the Point position is truly astounding.

Names like Aaron Brooks, Jose Calderon, Rodney Stuckey, Darren Collison, Ty Lawson, Monta Ellis, Mo Williams, Raymond Felton, Devin Harris, Jrue Holiday, and Jameer Nelson are nothing to sneeze at either and each point guard measures themselves against the best. As long as all of the point guards stay competitive, and learn from their predecessors, there is no reason any of these players will not be the ‘point guard of their generation’ years from now.

Will people look back on these careers and say they were a success? If this new generation can learn from the successes and failures of the previous generation, they will each find their own version of success. One day, ten to fifteen years from now, they will look down at the next generation of point guards with the same promise, admiration and expectations they once felt themselves and they will whisper, “good luck.”

My PG Rankings
1 - Steve Nash (at 37, still good for 50%FG, 40%3PG, 90%FT, NBA 2nd 11.4 apg, 2-time MVP)
2 - Chris Paul
3 - Derrick Rose
4 - Deron Williams
5 - Rajon Rondo
6 - Jason Kidd
7 - Russell Westbrook
8 - Tyreke Evans
9 - Tony Parker
10 - Stephen Curry