Best Point Guard in the NBA?

[Aughnanure]

Nash is an aging point guard on a sub-500 team.  Rondo is the floor general for the best half-court offense in the game.  I get the criticism that he can't shoot after the way the Lakers defended him in the Finals.  Also, I get that if you are on a good team, then people will attribute your success to your teammates.  But, when I watch the Celtics play, those criticisms don't hold true.  Doc as captain and Rondo as floor general create spacing and cutting that is miles ahead of any other team.  The Celtics first unit got layups all day against the Bulls when they played, and the Bulls are a good defensive team.  On the last play of the game against the Sixers this week when they were tied with six seconds left, Rondo to Garnett for an easy layup.

Clearly, there are better one-on-one point guards than Rondo.  He can't make some of the shots that Rose or Williams or any of the other top point guards can make.  Just watching all of them play, though, without reverting to stats, I would rather have Rondo than any of them.

But it all depends on the team. Rondo is great for the Celtics, cause he doesnt take anyone's shots away the way Deron Williams, CP3 or Rose would, but dont confuse that with the idea that he would be the best choice for a pg on every other team.

Rondo on the Jazz would not be even close to as good as Deron Williams. Rondo on the Suns would not be even close to what Nash is. He just doesnt get top 5 from me for just having gaudy assist stats.

Oh, and for all the people in love with CP3...WHAT HAS HE ACTUALLY DONE? Deron Williams and Nash have both accomplished much more than him....you can put him ahead of Nash because of age, but not in front of Deron Williams who has actually carried his team to success. 

[MUBurrow]

compared to CP3, what has Williams "accomplished"? a couple second round appearances?

[Aughnanure]

Utah has consistently been a Top 4-5 team in the Western Conference the past years (by the far the best conference during that time). The Jazz have also had some pretty good series in the playoffs.

Paul just hasnt consistently kept the Hornets competitive, and I dont understand why people so easily jump to Paul and over Williams. Is it Boozer? And as Im writing this, I completely forgot about the Hornet's 2nd place finish in 08, wow, and they actually had a decent playoff run...okay I may soften my position some now. 

Still, Deron Williams has been the more consistent winner but he consistently gets overlooked because Paul is in more commercials (in my opinion). Ive watched both a decent amount, and Ive always though Id rather have Deron Williams as my PG. He's more physical, a better shooter, better rebounder.

Ill take back some of what I said about Paul, because he has accomplished things, but I still think Deron has had a much more successful NBA career so far.

[karavotsos]

But it all depends on the team. Rondo is great for the Celtics, cause he doesnt take anyone's shots away the way Deron Williams, CP3 or Rose would, but dont confuse that with the idea that he would be the best choice for a pg on every other team.

Rondo on the Jazz would not be even close to as good as Deron Williams. Rondo on the Suns would not be even close to what Nash is. He just doesnt get top 5 from me for just having gaudy assist stats.

That's interesting.  I was rethinking this question because of Derrick Rose and the Brewer who is on the Bulls.  Essentially, the Bulls are playing without a 2 guard.  So part of the reason that Rose is so good is that as the 1, he plays the 1 and the 2.  That allows your 2 to be a 0, or possibly be a specialist-- defensive player, whatever.  Similar with Williams and Westbrook and most of the best point guards in the league, including Nash.  Nash is closer to playing pure point, but he also shoots extremely well from three, so he is a 1 as well as a Steve Kerr type 2
Rondo is a pure 1 and simply focuses on being the 1.  He can do this because of the team he is on.  A difference -- Rose spends his offseason working on his 3 point shot because that is what he knows and everyone has told hm he has to work on in the offseason.  Rondo knows he has no shot.   I am sure he worked on it.  But more than that, he worked on how he could operate offense without having to take the three point shot.  I don't like him because of the gaudy assist numbers.  He plays the game a different way.  May be it is because of the team he is on.  Because on a lot of other teams, where you are required to be the best player, you cannot just be a pure 1.