He closed out on jump-shooters half-heartedly, which is bad enough, but when you combine that with the way he played pick-and-roll plays, it was even worse. He simply doesnt have the same ability as the elite point guards to get up in the air, and that hinders his ability to defend the jump shot. He doesnt use the shortest angles when running under picks, but he takes path of least resistance instead. Thats just simply not true, and any amount of watching him play will verify that. In nine seasons with the Detroit Pistons, plus two with the Washington Bullets and one with the Boston Celtics, Bing gathered 18,327 points in 901 competitions (20.3 ppg). The advantage of defensive rating is that it accounts for the things that dont show up in box scores. The disadvantage is that sometimes its not the player doing those things, and hes getting credit for someone elses great defense. In his heyday, Parker could score 25 points a night and seldom made poor choices with the ball. The point guard was always capable of scoring the ball at the . His net defensive rating is fairly close to even, and slightly above average for point guards. The greatest point guard in NBA history. 18.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 9.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, The player Its difficult to have a perfect rating system thats entirely objective, and even more difficult to have a realistic one that is purely subjective. Coming over as a 25-year-old rookie, Ginobili only had two seasons where he had fewer than one steal per game and he averaged 1.3 steals for his career. 76ers vs. While he recovers most of the time, its worth asking why he gets beaten. He just cant do anything about it. The Miami HEATs best player in franchise history, Dwyane Wade was an offensive maestro. When he does, he gets put off and his effort isnt there anymore. If he wins an NBA championship, Chris Paul, the current number one point guard, will rise even higher on this ranking. "The Logo" Jerry West was an NBA Champion, a 14 time All-Star, ten time All-NBA First team selection, four time All-Defensive team selection, NBA scoring champion and an NBA assist leader. The only point guard to win Defensive Player of the Year, Payton was a defensive nightmare and he never had a DWS lower than 1.2 during his 17-year career. You just dont see him make the wrong plays. Stats dont tell the whole story and our eyes often only confirm what we already know. That helps him to dominate games defensively without having to leave the ground. Emailed daily. It will be interesting to see how well he does with Larry Sanders behind him in Milwaukee. -- Adande, Teams For example, the Spurs absolutely ate him alive in the playoffs with Tony Parker, who averaged 24.5 points for the series. You're the worst defensive point guard in the NBA!!! Best Point Guard Defensive Rating 2022 | StatMuse Luka Doncic had the lowest defensive rating by a point guard in 2021-22, with a 106.5 rating. In recent years, the sport's shift from a fundamental style of play to a more athletic, scoring-oriented game resulted in the proliferation of so-called combo guards at the point guard position. Sometimes even when hes being smart, he gets a little dumb. Triple Double was so far ahead of his time in terms of size, speed, strength and stats. From there, hes playing catch up. This is to avoid confusion if you want to go to the original source.). Perhaps if hes in shoes and standing on a milk crate filled with milk, thats true. The other thing thats surprising about Rondo with his size is how well he fights over picks. There are some disadvantages to this style of play. The number in the parentheses indicates where they ranked in that category. Thats rarely going to be because of a mental error, though. Some of this is hard to know whether to ascribe to Bledsoe or to his former coach, Vinny Del Negro, who hones his X's and O's skills by playing tic-tac-toe online. Therefore, its a Theoretically Asked Questions, or TAQ. He needs more of the former and less of the latter. Conley is generously listed at 61 and 180 pounds. 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. Sometimes, all that the on/off stats tell you is the difference between two players that play the same position. In his 16-year career, Wade averaged 2.961 DWS per year and his 47.38 DWS is good for 55th overall. Previously, Id had the impression that Rondo was beaten more often than he actually is and that Kevin Garnett just constantly bailed him out, which made his numbers look better than they are. Parker is a seasoned point guard who plays the game like a pro. Whatever else you want to say about Brandon Knight, just dont say he never tries. He could play any spot on the court as well. Lin is 63 and 200 pounds, which is decent size for a point guard, in the neighborhood of Derrick Rose, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook. Hes led the league in steals per game five times in the last six years. MVP (1956-57), 13-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame, Championships First, a range of 18 to 22 makes it easier to arrive at the eventual score of 100the baseline everything was weighted to. Jack is one of those players that a lot of people dont know what he brings to a team in the locker room. All you have to do is watch him on offense to know he has all kinds of speed. Watching video on Lin gave me one impression that stood out above everything else: his awareness of where he was on the court and where he needed to be. But thats why we do the research. Speaking about hard-nosed defense-first converted shooting guards, here is one more name to the list: Dennis Johnson, one of the all-time great Celtics and at the same time one of the most underrated players in the history of the NBA. Lillard, on the other hand, is generally able to get things going from the perimeter anytime he wants. His score would be much worse if it werent for help defense from Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Chris Andersen frequently coming to his aid. He tends to be beaten off the dribble more often than he should be, considering his physical advantages, but he also uses his physical ability to recover when he is beaten. He could create at an elite level while also scoring off the dribble from the midrange. -- Pelton, Today's children will ask, "Who was the Steph Curry before Steph Curry?" While no one always guards the best player, some players are much more likely to be guarding the other teams elite players, which makes them appear weaker defensively. He has decent size for a point guard, at 63 but he doesnt have much of a vertical: 28.5.. The ripple effect of that was that every single Bull had a worse defensive rating with Boozer than when playing with Gibson. Interpreted as: best point guard defensive rating with a minimum of 2000 minutes played per 82 team games 2022 Since elite offensive players tend to have a higher usage rate, players that guard elite offensive players should also have more defensive plays. He does all those little things that dont show up in box scores. In other words, giving up 15 points to Russell Westbrook is much more impressive than giving up 14 to Derek Fisher, but the raw stats dont tell you who was guarding whom. Many remember Ginobili for his offense, but he was also a capable defender. In terms of career statistics and postseason accomplishments, he ranks as the NBAs fourth-best point guard of all time. If Williams had more pride in his defense, he would actually ask for, and depend on, help more than he does. Dallas Mavericks (1994-96, 2008-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-2001), New Jersey Nets (2001-08), New York Knicks (2012-13), Honors Players Stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 2010-2011 MVP, 3x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Selection, 2008-2009 Rookie of the Year. Most players will take a little on-court breather now and then. Bledsoe just doesnt bring much energy to the defensive side of the court, which is a shame, because if he did, hed be a ball hawk. Chris Paul had the awkward situation this year of being smarter than his head coach, Vinny Del Negro. Teams Starter from the VCT lockin. It is the same with his mental engagement in the game. Does he rotate on time? Then, when players pull up and shoot, he doesnt use his length to close and get a hand in the face of the shooter. As a result, he has received numerous awards, including the 'NBA Most Valuable Player' (MVP) award and the "PAC Player of the Year." Just telling your players to play harder and close out on threes isnt a real system. He gets a higher score here than he technically deserves because he tries so hard. Kevin Garnett 8. Moncrief is well known for his defensive prowess. His net defensive rating of 4.2 is an indication of both a lack of his helping and asking for help. Players Stats: 23.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Honors: 2x MVP, 6x All-Star, 6x All-NBA Selection, 2015-2016 Scoring Champion. Although Jordan won that battle, theres nothing wrong with being named the third-best defensive player at his position and one of the best shooting guards of all time. -- Adams, For nine consecutive years, Nash's teams led the NBA in offensive rating. It would be beneficial for Westbrook to even things out and play at a consistent level throughout the game. Paul was able to keep you at bay on one side of the court while dominating the other with his scoring and passing abilities. He yields a whopping 41.5 three-point percentage on the spot-up, which is just not good. He also shows poor awareness at times, getting surprised by picks as if the setter had just popped up from out of the floor like a Whac-A-Mole. His lateral quickness is below-average, and his straightaway speed isnt much either. Additionally, the 10-time All-Star and Hall of Famer was an impressive defensive player in his own right. During his career, he was selected to nine All-NBA Defensive Teams and five All-Star teams. Hes a learning player, and his extensive time sitting last year may have helped his grasp of defense as well as offense. 1. Hes one of the slower point guards in the league now, but in spite of that, hes almost ubiquitous at times. Lowry just seems to be lost on defense much of the time. He stands third among the top 10 point guards of all time. Watts Van Lier Frazier Price Ward Bing White Buckner Walker Kidd Hollins Williams Cleamons Bibby Porter Buse Snow McMillan Tinsley Armstrong Knight Carter 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 97.4 97.6 98.1 99.6 99.9 100.4 100.9 101.1 101.5 101 . He gambles too much, and that often gets him caught out of the play. He seems to get frustrated easily. Since I always get asked "Where's ___________?" Players Stats: 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 1963-1964 MVP, 12x All-Star, 11x All-NBA Selection, 1960-1961 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Famer. In systems like the Grizzlies play, the point guard is the first line of defense. Overall, he is more of a gives-help defender than a needs-help defender. Hell go flying outside the play, right as his man catches the ball, and then hell not only have to make up that ground, but hell also have to fight through the pick. Aside from the centre, having the best point guard is critical to improving your game because every play starts with him. Somehow, he seems to be able to get his hands in the way of a lot of shots and passes that should be out of reach. However, when he gets beaten,Serge Ibaka is a huge asset in help defense, altering the shots of many a shooter who has just blown past Westbrook. His score represents the average of trying hard and not trying at all once the ball gets past him. It is a testament to Jarrett Jack that he makes this list. Since its neither, he gets an even score. Still, a first-rate point guard should also have a reasonably effective jump shot. -- Peterson, Teams People that just do their job dont usually pitch in and help their co-workers. Point guards must be able to maintain possession of the ball in crowded spaces and in traffic and be able to advance the ball quickly. The NBA's best European guard, Tony Parker, monopolised opposing backcourt players with speed and agility, a tight crossover, and a gorgeous tear-drop floater in the lane. When he needs to button down, he does, but he also tends to take off the middle of games, relying heavily on the help defense. One conundrum has always been how to account for who is guarding the best player on the other team. Closing out on jumpers is an issue, especially when coming off screens, where he yields a 46.7 shooting percentage from the three-point line. When we watch basketball, we get general impressions of defense, but the storyline is whats happening with the ball. When it came to size, the main flaw in his game was that he was very fast and explosive with his handles. (Most defenders let the opponent by more than half the time. He uses his speed well, as long as hes engaged in the game. 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. 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. You dont see him take plays off, and you dont see him give up on plays. Many consider Bob Cousy to be a passionate athlete who was the first All-Star and dominating player for the Boston Celtics squad that included legends like Bill Russell and Kevin Collier. His Synergy numbers compared to some of his team numbers validate that. LeBron James, the best player in the NBA, is also the league's best point guard. Hell frequent the area at the top of the key, just above the free-throw line, and when a shooter starts to shoot, hell close out quickly to challenge the shot, regardless of where it is coming from. Do they get their hands up and use their length? -- Micah Adams, No one was more dynamic, or magical, with the ball in the open court than Earvin Johnson. Thats where we naturally focus our attention, so when it comes to things like help defense, we only notice if were looking for it, or if its extreme. It doesnt seem that it would be that impressive if found it. Even when he has to go under the pick, which is most of the time, hes so fast that hes able to close the distance before the ball-handler has time to do something with it. After years of being sidelined by ailments, the grandeur that should have been his was snatched from him. Tim Duncan We compiled a list of the top 15 point guards of all time using wholly subjective metrics from the list of active players and a few other legends. Theres a running debate over the relative importance of stats versus watching. Stats tell you what happened, but you cant know why it happened unless you watch. With both, its the combination of their size and speed that makes them so phenomenal. Bledsoe runs through his rotations, but he rounds them off or overruns them. Jed Jacobsohn/AP Images. The debate over whether it should have been a flagrant is mootclearly that got into James head because he was talking about it after the game. Jrue Holiday is making . Bledsoe is not a great help defender, in spite of boasting a -4.9 net defensive rating. He compensates for his diminutive size by fighting hard and using that aforementioned quickness. Kirk Hinrich wasnt the fastest player in the NBA when he came out of college. Taj Gibson, his backup, is a tremendous defensive player, which only amplified the effect of Boozers shortcomings. Los Angeles Lakers late legend Kobe Bryant is often considered the greatest Laker ever and with good reason: Bryant is first in many of the Lakers statistical categories. Triple Double and for good reason: hes fourth all-time in triple-doubles with 107. Bledsoes defensive numbers would be far worse if he werent getting helped out by Odom all the time. Why not a normal scale of one to 10? His huge hands allowed him to pass as effectively with one hand as most could with two. -- Kevin Pelton, NBA Insider, May be the strongest point guard ever and consistently made everyone around him better. But one in 20 is egregiously bad.). Only two other players besides Moncrief have won the NBAs defensive player of the year award twice. When he went up and challenged DeAndre Jordan, and then got blown up, the entire basketball world acted like theyd just seen the greatest basketball play ever. Being big and strong doesnt mean players automatically got higher scores, though. A point guard should know when and how to instigate a fast break and when and how to initiate the more deliberate sets. The reason teams run so much pick-and-roll is that it works. He does a capable job of knowing when to help and when to stay. Whether you like him or not (and I personally dont), you have to respect that he plays the game as hard as it can be played. The official cause of death of Flashdance singer Irene Cara has been determined. Players Stats: 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG, Honors: 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA Selection, 1994-1995 Rookie of the Year, 9x All-Defensive Team Selection, Hall of Famer. 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5APG, .375 FG%, The player A point guard will often use their ability to score in order to augment their effectiveness as a decision-maker and playmaker. Thomas was ultra-quick with the ball and, at any moment, could pull up for a deadly jump shot. In balance he was a plus, but his deficiencies cant be ignored. The second-highest regulation scoring output of the 3-point era was the culmination . Wilt Chamberlain 14. Eric Bledsoe has a reputation as being both quick and fast, even for a point guard, but he rarely shows it on defense. But it seems like Paul is nutmegging and breaking opposing defenders ankles every game. He does those things; he just doesnt do them very hard. -- Adande, Nash is the only player in history to go 50-40-90 while averaging 10 assists per game. In case you missed it, Jason Kidd was tops on our point guard list with 75.1 defensive win shares, good for 11th all-time. Players Stats: 15.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 2006-2007 Finals MVP, 6x All-Star, 4x All-NBA Selection. Nash was never known as a strong defender, but he was capable of bothering opposing point guards to some extent. They work harder, and they get things eventually, but not quite as well. Golden State Warriors (2009-present), Honors -- 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. Its what separates him from being a valuable, slightly overrated defender, and an elite defender. -- Doolittle, Cousy was an And-1 mix tape in black-and-white. Do players go under picks when they should go over them? As the primary decision-maker for a team, a point guard's passing ability determines how well a point guard is able to put their decision into play. Ultimately, Johnson's unselfishness earned him the title of greatest point guard of all time. One of the most recognisable players in NBA history, Walt Frazier is a deserving candidate for the Basketball Hall of Fame. Adande, Brad Doolittle, Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Pelton are NBA writers for ESPN.com. Sometimes he wont give that much effort, and then the next moment hell be trying too hard. For example, in the clutch, with the Rockets engaged in a playoff run, the team locked up in a tight battle with the San Antonio Spurs and the score close with less than five minutes remaining, Lin consistently showed the same 90 percent effort he always shows. On the other hand, he was frequently bailing out whoever was playing shooting guard on numerous occasions. Exploiting the fact that the opposing point guard is often an undersized player with limited strength, several modern point guards have developed games close to the basket that include being able to utilize the drop step, spin move, and fade away jump shot. Perhaps the most unstoppable offensive player in NBA history, Jordan decimated and demoralized his foes on the defensive end. When they do, he gets tangled up pretty badly; it happens so rarely, though, youd think he had eyes in the back of his head. Second, having a five-point range on a 22-point scale prevents any one statistic from overly dominating the others. To recap, Jason Kidd was the best defensive point guard, Michael Jordan skied above other shooting guards, John Havlicek paced all small forwards - for the time being - and the "Mailman . Robertson amassed 26,710 points and 9,887 assists during his 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. When he lets it go, though, it seems calculated. Its more than that. You can almost rate Chalmers improving basketball intelligence by how many times per game he gets yelled at by his superstar teammates. In many cases, I looked at their combine results. West became synonymous with brilliant basketball during his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Opponents dont have much success getting around him. He was a master at leading the fastbreak, which led to Celtics titles. Players Stats: 17.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 8.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Honors: 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA Selection. Rondo consistently applies every bit of effort in him on the defensive end. Thats helped him amass 47.3 DWS, 56th overall. -- Peterson. Even when in position, he wont jump to challenge a shot. -- 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. Does he know when to go over the pick, and when to go under it? But only once did he actually truly defend the play. He could launch it from 30 feet or more with ease. It also helps him to have the second-most defensive plays per 36 minutes of any of the point guards on this list. Point guard from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America 3 Jason Kidd Point guard from California, United States of America 4 Walt Frazier Point guard from Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America 5 Dennis Johnson 6 Fat Lever Point guard and Shooting guard from Pine Bluff, Arkansas load more If you dont want to consider them, then dont. The five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection has averaged more than 24 points per game since being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012. Im cheating a little here. To say he gets pushed around would be generous. Only two NBA championships would make him the second-best player in NBA history. A point guard primarily defends on the perimeter, just as they primarily play on the perimeter on offense. It looked like teams designed plays counting on him being lazy. -- Adams, Honors Hes not as horrible as some people would make it sound. Nash's sideways speed and power will be non-existent at some age, allowing for constant dribble. On the positive side, Rose does a decent job of understanding his role in a complex system. He averages 1.8 steals per game. He may get beaten occasionally, and he might get outmuscled more frequently, but he never gets outhustled. -- Rob Peterson, One can only imagine how impressive his career totals might have been if not for the HIV virus. He has been improving in that regard, but its taken a while, and there are still some maddening things. Holiday knows what to do, but he doesnt always do it. Gary Payton is one of the best ever. The bulk of his thefts came by stealing the dribble, not by shooting the passing lanes. This can cause other players to become disinvolved in the offense. -- 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). He never leaves his man to help a defender that doesnt need help, but he always seems to be there when help is needed. 21.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, .441 3P%, We counted down the greatest players in NBA history. He may be the finest defensive guard ever because of his awareness and abilities on the defensive end. Thats when you see him start to do things like not close out on shooters, merely waving his hand in the air instead. Scouting isnt the same as just watching games. He lifted the Lakers, and transition basketball, to ethereal levels. As one of the elite point guards in the NBA, you would expect him to have elite athleticism, but he actually doesnt. Photos: Top 10 NBA Point Guards Of All Time. There are some serious contenders in Steve Nash and Walter Frazier, so hell have to settle for fourth place in the race. He keeps track of his man when holding back in the lane to cut off passing lanes. He averaged 3.9 win shares per season, totaling 75.1 DWS at the end of his 19-year career - good for 11th all-time. Players like Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving and John Wall blew by him fairly consistently. The Case For: Upper-tier defender (9x All Defensive Team, including 4 First Team selections). His defensive usage was the highest of any player with at least 1,200 minutes. 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, .384 3P%, The player For the purpose of this study, 82games was used because the net defensive rating was also easily available and it made for consistency. Jumping ability, body control and agility were all considered as well. He plays way too far off the ball, supposedly so he wont get beaten, but since he perpetually gets beaten like a drum anyway, why not play closer up so he can at least do a better job of defending the jump shot? Rose is arguably the most athletic point guard in the league, though Russell Westbrook could present a challenge. In fact, hes probably as adept as anyone at this, and his Synergy numbers, .68 points per play against the pick-and-roll, certainly back it up. With the increased emphasis on the deep three, point guards account for a large portion of the league's top scorers. Rose had it all, including speed, explosiveness, and the ability to score when it mattered most. He doesnt use his size exceptionally badly or incredibly well, though. Coming off one of the best offensive seasons in NBA history, Curry takes the top spot on our list of the league's best point guards, followed closely by 22-year-old wunderkind Luka Doncic, who may . But hes just not very strong. Steph's ball-handling abilities make him a lethal ball-handler, as he can shake a defender at any time. If he's not on the slide and he played 1,200 minutes, he should be on this list somewhere. Were shooters able to shoot over them? Below is a list of the 25 Best point guards of the NBA. That said, here are the NBAs five best defensive shooting guards of all-time, based on their DWS. Despite his little size, he made up for it offensively by being lightning fast and had the whole attacking package. Then, over 10,000 video clips were viewed and players were evaluated based on subjective criteria. (I know, but it is a part of defense these days.) A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for their own team. In order to answer that, we introduce Weighted Averaged Metrics (WAM) and WAM with Scouting (WAMS), a pair of advanced defensive metrics which combine other stats and metrics, weight them so that each represents an equal relative value, and then use them all to derive a final score. Johnson had a knack for scoring against everyone and racked up impressive numbers throughout the course of his career. Isaiah Thomas 5. While Gregg Popovich and his brilliant system deserve a lot of the credit, Tony is a Finals MVP and is a multiple NBA champion who deserves to be recognised for his role in the legendary Spurs dynasty. He was transcendent. On Wednesday, we will have the top 10 shooting guards of all time, followed by small forwards, power forwards and centers. Similarly, while each of the advanced and/or traditional metrics has value, each also misses something. Over the next four weeks, well unveil the rankings for the other four positions. You can look at why things happen and offset the misleading things. A 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, a nine-time 1st team All-Defense and three-time 2nd team All-Defense, Bryants 50.6 DWS ranks him 43rd overall. Greg Monroe has talent on the offensive side of the ball but not a whole lot on the defensive side. Thats the advantage of the scouting portion. Furthermore, he is a legend for the Phoenix Suns and one of the teams finest players. Therefore, with a few exceptions, players were only considered if they played at least 1,200 minutes last season (which comes out to around 30 percent of possible minutes). The American former professional basketball player was born on August 9, 1928, and played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963 and shortly for the Cincinnati Royals during the 196970 season. If it tends to fall in the middle, he gets a 20. Chris Paul 13. You need to build something on it. Its no surprise that the best point guards in the NBA have more than just the ability to pass the basketball. This implies that the point guard serves as an extension of their coach on the court, and he or she is accountable for making the right plays every night. Other point guards who have been named NBA MVP include Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook, and two-time winners Steve Nash and Stephen Curry. Although Stockton accumulated numerous All-NBA nods, he only made the All-Defensive Second Team five times. 3. His career averages of 27 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 7.0 APG were arguably the best ever put up by a point guard when he retired in 1974. Humility can often be a sign of intelligence at work, and it is with Hinrich. It will be interesting to see if his new coach, Jason Kidd, can help him to work on this, as Kidd was a terrific help defender. Above all, the point guard must understand and accept their coach's game plan; in this way, the position can be compared to a quarterback in American football. Point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders.