Is this a Golden Era for NBA point guards?

[Serge28]

You hear a lot of talk about how the 90s were a Golden Era for NBA centers, but not too many people seem to recognize that right now the NBA has the best and deepest assortment of point guards in league history. The West is so deep this year neither Baron Davis nor Deron Williams made the All Star team. Let's take a look at them all:

West:

1) Steve Nash: 17.4 ppg (51.3%, 46.9%, 90.2%), 3.5 rpg, 11.8 apg, 0.7 spg; 2 time MVP, last year's runner-up; has the Suns on top of their division and within 1/2 a game of NO for the best record in the West.
2) Chris Paul: 20.8 ppg (48.1%, 34.4%, 88.6%), 3.9 rpg, 10.7 apg, 2.6 spg; has led NO to the top of Western Conference; considered by many to be the first-half-of-the-season MVP.
3) Deron Williams: 19.1 ppg (51.5%, 39.4%, 78.5%), 3.0 rpg, 9.5 apg, 1.2 spg; putting up fantastic numbers and has led the Jazz to the top of their division; a glaring omission from this year's All Star team.
4) Baron Davis: 22.3 ppg (42.4%, 35.4%, 74.7%), 4.8 rpg, 8.1 apg, 2.5 spg; Baron is finally healthy and playing like a star that he is; currently has the Warriors holding on to a playoff spot in an extremely tough Western Conference.
5) Tony Parker: 19.2 ppg (48.8%, 25.0%, 72.4%), 3.0 rpg, 6.1 apg, 0.8 spg; last year's Finals MVP had a strong start to the season before succumbing to a heel injury that has recently affected his play and will now force him to miss the next 3 weeks.

Honorable mention: Mike Bibby, Devin Harris.


East:

1) Jason Kidd: 11.3 ppg (36.6%, 34.3%, 80.8%), 8.2 rpg, 10.4 apg, 1.5 spg; quietly has put together another tremendous season almost averaging a triple double this year!
2) Jose Calderon: January stats as a starter - 14.9 ppg (55.1%, 51.1%, 96.9%), 3.3 rpg, 10.4 apg, and 1.8 spg; Calderon has put together an incredible season and his numbers as a starter are simply jaw-dropping. He's unbelievably efficient, has great court vision, and does an excellent job taking care of the ball. In my opinion, as a starter, Calderon has been a top 5 point guard in the league this year.
3) Chauncey Billups: 17.8 ppg (45.9%, 41.5%, 90.7%), 3.0 rpg, 7.1 apg, 1.4 spg; former Finals MVP is at it again - helping lead the Pistons to the second best record in the NBA.
4) Mo Williams: 16.6 ppg (46.9%, 39.6%, 87.1%), 3.6 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.3 spg; is having the best season of his career after signing a $52 million contract during the summer.
5) Andre Miller: 16.2 ppg (48.2%, 11.8%, 72.5%), 3.9 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.1 spg; Miller is having yet another rock solid season in the NBA.

Honorable mention: Jamaal Tinsley, Raymond Felton, Kirk Hinrich, Jameer Nelson.


So, do you think this is the best Top 5, Top 10, and Top 15 of NBA point guards in the history of the league?

[PrecociousNeoph]

1970's = legendary point guards

[Serge28]

1970's = legendary point guards

That's sarcasm, right?

[JellosJigglin]

why would Bibby get an honorable mention?

The point guard position is deep right now, but aside from Kidd, I don't see any all-time greats. It's not like Magic, Isiah, Stockton...true hall of famers. This is definitely an era that favors perimeter players though.

The return of the big man is coming soon though: Oden, Bynum, Howard (already arrived).

[NY MAVURS]

and this year's draft is full of guard talent

[bleu]

The Western PG's right now are absoutley insane.

[Serge28]

why would Bibby get an honorable mention?

Because, despite missing the first few months of the season, he's still at the very least a solid point guard.

The point guard position is deep right now, but aside from Kidd, I don't see any all-time greats. It's not like Magic, Isiah, Stockton...true hall of famers. This is definitely an era that favors perimeter players though.

The return of the big man is coming soon though: Oden, Bynum, Howard (already arrived).

Nash has played like an All Time great in Phoenix. Paul and Williams look to me like locks for HOF as well.

[Hard2dhole]

The golden Year was 1991: Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Magic Johnson's last season, Gary Payton , Tim Hardaway, Marc Jackson, Mark Price, and Kevin Johnson. I would take almost any of those that year over Nash who you list as this years best. Price in 1991 averaged 19 points, 9 assists, and 2 steals in a slower style of play.
This years crop is good but that year had 5 or 6 of the top 10 point guards ever all playing at the same time.

[ngcoolman]

I wouldn't say this is a golden era of point guards. It is more like a resurgent era of point guards after the abundance of me-first attitude guards in the early 2000s.

Lets compare this era to the season 88-89. The top 5 points guards

1) Magic: 22.5ppg (50.9%, 31.4%, 91.1%), 7.9rpg, 12.8apg, 1.8spg; won 4th MVP that season
2) Stockton: 17.1ppg (53.8%, 24.2%, 86.3%), 3.0rpg, 13.6apg, 3.2spg; leader in steals and assists
3) Kevin Johnson: 20.4ppt (50.5%, 9.1%, 88.2%), 4.2rpg, 12.2apg, 1.7spg
4) Isiah Thomas: 18.2ppg (46.4%, 27.3%, 81.8%) , 3.4rpg , 8.3apg, 1.7spg: Win championship that year
5) Terry Potter: 17.7ppg (47.1%, 36.1%, 84.0%), 4.5rpg, 9.5apg, 1.8spg
Honorable mention:
Joe Dumars (1st all defense, win championship with Detroit)
Mark Jackson (16.9ppg, 4.7rpg, 8.6apg, 1.9spg)
Mark Price(18.9ppg, 3.0rpg, 8.4apg, 1.5spg)

I would say at that era, a point guard must be able to shoot, pass and defense.

[GJense4181]

Starting point guards in the 2007-2008 season:
<25=Rajon Rondo, Raymond Felton, Daniel Gibson, Devin Harris, Rodney Stuckey, Monta Ellis, Shaun Livingston*, Jordan Farmar, Mike Conley, Juan Carlos Navarro, Kyle Lowry, Sebastian Telfair, Randy Foye, Marcus Williams, Chris Paul, Louis Williams, Jarrett Jack, Delonte West, Deron Williams, Acie Law, Javaris Crittenton, Sergio Rodriguez, Taurean Green.
25-30=Kirk Hinrich, Baron Davis, Mo Williams, Leandro Barbosa, Jamal Crawford, Jameer Nelson, Mike Bibby, Beno Udrih, Tony Parker, Luke Ridnour, Earl Watson, Jose Calderon, TJ Ford, Gilbert Arenas,, Steve Blake, Earl Watson.
30<=Chauncey Billups, Jamaal Tinsley, Sam Cassell, Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury, Andre Miller, Steve Nash, Jason Terry, Allen Iverson, Steve Francis.

I bolded all of the players who, IMO, have established themselves as excellent NBA players now or at a previous point in their career.
Just, consider how many of them are younger than 30. Without factoring in future studs like OJ Mayo or Eric Gordon or Derrick Rose, or any drafted players overseas, it is definitely a good time to be a fan of the point guard position right now and WILL be for years. If even a handful of the plethora of sub-25 year olds reach their potential they will more than make up for the eventual decline of our favorite veterains.

[Canomad]

it usta be the west would have all the big men. now they have all the point guards, and kidd potentially might be headed out west.

[deeney0]

Removing hand checking has done more for PG than anyone could have predicted.

[GJense4181]

it usta be the west would have all the big men. now they have all the point guards, and kidd potentially might be headed out west.

Can we say that the East has all the SFs, now?
Butler, Jefferson, Smith, Wallace, James, Pierce, Deng, Dunleavy, Turkoglu, Iguodala.

[_BBIB_]

The scary thing is how deep this next draft class is at PG.

This league already has promising young talent but it could get even sicker with Rose,Mayo, and Gordon.

And who knows what Collison and Bayless could do


Yet my freaking Hawks are cursed at that position

[Hard2dhole]

-= original quote snipped =-



Can we say that the East has all the SFs, now?
Butler, Jefferson, Smith, Wallace, James, Pierce, Deng, Dunleavy, Turkoglu, Iguodala.

West SF look almost even, just a slight step down with: Josh Howard, Carmelo, Stephen Jackson, Maggette, Marion, Artest, Bowen, AK47, Rudy Gay, Battier