ESPN Ranks NBA PG's

RoadDawg55

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12563832/nba-espn-nba-forecast-ranks-nba-starting-point-guards-no-1-chris-paul-no-30-dante-exum

If you think the Clippers would be worse if they had Steph Curry or Westbrook instead of CP3, you are a fucking idiot. Kyle Lowery, Mike Conley, and Damian Lillard over Tony Parker (certainly slipping, but was the best PG in the NBA two years ago). Chris Paul is a very good player, but I'm surprised this bullshit is still going on. Chris Paul gets the #1 spot because of his leadership. The great leadership that gets his teams so far in the playoffs every spring. The great leadership that consists of yelling at his teammates and the refs the entire game. Meanwhile, Westbrook plays as hard as anyone in the NBA and Curry is a very humble superstar leading the best team in the NBA.

ThomasFremont

Rondo and Irving are too low IMHO.

DugtheDoog

This goes without saying but the league is stacked at PG right now. When Deron Williams is in the bottom 2/3 of NBA PGs, that's all you need to know.

greenblood

Westbrook I would consider as a volumn scorer. Chris Paul will get other players involved, where with Westbrook, you kind of have to get yourself involved. Pure talent, skills, and athletism Westbrook hands down. But there is something to how Paul can orchestrate an offense. It's really hard to explain, but I think Paul is better at knowing his teammates strengths and weaknesses and being able to put said teammates in better positions to contribute.

Tequilla

I think you're showing your bias against the Clippers and Paul show through here.

I will agree that the seemingly large gap between Paul and Curry is probably BS at this point. I don't think you can go wrong with either at this point as they both bring a lot to the table and do so in different ways. Curry is clearly the better scorer and has improved immensely as a passer and defender. Paul is one of the better defensive PGs in the league and looks to set up his teammates more than score ... but he has shown an ability to score at a high level if/when needed.

I think Westbrook is a step behind both right now in terms of being a complete PG ... no question that he's having a great year but as was mentioned elsewhere he's more of a volume scorer and I don't get the impression that his assists totals are tied to getting others involved in the game as much as they are tied to not having an option to score if that makes sense. I don't think Westbrook would be the player that passes it to others at the expense of his point totals.

Conley is definitely underrated by the public but probably properly rated here. Wall seems a bit overrated. I don't know enough about Lillard's defense to know if that ranking is deserved. Kyrie is probably low on this list considering the strides he's made in the last couple of months - he's still very young and should be a top 3-5 PG in the league in the next 2-3 years.

Bledsoe and Dragic seem a little low to me. Rondo on the surface seems low but he's not in a situation at the moment that plays to his strengths. He's definitely a player that needs to be in the right fit to maximize his talents.

PurpleThrobber

Slick Watts' omission is tragic

PurpleThrobber

How many rings do Chris Paul and Stephan Curry have?

Tony Parker pimp.

greenblood

PurpleThrobber said:

How many rings do Chris Paul and Stephan Curry have?

Tony Parker pimp.

Tony Parker also has Poppavich and Tim Duncan. I don't like the ring argument, because it diminishes guys like Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. But yes Parker is great, but Chris Paul and Steph Curry would also have rings if they played for Poppavich and a Tim Duncan in his prime.

RaceBannon

Parker is always under rated because he's a Spur and he's French.

Paul blew the series last year and that is hardly the only time he melts down late. Not a good thing to have on your resume if you're the best in the league. Allegedly.

pawz

greenblood said:

PurpleThrobber said:

How many rings do Chris Paul and Stephan Curry have?

Tony Parker pimp.

Tony Parker also has Poppavich and Tim Duncan. I don't like the ring argument, because it diminishes guys like Karl Malone and Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing. But yes Parker is great, but Chris Paul and Steph Curry would also have rings if they played for Poppavich and a Tim Duncan in his prime.

Who?

#noring4life

dnc

Tequilla said:

I think you're showing your bias against the Clippers and Paul show through here.

I will agree that the seemingly large gap between Paul and Curry is probably BS at this point. I don't think you can go wrong with either at this point as they both bring a lot to the table and do so in different ways. Curry is clearly the better scorer and has improved immensely as a passer and defender. Paul is one of the better defensive PGs in the league and looks to set up his teammates more than score ... but he has shown an ability to score at a high level if/when needed.

I think Westbrook is a step behind both right now in terms of being a complete PG ... no question that he's having a great year but as was mentioned elsewhere he's more of a volume scorer and I don't get the impression that his assists totals are tied to getting others involved in the game as much as they are tied to not having an option to score if that makes sense. I don't think Westbrook would be the player that passes it to others at the expense of his point totals.

Conley is definitely underrated by the public but probably properly rated here. Wall seems a bit overrated. I don't know enough about Lillard's defense to know if that ranking is deserved. Kyrie is probably low on this list considering the strides he's made in the last couple of months - he's still very young and should be a top 3-5 PG in the league in the next 2-3 years.

Bledsoe and Dragic seem a little low to me. Rondo on the surface seems low but he's not in a situation at the moment that plays to his strengths. He's definitely a player that needs to be in the right fit to maximize his talents.

Any argument against Westbrook is ridiculous at this poont, and I've been a hater since dude entered the league. He's the best PG in the game, hands down, nuff said, case closed, end of discussion.

If you're lining up at the gym and picking teams the only way Westbrook doesn't go before Paul and Curry is if Westbrook is a captain. Which he probably would be.

PurpleThrobber

Westbrook doesn't make others better.

Doesn't mean he isn't a great player - but he is anything but a great point guard.

dnc

PurpleThrobber said:

Westbrook doesn't make others better.

Doesn't mean he isn't a great player - but he is anything but a great point guard.

This is like people who argue Russell Wilson isn't a great QB because so much of his value is tied up in his running.

Just because Westbrook doesn't fit the traditional definition of the position doesn't mean he's not a great PG. All this time I thought Westbrook was holding Durant back and it turns out it was the other way around.

ThomasFremont

dnc said:

PurpleThrobber said:

Westbrook doesn't make others better.

Doesn't mean he isn't a great player - but he is anything but a great point guard.

This is like people who argue Russell Wilson isn't a great QB because so much of his value is tied up in his running.

Just because Westbrook doesn't fit the traditional definition of the position doesn't mean he's not a great PG. All this time I thought Westbrook was holding Durant back and it turns out it was the other way around.

Agree. But I'd still take Curry over Westbrook.

Tequilla

Hard to put Parker THAT high on the list ... he's lost a step and he's not asked to do what some of the other guys are doing because he can't carry that load anymore.

But as with most of the top end guys on the Spurs, they have a great support system and have checked their egos at the door at this stage of their careers to know that the team is greater than the individual.

dnc

ThomasFremont said:

dnc said:

PurpleThrobber said:

Westbrook doesn't make others better.

Doesn't mean he isn't a great player - but he is anything but a great point guard.

This is like people who argue Russell Wilson isn't a great QB because so much of his value is tied up in his running.

Just because Westbrook doesn't fit the traditional definition of the position doesn't mean he's not a great PG. All this time I thought Westbrook was holding Durant back and it turns out it was the other way around.

Agree. But I'd still take Curry over Westbrook.

I do think this is arguable. I'd probably rather play with Curry but I know I'd rather play against Curry.

ThomasFremont

dnc said:

ThomasFremont said:

dnc said:

PurpleThrobber said:

Westbrook doesn't make others better.

Doesn't mean he isn't a great player - but he is anything but a great point guard.

This is like people who argue Russell Wilson isn't a great QB because so much of his value is tied up in his running.

Just because Westbrook doesn't fit the traditional definition of the position doesn't mean he's not a great PG. All this time I thought Westbrook was holding Durant back and it turns out it was the other way around.

Agree. But I'd still take Curry over Westbrook.

I do think this is arguable. I'd probably rather play with Curry but I know I'd rather play against Curry.

We have already seen Westbrook try to shoot his way through the playoffs and fail. I just don't trust him to be efficient when it really counts.

dnc

ThomasFremont said:

dnc said:

ThomasFremont said:

dnc said:

PurpleThrobber said:

Westbrook doesn't make others better.

Doesn't mean he isn't a great player - but he is anything but a great point guard.

This is like people who argue Russell Wilson isn't a great QB because so much of his value is tied up in his running.

Just because Westbrook doesn't fit the traditional definition of the position doesn't mean he's not a great PG. All this time I thought Westbrook was holding Durant back and it turns out it was the other way around.

Agree. But I'd still take Curry over Westbrook.

I do think this is arguable. I'd probably rather play with Curry but I know I'd rather play against Curry.

We have already seen Westbrook try to shoot his way through the playoffs and fail. I just don't trust him to be efficient when it really counts.

I don't really disagree. We've never seen Curry or Paul push their way through the playoffs either. PG play in general is overrated.

I really thought it was the year for #MyGrizz until the last week. Now I'm thinking San Antonio again maybe? I don't really know. Won't be Cleveland though. #HiRace!

RaceBannon

I like the Cavs in this one

RaceBannon

Westbrook was MVP for my Heat in the Finals

ThomasFremont

RaceBannon said:

Westbrook was MVP for my Heat in the Finals

Exactly.