Who's Your Top Ten Point Guards?

[Da Boss DJ Jo Corleone]

Yesterday I pointed out all the new stars that were shining in this year’s playoffs, and that sparked another conversation from my loyal readers. We started discussing more specifically the new point guards that are getting their shine on. With the rise of Rajon Rondo and Derrick rose we began debating on the top point guards in the Association.

Some believe that the recent emergence of Rondo puts him in the top 5. I wasn’t sure at first if I was ready to just anoint him a top 5 PG because there really are quite a few good ones in the NBA then as I thought about it a little bit more I came to realize that he may not be far off. Let’s start the great debate. Who are the top ten point guards in the NBA? You can make an argument for all of them, and here are a few points for your argument.

We begin our debate with Rondo, who many believed would be the weakest link on last year’s Celtics team. It should have come as no surprise that he held his own, with the likes of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. Outside of Allen Iverson any point guard could have ran with that squad. Last year he did what he was suppose to do, bring the ball up and distribute it to the stars.

This year he took it to another level. He’s averaging a triple double in the playoffs and has been the only consistent performer for Boston in their series against Chicago. The team has already crowned him their team MVP of the season, and for good reason, which has been evident in this year’s playoffs.

Derrick Rose, his counterpart, has been nothing short of amazing himself in his debut, and sometimes I forget he’s actually a rookie. He gets to the hole effortlessly, distributes the ball, and rebounds. The defending champions have yet to find away to stop him or at least contain him, just imagine what this kid’s going to be like in a few more seasons.

Another point guard being slept on, well at least until this year is Mo Williams of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some people make the argument that he’s playing with Lebron, and my answer to that is so was Boobie Gibson, and Delonte West, yet they couldn’t get to the level that they’re at now. Mo Williams came in and helped take this team to another level a championship level and Williams made the all-star team along the way. Keep an eye on him through out the rest of the playoffs and see for yourself.

You won’t be able to tell until next year, but Orlando’s Jameer Nelson is finally playing at a high level. Well at least he was prior to his injury during the regular season. Honestly if he was playing right now I’m not saying that the Magic would be sweeping Philadelphia, but I am saying that Andre Miller wouldn’t be running as wild as he is. Nelson was also named to the 2009 all-star team prior to his injury and is a major reason why the Magic looked so good early on in the regular season.

In Philadelphia there’s this fella who goes by the name of Andre miller. With all the attention on Andre Iguodala he’s been making plays for the other members of the team as well as making a name for himself. He was so solid in Denver before being traded to Philly for Iverson, that if he was not thrown in as part of that package AI may have very well ended up still playing for the 76ers. Philadelphia knew with out a shadow of a doubt that Miller had to be part of the deal. And it’s paid off with 2 straight trips to the playoffs.

Think back to the Dallas Mavericks during their quest to the finals a few years ago. They had this young kid on their team named Devin Harris who was giving other teams the business on a nightly basis. Then Mark Cuban, the genius he is, decided to trade him for future hall of famer Jason Kidd. When the trade took place last year it was like a train wreck for the Mavs, as they finished 51-31 and went home in the first round thanks the CP3 and the Hornets.

True they made the playoffs but it was by the skin of their teeth and Kidd just didn’t have enough in the tank to hold Chris Paul in check, but then again who does. Mean while Harris went to New Jersey and added excitement to a crowd that had given up on their team. This season Harris continued to impress despite the Nets record, he still was named to the 2009 all-star team.

There are a few more guys out there that deserve accolades as well. You could make arguments for the future of Raymond Felton in Charlotte, Aaron Brooks in Houston, Monte Ellis in golden State and many more. I didn’t name the obvious superstars like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, and Steve Nash because we already know that they’re holding it down. The question is where do all these guys rank in your personal top 10. Leave your list and let’s see how it compares to some others and if you need to add more than ten then by all means please do.