(PHOTO: GETTY)
*Reads title* *Sees picture of Westbrook* *Gasps*
It's 2017, point guards shoot now.*Gasp*. The days of a point guard feeding the low post and getting out of the way are over.*Ga-*. Alright, stop. Today's point guards shoot a lot. They're natural scorers. Combine that ability to score and their prominent playmaking abilities with the league's offense-friendly rules, and you have the guard utopia in which the NBA resides.
The NBA's top-3 scoring leaders, 1.Russell Westbrook 2.James Harden 3.Isaiah Thomas, are all point guards. Add Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, now point guards fill five of the NBA's top-10 scoring spots. 12 point guards averaged 20 or more points per game this season; and every team still in the playoffs has an elite point guard. (no pun intended) The point is, point guards run today's NBA.
There's a point guard for everyone's liking. If you like prototypical point guards, you've got Chris Paul. If you like scoring point guards, you can take your choice. Even if you like point guards that only try in primetime, you've got Rajon Rondo. The NBA is filled with talented point guards, and that pool of talent is only getting deeper.
The Prototypes
Chris Paul (Photo Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Chris Paul, the Point God, is what every coach wants in a point guard. He makes everyone on the court better, and can take over whenever necessary. The only other point guard that fits that criteria is John Wall. John Wall blows past his defender and decides if he wants to hit the open teammate or score it himself. Chris Paul works the pick-and-roll and chooses between throwing the lob, hitting an open shooter, or taking the mid-range pull-up for himself. Wall and Paul(bars) have completely different playing styles, but their "team-first me when it's needed" mindset groups them together as the prototype Point Gods.
The Scorers
Getty Images
Are they really point guards or just undersized shooting guards dribbling the ball up? Who cares. No one is wondering what position Steph Curry is when he launches a 30-footer, or what Westbrook's true position is when he's falcon punching the rim. Just like you do in those moments, sit back and enjoy the new era of point guards. These guards have the ability to take over the game one jaw-dropping moment at a time. This subdivision of point guards is filled with the scoring talents of at least 25 points points per game: Steph Curry, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Isaiah Thomas, and Russell Westbrook.
The Future
(Jae C. Hong/Associated Press).
The NBA's seventh overall pick, Jamal Murray, averaged the most minutes of any rookie point guard at a role player's 21 minutes per game. The first point guard selected in last year's draft, Kris Dunn, barely averaged 17 minutes per game this season. The Lakers plan on moving D'Angelo Russell, former #2 overall pick, to the shooting guard position. The NBA is deep with point guard talent, and it's only getting deeper. Point guards Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, De'Aaron Fox, Dennis Smith Jr., and France's Frank Ntilikina are all projected top-10 picks, in the upcoming NBA Draft. Every name listed has Point God potential, but the league only has so many starting spots. There's an abundance of talented point guards and no one's complaining.
But wait who's the real Point God ?
An argument can be made for anyone from Chris Paul, to Steph Curry, and even LeBron James. It mostly comes down to what the team needs. But if a choice has to be made...