Early Season NBA Point Guard Report

First things first, it looks like I'm gonna have to change the name of the blog yet again, seeing as how Iverson's makeover was an aberration (he even grew the cornrows back). And while irony can sometimes make for a good name for a blog, this one just makes me and my faith in AI look bad. So I'm open to suggestions, preferably relating to DC sports, and Gilbert Arenas if possible. But I digress...

There are a LOT of stories in the NBA involving point guards right now, of course the most important of which being the return of Gilbert Arenas, so I'll start there.

The Gilbert Arenas comeback tour started off great. Not only was the explosive Gilbert of old in full effect, he had noticeably altered his on-court mentality, giving us a glimpse the player he may finally have become. But after the home opener against the Nets - a game where Gil seemed to really say I'M BACK - everything apparently changed. Just take a look at this intervew. Strange, right? Well recently (I found out about 20 minutes after seeing that video) it has come out that Arenas' wife has been having an affair... with SHAQ. Now, these rumors have hardly been confirmed by more than a source or two, but it would definitely explain the drastic change in both Gil's demeanor and on-court presence. I don't wanna think about what the future holds in store, because I can only be disappointed. If he can somehow pull through whatever shit he has going on in his life in a timely manner, I am still fully confident in him having the best year of his career and the Wizards finishing in the top four in the east. Hopefully that's not just a pipe dream.

Obviously Gil is the biggest story for me, but I've been watching point guards heavily this year. Notably, there are quite a few rookies that are really bringing it. What follows is a list of the notables:

Ty Lawson - I can't say I'm surprised in the slightest, but that puts me in a very small group of people. He's playing with almost the same ease now that he was in his last year at UNC. Which is incredible for anyone, let alone a 22 year old rookie. He couldn't be a better fit for this Nuggets team, and actually plays a lot like Chauncey Billups. As of now he's the best rookie point guard, and really the best rookie. While that won't last, he WILL be a great player, once he figures out how to control his speed and not over-penetrate.

Jonny Flynn - Flynn shares a lot of qualities with another stud Syracuse alum, Carmelo Anthony, outside of the fact that both have all the talent in the world. First and foremost, they both obviously have 'IT.' If you know basketball - and since you're reading this I'm assuming you do - you know what 'it' is. The only rookies from the last decade I can think of who TRULY had it from the jump were Melo, Wade and Derrick Rose (LeBron is still searching...) and maybe Chris Paul (actually Lawson does too). Second, both are highly intense competitors, but strangely enough both rarely go without a smile on their faces. Nothing major (necessarily...) but definitely something of note.

(P.S. Ricky who?)

Stephen Curry - Honestly, this kid looks like Steve Nash II. I'm not sure what else to say about him. I will say though, when Bob Knight called Curry the best passer in all of college basketball I thought he was crazy. I was very wrong. Sucks that the Warriors are a disaster, but Curry will shine regardless.







Tyreke Evans - I'd be stunned if he remains a point guard much beyond this season, but for now he's classified as one, and he's a scary talent. I've seen him described as a "mutant Tony Parker," a statement who's accuracy is only surpassed by it's prematurity. I just can't shake the feeling that he's gonna be one of those immense talents who never quite gets it. I had the feeling while watching what I could of him in high school, at Memphis, and now in the NBA. But he DOES have all the tools to be successful, and he does have mentality of a superstar ALREADY. Definitely gonna be fun to watch.


Brandon Jennings - This was my guy from the first YouTube clip I saw of him. He has a great command of the game, which compliments his breathtakingly expansive skill set. I'd describe him as an Allen Iverson / Steve Nash hybrid. As much as I love Lawson, as highly as I think of Flynn, as gifted as Evans is, I am confident in saying Jennings is going to be the best out of this bunch.

In addition to the rookie point guards, there are quite a few truly great point guards. No more explaining, here are my top five point guards in all the land, IN ORDER.

Deron Williams - The MOST COMPLETE game of any point guard in the league. He can score with anyone, best passer in the league, and most importantly he's a winner, regardless of how often the rest of his team lets him down. And what separates him from Chris Paul is the fact that he's arguably the best defensive point guard in the league. That, and the fact that he OWNS CP3, since their college days.






Chris Paul - As much as I try, it's impossible to overlook how spectacular Paul is with the ball. He has every instinct you could possibly want out of your point guard. The problem is his defense. Yes, he racks up steals, and he's great at playing passing lanes and has exceptionally quick hands. But a point guard's #1 job is to keep the opposing PG from penetrating and Paul doesn't do it. But I tried to convince myself that Paul was #3 and I simply couldn't bring myself to do it.





Rajon Rondo - Like I said, I tried to put CP3 at #3, because Rajon Rondo has officially become a legit superstar. Problem is he still isn't a reliable scorer. But he plays with a tenacity in every facet of the game that is unmatched. He's still very much improving, and once his jumper is at a point that defenders can't sag off of him, he'll definitely have a case for being #1 on this list. If you know me, you know I'm gloating every time I see him play, because I TOLD YOU SO.





Steve Nash - It's hard for me to deny Nash right now, so imagine what it's gotta be like for defenders. If the MVP vote was held now (a ridiculously annoying concept right now, I know), Nash would be the winner. At least he should be. Watching him play is watching up-tempo offense executed to perfection. He's an absolute turnstile on defense, but if they can score like the Suns of 3-5 years ago that won't matter much. Steve Nash is also one of the more entertaining athletes around. Not that it counts for anything in this, I'm just sayin.




Gilbert Arenas - Of course I'm gonna put him here, but I do have a couple legitimate reasons. First, I'm taking the Gilbert Arenas pre-depression (even tho this exposes a major flaw in his mental game...), because the Gilbert Arenas that played in the first 3 games showed off possibly the best Gil there's ever been. The old explosiveness and scoring ability were still very apparent. But he also showed that his newfound down-to-business attitude wasn't just a show; for the first time in his career he was a legitimate Point Guard. His shot selection was on point, he was facilitating the offense rather than being the offense, and he was looking to CREATE shots for his teammates FIRST. I'm praying he gets out of this funk because I promise this will be a special year if he does.

I didn't even mention Derrick Rose's slow start, Louis Williams emergence in his first year as a starter, Russell Westbrook being a BEAST, Aaron Brooks leading a surprising Rockets team, among many others (I'm officially a Mario Chalmers fan, btw). But those are the big ones. So until next time...