Changing of the Guards

Point guard, along with center, has been an NBA glamour position. Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Bob Cousy, Nate “Tiny” Archibald and Isiah Thomas were point guards that excited fans over the years and helped elevate the NBA to lofty heights. For the past few years, however, the NBA point guard position has lacked depth and star power, and only the aging Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Baron Davis and Chauncey Billups have carried the torch consistently. (Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson are not pure point guards and thus left out of this group).

Then came the 2005 NBA Draft and provided two gems - Deron Williams and Chris Paul, the number three and four picks in the Draft. These two point guards have different styles but are nonetheless super players. In just their third season, both players are on track to lead their teams to the playoffs, and in Paul’s case, he is leading the Hornets to the third-best record in the league.

Deron Williams is averaging 19.3 points and 9.2 assists per game, shooting an impressive 51.9% from the field and 39.7% from the three point line in the difficult Western Conference. With his size, strength and intelligence, Williams excels in coach Jerry Sloan’s offensive system, and in just his third year has established himself as one of the premier guards in the league.

Chris Paul’s accomplishments this season may be even more impressive than his counterpart’s. Paul is averaging 21.1 points and 10.4 assists per game (third in the league), and leads the NBA in assists at 2.7 per game. He is shooting 48.9% from the field, 36.6% from the three point line and 88.4% from the free throw line. Paul is leading the Hornets to the third-best record in the NBA, and getting the best out of the likes of David West, Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic, all good but not great players, and doing it in front of a less-than-full arena in New Orleans. The Wake Forest guard is making a strong case for league MVP given the Hornets’ success, the strength of the Western Conference, and the team’s lack of star power.

Thanks to these young stars, the state of the point guard position seems to be in good hands for a long time.