Spring Break
Best Of The Best Floor Generals
Joe Colombo
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Sports
Year after year, arguments arise between NBA fans. And often enough, these disagreements are about how good certain players are. Well, now it is time to settle these disputes. First, we'll go through my top five point guards in the league. Next semester, I will unveil the top five players from each of the other positions.
5. Baron Davis - Golden State Warriors: There are four statistics that convinced me to make Davis my No. 5 pick. First, he leads all point guards in points per game with 23.3. Only Davis and one other point guard are currently averaging at least 20 points per game (Tony Parker). No, traditional point guards usually do not score many points, but Davis plays a different role with the Warriors. He is one of their only players with consistent scoring ability. With that in mind, the UCLA product leads his team in scoring and dishes 8.6 dimes per game (stat No. 2), which is fifth in the league. Third, Davis is second out of all point guards in steals with 2.4 steals per game. Only two point guards average at least 2 steals per game. Fourthly, Davis pulls down an average of 5.4 rebounds per game, which is also second in the league out of point guards.
4. Deron Williams - Utah Jazz: Williams can take over practically any game. If Carlos Boozer is in foul trouble or not on the floor for another reason, a switch flips in this general's head telling him to step it up. Williams is averaging 19.3 points and 9.1 assists through 18 games this season, which are both fourth-best of point guards in the league. Watching Williams play in the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs this past season was something spectacular. He looked like a young John Stockton (except he was scoring, too), and Boozer was his young Malone. The difference in Williams from his time at University of Illinois to now - in only his third full season in the NBA - is unbelievable. He wasn't half the point guard then. Man, Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan doesn't get enough credit. Williams' turnovers is an issue (averaging 3.8 per game), but he's got to be No. 4 for a reason, right?
5. Baron Davis - Golden State Warriors: There are four statistics that convinced me to make Davis my No. 5 pick. First, he leads all point guards in points per game with 23.3. Only Davis and one other point guard are currently averaging at least 20 points per game (Tony Parker). No, traditional point guards usually do not score many points, but Davis plays a different role with the Warriors. He is one of their only players with consistent scoring ability. With that in mind, the UCLA product leads his team in scoring and dishes 8.6 dimes per game (stat No. 2), which is fifth in the league. Third, Davis is second out of all point guards in steals with 2.4 steals per game. Only two point guards average at least 2 steals per game. Fourthly, Davis pulls down an average of 5.4 rebounds per game, which is also second in the league out of point guards.
4. Deron Williams - Utah Jazz: Williams can take over practically any game. If Carlos Boozer is in foul trouble or not on the floor for another reason, a switch flips in this general's head telling him to step it up. Williams is averaging 19.3 points and 9.1 assists through 18 games this season, which are both fourth-best of point guards in the league. Watching Williams play in the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs this past season was something spectacular. He looked like a young John Stockton (except he was scoring, too), and Boozer was his young Malone. The difference in Williams from his time at University of Illinois to now - in only his third full season in the NBA - is unbelievable. He wasn't half the point guard then. Man, Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan doesn't get enough credit. Williams' turnovers is an issue (averaging 3.8 per game), but he's got to be No. 4 for a reason, right?
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