Who Is The Best Point Guard From The 2010s?
Today I will be finding the best point guard from the 2010’s.
The NBA 2010’s exited from the traditional big men league, and transitioned to more of a guard/perimeter oriented league. The guard position has seen a big transformation in what the normal play-style is throughout the decade, and some have been better at adapting to the changes than others. Today I will be finding the best point guard from the 2010’s.
#3 – Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City Thunder & Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook has consistently been one of the best point guards in the NBA for most of this decade. But his talent has often been overshadowed by criticism. His abilities have been thrown in question because of his shot selection, the “me” first attitude, and a multitude of behavior things. But, Westbrook has been one of the best to do it this decade, and the numbers and accolades back it up.
After Kevin Durant left, Westbrook was left with a bleak roster with no real support. He still led that team to 47 wins and won MVP that season while becoming the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple double in a single season. But after this season, something that Westbrook does goes highly unnoticed. After averaged a triple double for the first time in the 2016-17 season, he does it again during the 2017-18 season and the 2018-19 season. He has made the triple-double a regular thing. Now when we see Westbrook or any other player accomplish this feat, we just think “cool”. This feat used to be rare, and Westbrook has made it normal.
Westbrook is a great player with great flaws. But these flaws have been intensified and looked at with a magnifying glass. His inefficiencies from the field and 3-point line have been highly criticized, but Westbrook kept playing well despite all the hate and criticism. Westbrook has had some bad knee injuries in the past, and yet he has been able to still play at a high level.
Westbrook has averaged 24.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists with 1.6 steals this decade. He shot 44% from the field and 30.6% from 3.
During this decade, Westbrook has been a MVP, a 8x All-Star, a 2x All-Star Game MVP, and a 8 All-NBA Appearances. He had led the league in scoring twice, and led in assists twice. He has also averages a triple double 3 times in a row.
Say what you want about Westbrook, but he has done some amazing this during this decade.
#2 – Chris Paul
New Orleans Hornets, LA Clippers, Houston Rockets & OKC Thunder
While Chris Paul’s time in the 2010’s will largely be remembered for failed teams, he was consistently one of the best players at his position throughout the decade. Despite the fact that Paul was out of his prime during this decade, he was still efficient and effective. Paul was always good for a double-double throughout the decade. Paul was a great passer and a great defender. Paul led the league in steals 4 times this decade, along with being one of the top assists guy each year. So Paul was consistently a great scorer, play-maker, and defender.
The only thing that ever stood in his way were injuries, either to himself of his teammates. Paul always had a nagging hamstring problem, and his LA Clippers partner Blake Griffin had his fair share of injuries that held the team back from major success. Without these injuries, Paul could have had chances to win titles with the LA Clippers. They were one of the best teams in the conference, and they just came up short for one reason or another.
Paul then went to the Rockets where he was again effective. The Rockets have him his first real chance to make the Finals. But, injuries derailed that. Paul missed Games 6 and 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals against the Warriors, and they lost that series in 7 games. Paul would have likely helped the Rockets win that series and win his first title. So again, Paul was just unfortunate. I guess you can sum up Chris Paul’s career as unfortunate. Barring anything crazy, Paul will likely finish his career without a ring although in all likelihood, he should have one.
But, Paul was still great during the 2010’s. He was a 7x All-Star and made 13 All-NBA Teams between All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams. He led the league in assists twice during the decade as well as leading the league in steals 4 times.
Paul averaged 18.1 points and 9.5 assists with 2.1 steals. He shot 46.7% from the field and 37.6% from 3. Paul was great.
Paul was great during this decade and will be one of the best point guards to play the game when it is all said and done. But, his career was filled with unfortunate events and unlucky moments that could have made his career look very different from what it is.
#1 – Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors
Honestly, this should have been pretty easy. While Curry was not dominant and well-known as one of the best point guards in the league for the entire decade, his come up made him the best. It took just 5 seasons for Curry to establish himself as the best point guard of the decade.
Curry won 2 MVP’s this decade, one of them being unanimous. He broke almost every single 3-point record imaginable, and he was a scoring machine. He was the most efficient guard we’ve seen since Steve Nash. He single handily changed the game with his play-style. 3 rings. Those 5 years from Curry might be some of the best basketball ever played, and some of the most decorated years ever. He just did so much in so little time. It’s crazy to think that he did that in 5 years. The stuff he did should have been during an entire career. He did that in 5 years.
At the beginning of the decade, Curry was plagued by ankle injuries. He never seemed to get much time before he was hurt again. He was known as a great shooter with paper ankles. But once he overcame that, it was game over. If you said that Curry would be an MVP, champion, All-NBA, All-Star and game changer that we know him now to be in 2012, people would laughed and laughed and laughed. But it happened.
I don’t even want to show stats or accolades, they speak for themselves. I don’t even need to. But, I will anyway.
Curry averaged 24.3 points and 6.7 assists with 1.7 steals. He shot 47.8% from the field and 43.6% from 3.
Curry won 2 MVP’s, was a 3x Champion, 6 All-NBA Teams, the best player or one of the best players on a team that went to 5 Finals in a row, his resume speaks for itself.
Without Curry, the game would not be the same. Curry had explosive success, while other people like Paul were supremely consistent and were great as well. But those 5 years from Curry were like nothing we have ever seen before.
What do you think? Who are you top 3 PG’s from this decade? Is Curry at your #1 spot? Leave all of your comments down below.
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