Top 5 Defensive Point Guards of 2019-2020

Top 5 defensive Point Guards of 2019-2020

Point guards are usually looked at as the leader of the team. If you don't have strong point guard play you better have a good enough playmaker somewhere in the lineup because you will not make it far. Today we are going to focus on their impact on the defensive side. You need someone to slow down the opposing point guards productivity and this list contains some of the best in the game to do it. This is the final part of my 5 part series containing the best defenders of the 2019-2020 season in their respective positions.  I will be using the same blueprint that I used for all the other positions which is defensive statistics and of course the eye test. If you missed it the 9 stats were defensive ratings, defensive field goal percentage, defensive win shares, block percentage, steals percentage, defensive rebounding percentage, steals per game, blocks per game and defensive rebounds per game with a minimum of 30 games played.

5.Lonzo Ball (New Orleans Pelicans)

Lonzo is playing for a new team this year and he has settled in pretty well with the new system. When he is healthy he is able to produce on both ends of the floor but his defense is what stands out. Lonzo averaged 12.4 points, 7 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. While he did not lead his position in any stat he was pretty consistent throughout the list. He showed up in the top five in five of the nine categories. He averaged .5 blocks per game which was second best in his position. That means he blocked the ball 1.4% of the time he was on the floor which was tied for fourth best. His 5.1 defensive rebounds per game was also fourth best in the position holding a rebound percentage of 16.6%, fifth best on the list. The last category he was top five in was his defensive field goal percentage where he held his opponents to shooting 45.6% from the field which was fifth. His 1.4 steals a game was not far from the top five either creating turnovers at a good rate. If Lonzo can stay healthy he can be a serious threat to the league. 

4.Eric Bledsoe (Milwaukee Bucks)

Eric Bledsoe is here to complete the sweep of Bucks players making every single positional list. If the Bucks can keep up this defensive tenacity throughout the playoffs they are a serious threat to hold the trophy in the air. Bledsoe averaged 15.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and .9 steals a game to contribute to the team. He led all point guards with a defensive rating of 106 and was second in defensive win shares sitting at 2.9. He also held his opponents to shooting 41.1% from the field which was tied for second best in his position. Bledsoe is not a turnover creator like Lonzo but he has the ability to stay in front of his opponents and create bad shots or force the ball to be picked up. Him along with his teammates know their defensive roles knowing who is there to protect the rim, who is there to create turnovers, and who is there to stop the ball moment and create bad shot opportunities. 

3.Patrick Beverley (Los Angeles Clippers)

What is there really to say about Patrick Beverley? He is one of the best trash talkers in the game, having the ability to get into an opponent's head. He is an annoying pest on defense, never giving you an inch of space. He creates turnovers and lets you know about them and will disrupt your shot. He knows what he is good at and does it very well. Beverly averaged 7.9 points, 3.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. He was tied with Bledsoe holding the second best defensive field goal percentage at 41.1%. His defensive rating of 106 was tied for third best in his position. His .5 blocks per game was tied for second best and his 1.7 block percentage was best in the position. His 4.2 defensive rebounds per game was third out of everybody that made the list which is surprising for his size. Beverly is a great complement to a very good defensive team making the Clippers another serious threat to win the championship. He is a loud defensive leader that puts energy into the team you couldn't ask for more leadership wise. 

2.Fred Vanvleet (Toronto Raptors)

From a loud player to a more reserved defensive killer, Fred Vanvleet has been speaking volumes with his play. He created turnovers at a high rate while also creating bad shots for his opponents. Vanvleet averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game. Like Lonzo, Vanvleet showed up in five of the nine categories but was a more consistent top three player. His 1.9 steals was good enough to be third out of all point guards and stole the ball 2.5% of the time which was also third best. He had defensive win shares of 2.7 which was the fourth best out of all point guards. He tied with Beverley for the third best defensive rating at 106 but only allowed his opponents to shoot 40.8% from the field which is the best out of all point guards. That 40.8 defensive field goal percentage also puts him up there with the names of Giannis and Kawhi for the best in the whole league. Vanvleet is growing every year on both sides of the ball becoming a real steal for the Raptors.

 

1.Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)

Ben Simmons dominated the point guards stat wise and it really wasn't even close. He showed up as top five in all nine categories never dropping below four. He was an all around stout on defense contributing in every way he could. Simmons averaged 16.7 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. His 2.1 steals were the most in the entire league taking the ball away 2.9% of the time he was on the court. His .6 blocks per game was the best out of all point guards blocking the ball 1.4% of the time he was on the court. He also averaged 5.8 defensive rebounds per game meaning he grabbed the board 18% of the time on the defensive end. He held the best defensive win shares in his position at 3.2 and had the second best defensive rating of 105. To top it all off he held his opponents to shooting 41.3% from the field which was third best in the position. His size and length at the point guard position is very disruptive and also makes him more versatile than any other player on this list. He can lead on both ends of the floor and that makes him a very dangerous player. Once he gets a consistent enough shot to spread the floor he will be one of the best players in the league.