Starting line-up of the 2000s – the Point Guard

Last night, I sat pondering at the porch. I wondered how I could clearly define a set of criteria which would enable me to determine the best players over the past decade. Often I would get stuck in an endless labyrinth on whether to pick this player or the other. So I decided that I should list down certain traits that would enable me to compile my starting line-up. This way, I believed, my preferences could be justified unless I let myself fall victim to bigotry.

How did I recruit my starting line-up?

Stats: my sole and favorite criterion.

To maximize my options, I picked a core group of players through various important statistics. As one lost out to another, I was down to a select few. Finally, the three remaining in each position were segregated from the rest through key statistics such as PPG, APG, RPG, SPG, BPG and championships won, success rate. Ultimately, the player who made the cut in his respective position outrivaled the rest in those categories.

What is the main eligibility determinant?

The player should have played at least six years in the 2000s.

What is my point format?

The winner of each category earns 3 points while the second bags 2. The third placed player resorts to a solitary 1.

All set? Let’s see what I have in stock at my point guard position.

In contention: Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson.

Who is the best Point Guard of the three ?

Number of All-Stars: This is easy. Allen Iverson wins with 11x while Nash picked up 7 nominations in the 2000s to Kidd’s 8. Clearly, AI3 was the people’s favorite throughout the 2000s.

Leader board reads Iverson 3, Kidd 2 and Nash 1.

Number of NBA Finals: Sadly, this is where Nash has to bow out again. He never made it to an NBA Final. If he hadn’t moved to the Lakers this offseason, he probably would be one of the greatest players to never get a shot at the Bill Russell Trophy. In fact, neither did Iverson nor Kidd, but they did make the run to the NBA finals. Kidd wins this category with 2 Finals appearances while Iverson picks up 2 points as the runner-up in 2001.

Leader board: Iverson 5, Kidd 5 and Nash 2.

All-NBA First Teams: Although being picked into the second team does prove your credentials as a good player, making the cut into the All-NBA first team certifies your elite status. If you have to be a marketable star to win the All-Star vote, you’ll have to beat the critics’ hatred to earn a spot in the First Team. That’s precisely what Jason Kidd achieved.

He wins this category with 4 First Team appearances while Nash had 3 to AI’s 2. Finally, Nash is starting to step it up.

Leader Board: Kidd 8, Iverson 6 and Nash with 4.

Number of MVPs won: Jason Kidd is ousted in this criterion with him never winning this award (blame it on Tim Duncan’s 2002 win). Nash would have tied AI with one a piece hadn’t it been for his lucky win in 2005. So Nash gets his first three pointer in this competition.

Leader Board: Kidd 9, Iverson 8 and Nash 7. CLOSE! Who’s got the clutch?

Player efficiency rating: This category is evaluated based on the team-mates the player was tagged alongside, how much he bettered his team and partners. To keep it simple, it is determined by PER (Player Efficiency Rating).

Despite Nash struggling with a mediocre Suns team for a major part of his career, his teams were genuinely boisterous during the early 2000s with NBA studs such as Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley, Joe Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Amare Stoudamire. Jason Kidd, who should be credited for rejuvenating a doormat team like the Nets, did however reap the benefits of playing alongside Vince Carter and Nowitzki in their prime. For Allen Iverson, until he was paired up with Carmelo Anthony during the declining days of his career, he never really got to play with a star consistently. Experts could argue that Chris Webber and Dikembe Mutombo featured in AI’s 76ers line-up but the duo hardly helped in the point guard’s success, but I beg to differ. Mutombo barely stayed for two years while Webber was a bad influence on and off the court.

To cap it, Iverson’s PER was 20.92 at retirement which was brought down during his time with the Pistons and Grizzlies. Nash currently has a PER value of 20.20 and Jason Kidd’s PER is 18.10.

Leader Board: Iverson 11, Kidd 10 and Nash 9.

Points scored: Essentially, this territory is defined by points per game average throughout the 2000s, i.e. from season 00-01 to 09-10. A point guard may not be expected to score a whole lot since the assist department is ultimately what the player is best associated with. However, this attribute states an impetus to have the player in your roster, if he can provide with both the assist and scoring touch.

Here is how the players fared: Nash averaged 16.7, Kidd tallied at 11.9 and Iverson triumphed at nearly 27.

Leader Board: Iverson 14, Nash 11 and Kidd 11.

Assists: The primary trait a coach looks for in the ball handler; assists interpret the playmaking caliber of a point guard. While most PGs today are better shooters than assist machines, spreading the ball on the floor is an ultimatum that categorizes an elite point guard from the tag “good”.

Steve Nash runs away victorious averaging a mammoth 9.65, narrowly beating Kidd (9.15) and AI seems lost at 6.2.

Leader Board: Iverson 15, Nash 14 and Kidd 13.

Defense: This is the final category in my analysis which includes blocks, steals and rebounds – the fundamentals of a defensive potentate.

What is the final scorecard going to read? Who is the point guard that makes it into my team?

Kidd – 7 RPG, 1.9 SPG and .3 BPG = 1^st place

Nash – 3.2 RPG, .8 SPG and .13 BPG = 3^rd place

Iverson – 3.6 RPG, 2.2 SPG and .16 BPG = 2^nd place

Kidd is by far one of the greatest defenders the NBA has seen while Iverson did put up a fight in the steals department. Jason Kidd picks up 3 points here while 2 and 1 are awarded to AI and Nash respectively.

The Final Leader Board: Iverson 17, Kidd 16 and Nash 15

Verdict: Allen Ezail Iverson beats Steve Nash and Jason Kidd to capture the title of the best point guard of the 2000s.