Best PGs based on Ast to TO Ratio
Posted by By Eric Labrador at 4 April, at 01 : 40 AM Print
All analysts during an NBA season submit their “Top 5″ list for point guards, MVP candidates, Defenders so I will attempt to do the same. I want to start with point guards and the main gauge, I think, for them is the assist to turnover ratio. I think a point guard should be involved in setting up every play or be the “lead assist” in all the scoring done by the offense. The term “floor general” is always used to describe a good or great PG or the term I like to describe a PG’s effectiveness is in how he “sets the table” for the offense.
The top point guards based on assist to turnover ratio is as follows:
1. Chris Paul 4.4
2. Jose Calderon 4.1
3. Jason Kidd 3.6
4. Rajon Rondo 3.3
5. Steve Nash 3.2
What is interesting to note here is that Steve Nash is tops in overall assists but he also leads in the highest amount of turnovers at 252. Chris Paul has only 162 turnovers and Jose Calderon has 146. Calderon though has less than 600 assists (546) while Paul and Nash are over the 700 mark. Deron Williams, PG, New Jersey has a ratio of 2.8 and is averaging 10.1 assist per game, which is more than Jason Kidd (8.3) but where this ratio separates is that Kidd has had less turnovers so would have less of a negative impact on his team. What matters for all the assists if you turn the ball over a lot, so his turnovers need to come down.
A good Assist to Turnover ratio for a PG is to 2 to 1. Ratio’s of 3 or 4 to 1 shows an amazing level of efficiency, but I wanted to show a point guard’s durability as well in this blog. All the above mentioned players other than Rondo have over 70 games played. Rondo’s finger injury has limited his playing time, but clearly is involved in the effectiveness of the Celtics’ offense. Andre Miller, it is worth noting, has a 2.8 assist to turnover ratio and in his 13 years as a pro has never made the All-Star game. That stinks because every where he has gone (Cleveland, Philly, Portland, Denver) he has always been better than average. Young point guards to watch for the future are Mike Conley, MEM (3.0), Jrue Holiday, PHI (2.4) and Russell Westbrook, OKC (2.1).
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John, 2 years ago
If this is your list of Top 5 PGs, I think this is much too simplistic a gauge as there’s no inclusion of defense, scoring efficiency, usage, or assists/36 (or something else to that effect).
There’s more to being a PG than just assist to turnover ratio. A PG could get 5 assists a game and only 1 TO, and top this list, but I don’t think any of us would consider that PG the best PG in the league.
All you’ve really done is give us the list of Top 5 best assist/TO ratio PGs. That’s basically the same as saying The Top 5 players in the league are the Top 5 in PPG.
Eric Labrador, 2 years ago
But in this list, (Nash, Paul, Kidd & Rondo), aren’t these players also the best PGs in the league overall? They all, even the future stars, have an impact on the team’s offense either in scoring or giving the “lead assist”.
Dougie, 2 years ago
While i see Johns points and yes u should have included some ppg/apg/spg etc.. Assist to turnover ratio is a good breakdown of what I would consider the most responsible PG. Not the best, or effective, but the guy I would want to have the ball in his hands when a playmaker is needed.