I am little bored right now, so I thought I would create a list of the 25 Toughest Players to Guard in the NBA. Here are players 25-21. Feel free to leave a comment!
25. Manu Ginobili – It’s tough to put a guy like Ginobili this low on the list but it’s due to the fact that he doesn’t have to do as much as he used to do for the San Antonio Spurs. I remember when he used to be the point guard. Ginobili made the “Euro-step” popular in the NBA and United States. Ginobili is a very good penetrator and has the ability to get into the lane with the best-of-em. He can also step-out and hit three-pointers.
24. Brandon Jennings – Jennings has been an inconsistent player in his three years in the league. His up-and-down three-point shooting can make him very guardable at times. But remember, Jennings is one of the quickest players in the league and can blow past his man any time he wants. He doesn’t have the size or strength of some of the point guards who are ahead of him on this list but Jennings is still very good.
23. John Wall – Wall is even quicker than Jennings, but he can’t shoot three-pointers and I don’t know why more teams don’t “dork” or sag off him more when he has the ball beyond the three-point line. He is reluctant to think about even thinking about shooting it from out there. There is no question that his speed, paint-penetrating skills, and speed is top notch and that’s why I have him ahead of Jennings. If he could shoot, even a little, he would be in the top 10.
22. Monta Ellis – Ellis fell-off a little this past season. He has never shot a high percentage from the field and is a volume-shooter. His quickness and explosiveness exceeds that of both Jennings and Wall and his creative shot-making is off the charts. His ability to contort his body in mid-air and his famous 360-layups are unbelievable. Overall, he is a very streaky shooter, but Ellis was born to score.
21. Deron Williams – Please tell me that I am crazy for having Williams this low, but the stats don’t lie: 40.7% from the field this past season. I love Williams’ size and strength, but I loved him more when he played for the Utah Jazz. The newly-named Brooklyn Nets have not been good for Williams. I like him more than Jennings, Ellis, and Wall because he can score in other ways other than athleticism. Williams has a solid mid-range game that he can’t use with the Nets, but maybe if they get a player who can set a screen we will see Williams’ game return to “elite” status.