Divisional Depth Chart: Central Point Guards by David Murphy, Thursday, July 22, 2010
We continue our Divisional Depth Chart series with a look at the point guard crop in the Central Division.
These rankings will continue to serve as a long-running preview of the next NBA season, which will culminate in a broad look at which division has the best talent at each position. We are still plugging along through the point guards, and up next will be the Pacific Division.
You can find our rankings of the Northwest Division point guards by clicking here.
On to the Central...
1. Derrick Rose, Chicago
In his second professional season, Rose continued to build his reputation as the best point guard in the division. Rose led all Central point guards in points and assists, and was the only one to average better than 20 points and six assists per game. While the jump shot is still a work in progress, Rose uses his size and strength to punish smaller guards and attack the basket. With Carlos Boozer in town and improvements from Joakim Noah, Rose's assist numbers will only get better. The 21 year old All-Star should rule the Central for the foreseeable future.
Jennings burst onto the scene with a 55-point early-season outing against Golden State, and was one of the few rookie starters on a playoff team. Like Rose, Jennings lacks a consistent jumper, but while that improves the passing numbers are already there; the rookie finished second in the Central in assists per game. Despite having a brash personality, Jennings has developed a solid relationship with his teammates, especially center Andrew Bogut. As long as Rose is a Bull, Jennings will have trouble taking the top spot in the division, yet steady improvement should keep him in the discussion.
3. Mo Williams, Cleveland
As you can see, there is a big drop-off in point guard talent after Rose and Jennings. While Williams did play for a 61-win team, most of that credit goes to LeBron James. However, with the King out of town, more scoring and distributing responsibility will be placed on Mo. While the former shouldn't be any problem - Williams can score in the high teens easily - he isn't exactly a pure point guard. Of anyone on this list, Williams has the best chance to be moved; if Cleveland decides to rebuild in earnest, he may be moved to a contender, much like he was when traded from Milwaukee.
4. Rodney Stuckey, Detroit
Stuckey has great potential being enormous for the point guard position at 6-5. However, as the Pistons rebuild, the Seattle native has progressed slowly. In 2009-10, Stuckey regressed in shooting percentage and still struggles to distribute like the team needs. On a positive note, Stuckey can defend both guard spots thanks to great size and strength and led Atlantic point guards in steals per game.
5. T.J. Ford, Indiana
Ford had a rough 2009-10 campaign as Indiana continues to be just good enough to draft in the late lottery. He posted career lows in games played, assists, steals, and 3-point percentage; meanwhile his field goals, free throws, points and minutes all fell from a year ago. Although Ford has never reached the 80 games played mark, he has shown the ability to be a solid point guard as he did in 2007.
