NBA Power Rankings: 30 Greatest Point Guards of All-Time
By Shane Young
22. Chauncey Billups
1997 – 2014
Franchises: Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers
Career totals: 15,802 points, 5,636 assists, 2,922 rebounds, 1,051 steals, 2,138 turnovers
Career averages: 15.2 points, 5.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 2.0 turnovers
Shooting: 41.5 percent field goals, 38.7 percent 3-pointers, 89.4 percent free throws
Accolades: 1x NBA Champion, 1x Finals MVP, 5x NBA All-Star, All-NBA Second Team, 2x All-NBA Third Team, 2x All-Defensive Second Team, NBA Teammate of the Year
In terms of being a winner, there was barely anyone better than Mr. Big Shot, Chauncey Billups.
Now a member of the ESPN crew, giving his analysis on the game, there’s no better place for him. The best part of Billups’ game was his intelligence in certain situations, and how he was always able to come through in the clutch. He wasn’t the best passer, and sometimes seemed like a shooting guard, but there was no better floor general in the Eastern Conference during his heyday with Detroit.
Billups knew how to get fouled, when to get fouled, and where to get fouled. Later on in his career, he became even better at it. In 2010-11, with the Nuggets, Billups recorded his career-high in free throw rate, at 53.5. Free throw rate is defined as the number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Besides Kawhi Leonard in 2013, Billups will end up being the most forgotten Finals MVP in the last 20 years. Knocking off the Lakers in 2004, Billups averaged 21 points and 5.2 assists per game, which was the true testament of how unselfish the Pistons were in their Larry Brown and Flip Saunders days.
Beating those Lakers, with Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton was no easy task. Billups sure made the game seem easy at point guard, though.
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