NBA Power Rankings: 30 Greatest Point Guards of All-Time
By Shane Young
1984 – 2003
Franchise: Utah Jazz
Career totals: 19,711 points, 15,806 assists, 3,265 steals, 4,244 turnovers
Career averages: 13.1 points, 10.5 assists, 2.2 steals, 2.8 turnovers
Shooting: 51.5 percent field goals, 38.4 percent 3-pointers, 82.6 percent free throws
Accolades: 10x NBA All-Star, 9x assists leader, 2x All-NBA First Team, NBA’s all-time assist leader, NBA’s all-time steals leader
When discussing the greatest players in NBA history that don’t have a championship, John Stockton has to top your list. You could argue over Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Karl Malone, or even Kevin Durant at this rate, but Stockton displayed the most preeminent career without capturing a ring.
Now, one of the most dominant duos of all-time played in Salt Lake City.
Stockton and Malone, under a legendary coach in Jerry Sloan, were completely unstoppable in pick-and-roll sets. It didn’t matter if it was going to be a traditional screen roll, with the roll man (Malone) moving toward the basket. It didn’t matter if it was a variation of the screen roll, with Malone staying stationary after the pick and knocking down a mid-ranger. They would eat you alive, and it was surgical.
Stockton will likely remain No. 1 on the all-time assists list forever, since nobody hardly ever plays 19 seasons, or with a top two scoring leader for majority of their careers. Stockton’s 15,806 assists meant that he dished 831 per year of his career. Chris Paul has only achieved that mark once.
Jason Kidd, the second place holder on the assists list, retired while being 3,715 behind Stockton. The only way you was stopping Stockton from delivering dimes is if you cut off his hands, or put him on the injured list.
While he wasn’t every bit of the shooter Steve Nash was — Stockton never entered the 50-40-90 club and only shot 82.6 percent from the line for his career — he still got the job done offensively when needed. On his own, he could score in stretches that just left you helpless. If you threw too many defenders in his way, he’d find the open man. There was nobody better at finding their teammates in their favorite spots.
If Stockton and the Jazz were able to capture a few championships, he would be neck and neck with No. 1 all-time in floor generals. Postseason matters, and getting the job done (no matter how you do it) should always matter.
Nevertheless, there was no better pure passer than Stockton. Sure, he benefited from his teammates’ skills, but who doesn’t?
At ages 39 and 40, with Malone aging as well, Stockton still averaged over 7.6 assists per game in his last two seasons. Besides Kobe Bryant, what other guard has expressed that type of longevity? None.
Our generation won’t remember Stockton. But just know, as amazing as we think Steve Nash was during our time, Stockton was even better.
Next: Magical History