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NBA History: Ranking the 15 greatest point guards of all time

By Josh Cornelissen

Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers and Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns. Photo by Mansoor Ahmed/WireImage
Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers and Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns. Photo by Mansoor Ahmed/WireImage /
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Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

15 greatest point guards in NBA History — No. 14:  Chauncey Billups

Looking plainly at career awards or individual statistics, it may seem strange to see Chauncey Billups at the bottom of this list, but he earned this spot through blood, sweat and timely big shots. For six straight seasons, the Detroit Pistons dominated the Eastern Conference, making the Conference Finals every season and advancing to the NBA Finals twice, including a title in 2004.

It’s common to say that those Pistons teams “didn’t have a star,” and to some extent that’s true; they didn’t have a clear top-10 player for most of their run. Yet even so, Billups was the offensive leader for this team, taking the big shots to bail out the offense.

The most underrated part of his game was his shooting. Despite retiring in 2014 he was an early proponent of a 3-point heavy approach. He ranked 10th in career 3-pointers when he retired and 20th now, just behind Paul George and Klay Thompson. His modern approach helped to carry a Pistons rotation that was heavily weighted towards defensive impact.

Billups was a five-time All-Star and three times made All-NBA teams. In 2005-06, he made it as high as fifth in MVP voting. When the Pistons won the 2004 NBA title Billups was incredible, earning Finals MVP and a spot in history.