Guards like Muggsy Bogues and Ricky Rubio are pure PGs – they pass first and shoot if needed.
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In today’s game, points mean everything. It doesn’t matter how they come, they just need to come. You can be inefficient and score 20 points, but those 20 points put you closer to winning. All your points can come from the line, and yet if you win, that is all that matters.
And then there is the opposite-nothing you shoot goes in. You’re dragging your team down and wasting precious possessions. This is where guards like Muggsy Bogues, Ricky Rubio, and Rajon Rondo come in. In the truest sense, point guards choose to facilitate over making their shots.
Muggsy leads the league with 8 assists and 0 points per game. He’s managed 86 assists in those 8 games played, and he didn’t waste time shooting. As soon as he realised his rhythm was off, he switched to passing the rock around. Getting your teammates into scoring positions is just as important because it is the win that matters.
The other big names on the list are Jason Kidd, Nate MacMillan and most recently, Josh Giddey.
Muggsy Bogues is the shortest player to play in the league – that did not stop him from being a legend
Muggsy should not have been in the league–he made it through sheer determination. Traditionally, no PG has ever been a burly guy—they’ve always been the smaller, quicker, shifty ones. Rajon Rondo is probably the most relevant guy in today’s scenario because he’s nefarious for having an inconsistent jumper.
But even then, he will find a way to sneak in a layup or an inconspicuous dunk, anything to get in a couple of points. There have been players who have had no impact on the game, despite playing 30 odd minutes. Tony Snell and Joel Embiid come to mind as examples of players who only needed to find the right guy to pass to.
Short Kings—look no further than Bogues, Nate Robinson, and Isaiah Thomas if you dream about being in the league. The chances are almost next to none, but if you do get in, you’ll be in great company.
