MAKING POINTS

Phil Taylor

February 10, 1997

To rate NBA point guards, SI senior writer Phil Taylor selected 16 whom he considers the cream: ten who are or have been All-Stars, and six who have All-Star potential. (The New York Knicks' Chris Childs and the Boston Celtics' David Wesley, among other capable backcourtmen, didn't make the cut.) SI took their standings through Jan. 26 in nine statistical categories and ranked the players in descending order in each. (An asterisk denotes a tie.) The top player received a 16 rating; the No. 2 player, a 15 rating; and so on. The categories were weighted according to their presumed importance to the position. So, for example, each rank in the assists category was worth two points—leader Mark Jackson earned 32 points—but each rank in rebounds was worth only half a point. (Sources: NBA and Elias Sports Bureau.)