The NBA has become a much different game then it was 20 years ago. As the pace of the league became faster, and bigs developed incredible skill sets, the NBA transitioned into a guard dominant game. Nowadays, guards need to not only be adept at handling the basketball, but they need to be able to shoot from the perimeter too. For many, that just makes for more entertaining basketball.
With ball handling developing into somewhat of an art form, Def Pen will take a look at, and appreciate, some of the best ball handlers who have been crossing players over all season.
5. Chris Paul
Throughout his career, Chris Paul has always found a way to show off his impressive dribbling skills at the cost of some player’s ankles. Although he’s one of the older guys on this list, and father time has kept him from being the player he once was, he still uses his handling ability to get open off his dribble. This is a key to operating the offense for the Clippers. When he can get himself open thanks to his crossovers, he opens up the floor for other players too.
4. James Harden
Being many people’s favorite to win MVP after Kevin Durant’s injury, James Harden has seemed unstoppable this year. Taking the helm at the point guard position for the fast-paced Houston Rockets, under Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, Harden has been dishing out both assists and crossovers at a high rate. With the way he uses his dribbling to get himself, and his teammates open, The Beard has to be on the list of top in the League.
3. Jamal Crawford
Even at the age of 36, Jamal Crawford still has the ability to shake defenders out of their shoes. Being the second Clippers player on this list, Crawford has been one of their biggest bench threats in the League by creating his own offense with his dribbling ability. His crossover is arguably still one of the best in the NBA and he’s not afraid to show it off.
2. Stephen Curry
There’s no doubt that Stephen Curry is one of the most entertaining players in the NBA. What makes his game so elite is the way he quickly creates room for his shot that only takes a split second to get off. This makes it almost impossible for defenders to contain him. With Kevin Durant out for the next month, look for Curry to show off his full arsenal in order to keep up the Warriors’ momentum going into Playoffs.
1. Kyrie Irving
Uncle Drew is truly a magician with the basketball. Kyrie Irving handles the rock is as if he has the ball on a string. He showed just how well he could dribble the basketball last year in the NBA Finals, and he’s carried that momentum into this year as well. His quickness and ability to move laterally with the ball has made him a force to be reckoned with on the offensive end. He can literally freeze defenders which allows him to show off his speed with the ball. No one knows Irving’s talents with the basketball better then Stephen Curry who faced off against Irving last year in the NBA Finals (Via Marc J. Spears):
“He is able to use both hands and he’s shifty and crafty,” Curry said. “He changes speeds to keep people off-balance. Perhaps the best way to put it into words, he has an uncanny kind of ability to go one way, stop on a dime, right to left, left to right, whichever, and still be on balance and get by you. It’s unpredictable. You just don’t know which way he is going.”
Those are just some of the players who we think are the best in the League at handling the ball. However, there is a whole new wave of players who are just getting better and better at dribbling the basketball. Some of the younger NBA talents like D’Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks Kristaps Porzingis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are leading a new generation of players who are coming into the game with extremely refined dribbling skills.
Let us know which ball handlers you think should be on the list @DefPenHoops & @BasketbalSociety!
