Rick Pitino is completely off in saying the point guard position is done, but his take does ignore one of the NBA's best players.
Rick Pitino knows a thing or two about the point guard position as a Hall of Fame coach who shares a home gymnasium with one of the NBA's best so-called point guards. And based on what Pitino has seen in the evolution of the position, it doesn't exist anymore.
"There are no point guards anymore. If you find it, you're probably describing a guy who can't shoot," the St. John's coach said during a recent media scrum.
So, what then is Jalen Brunson, whose New York Knicks play at the same Madison Square Garden as the Red Raiders? "He's a combo scoring guard," Pitino said. "I don't think he's looking for the assist. I think he's looking to score, and thank God he is."
Rick Pitino: “There are no point guards anymore…Who’s the PG of the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, Thunder?…PG’s totally done…”
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) August 6, 2025
Q: “What’s Jalen Brunson?”
Pitino: “Combo scoring guard. I don’t think he’s looking for the assist. I think he’s looking to score. And thank God he is…” pic.twitter.com/gbpUb8OxJT
Pitino is not completely off here. Most of the players we think of as point guards these days fall into a similar category as Brunson in a trend we've been seeing for more than a decade now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander... scorer. Luka Doncic... scorer. Stephen Curry... scorer. But he is wrong in saying the position is "completely done," and calling Chris Paul the last player from the traditional mold of point guards. Because that ignores one of the best young players in the game today: Tyrese Haliburton.
Though the last time we saw Haliburton play he was going absolutely scorched earth on the Thunder before tearing his Achilles, let's not forget how frustrating he was for large periods of the NBA Finals for his tendency to pass first. Haliburton was more likely to get the Pacers 10 assists than he was to get them 20 points this season. I'd still classify him as a point guard.
Admittedly, there aren't many other players like Haliburton remaining, which is why I don't have a major gripe with Pitino's assessment. But the point guard position isn't completely dead yet. All it takes is one all-star caliber player to create copycats and bring it back to life.
The Celtics turned Kristaps Porzingis into who???
Remember when the Boston Celtics traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks for Georges Niang? OK, well now the team is trading Niang to the Utah Jazz for two-way player R.J. Luis.
The Boston Celtics are trading Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for rookie RJ Luis Jr., sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/l7h0cGobfU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 5, 2025
If you're keeping up, the Celtics turned a former all-star and 7-footer who can shoot the lights into a dude who didn't even get drafted this year. And they gave up a couple draft picks along the way. What gives? Here's Bryan Kalbrosky with an explanation for why Boston did this.
Shootaround
- Diana Taurasi revealed what she would do if sex toys were thrown on the court when she played.
- Speaking of, here's Meg Hall with 3 theories on why this keeps happening.
- Jeff Teague and Nancy Lieberman apparently have IG beef. You can't make this stuff up.
- Richard Jefferson's description of a 'professional' Karl Malone omits one glaring fact.
This was Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter.Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Rick Pitino called the point guard position is 'done' in basketball
Category: Basketball
