Is the era of the point guard gone?
Kentucky basketball has produced an impressive list of NBA talent — from prolific scorers to versatile wings to dominant big men. But a recent quote from Rick Pitino has sparked a conversation that Big Blue Nation should find intriguing: when was the last time the NBA had a true point guard?
Pitino, now head coach at St. John’s, didn’t mince words:
“There are no point guards anymore… Who’s the PG of the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, Thunder? PG’s totally done…”
When asked about Jalen Brunson, Pitino called him a “combo scoring guard” rather than a pure floor general. His point is clear: the modern game rewards scoring guards over pass-first quarterbacks.
So what exactly makes a true point guard? Traditionally, it’s the coach on the floor — the player who leads the team in assists, prioritizes setting up teammates, dictates tempo, calls plays, and locks in defensively. Think John Stockton or Gary Payton — orchestrators first, scorers second. Kentucky has produced a lot of guards since 2006, but perhaps Rajon Rondo was the last true PG1 of the NBA.
Kentucky has had plenty of guards since Rondo’s 2006 NBA Draft departure:
2007: Ramel Bradley/Derrick Jasper
2008: Michael Porter/Kevin Galloway
2009: John Wall
2010: Brandon Knight
2011: Marquis Teague
2012: Ryan Harrow
2013–14: Andrew Harrison (Tyler Ulis joins in 2014)
2015: Isaiah Briscoe
2016: De’Aaron Fox/Briscoe
2017: Quade Green/Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2018–19: Ashton Hagans (Immanuel Quickley, Tyrese Maxey)
2020: Devin Askew
2021–22: Sahvir Wheeler (Cason Wallace in 2022)
2023: DJ Wagner/Reed Sheppard
2024: Lamont Butler
While some — like Hagans, Ulis, or Teague — leaned pass-first, none became elite NBA point guards in the traditional sense. Wall and Fox are explosive lead guards but are primarily scoring engine combo guards. Even Shai, a superstar, thrives as a score first player.
That leaves Rondo as the last Kentucky product to have played in the NBA— and arguably one of the last in the entire NBA — to fit Pitino’s definition. Four-time All-Star, two-time champion, league leader in assists multiple seasons, and an on-court extension of the coach. When Rondo retired in 2024, the era of the “pure” point guard may have retired with him.