Rick Pitino Mentions OKC Thunder When Describing the Point Guard Position

There’s plenty of discussion surrounding the different positions in basketball these days. Specifically in the NBA, it feels like the definition of each position has changed more over the last few years than it ever has before. Certain teams rewrote the style of basketball played, which led to lineups that didn’t just feature set positions — but focused on putting all the best players on the floor, no matter what.

Oklahoma City certainly wasn’t the first team to experiment across the board or hard commit to small ball over the course of the season, but they’re certainly a noticeable example after the success they’ve had over the last few years.

When the Thunder committed to a full-on rebuild, it was clear early on the type of team they were trying to assemble. A team full of positional versatility, big men that could dribble and pass, and players that specialize in many different areas.

Oklahoma City experimented with small lineups, bigger lineups with forwards and centers that could handle the rock, and everything in between. It prepped them well for a deep playoff run, and allowed Mark Daigneault to pull many different tricks out of his bag.

When legendary coach Rick Pitino was asked about his point guard’s at St. John’s, he referenced the Thunder in his answer stating that the point guard position is finished.

Rick Pitino: “There are no point guards anymore…Who’s the PG of the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, Thunder?…PG’s totally done…”

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
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) August 6, 2025

“There are no point guards anymore,” Pitino said. “If you find it, you’ll probably describe it as a guy who can’t shoot. Whether it’s the champions — who’s the point guard of the Thunder? Who’s the point guard of the Knicks, the Lakers, the Celtics, and the world champions?

“The point guard is totally done in basketball. The days of John Stockton are long gone. There are no more point guards, Chris Paul is probably the last one. You’ve gotta play with everyone handling the basketball, five-out, and just create good movement.”

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is definitely Oklahoma City's offense initiator and engine, there's a good chance the Thunder's coaching staff might agree with Pitino. SGA's playmaking has improved rapidly, and his reads get better and better. He'll be classified as a point guard, but his combo guard skills are off the charts.

Oklahoma City also has a handful of different combo guards that can serve as point guards at any given moment. Even Chet Holmgren brings the ball up the floor, and Isaiah Hartenstein acts as an offensive hub.

There's certainly still more true point guards in the NBA than Pitino is willing to admit, and there's always a place for traditional roles. But the definition of the point guard position has certainly changed dramatically over the last 10 years, and Oklahoma City was a prime example of entrusting everyone in the rotation with ball-handling duties.