Mario Chalmers Is One Cocky Motherfucker And That's Why I Love Him... Says I'm 'Front End Of The Top 10' Point Guards

MIAMI— There is no place in sports quite like the intersection of ego and Chalmers. It is what makes the Heat point guard deliciously refreshing.

Then again, it takes quite the gumption to go back at LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the face of criticism, moments that Mario Chalmers hardly has shied from amid the Heat's Big Three era.

So it hardly comes as a surprise, in the wake of the recent debate over Rajon Rondo putting himself at the head of the class of NBA point guards, that Chalmers stuck his nose into the conversation.

As in putting himself among, well, the top five.

It came out in a Bleacher Report interview at a recent Chalmers promotional event in Brooklyn.

Q: Rajon Rondo recently said that he's the NBA’s top point guard. What are your thoughts on that, and where do you think you rank among all the point guards in the NBA?

Chalmers: "He's not the best, but he's in the top five. There are a lot of great point guards in the league, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Steve Nash. There are a lot of great guards in the NBA so for him to say he's the best is a pretty bold statement. I'd say that I am in the front end of the top 10."

It is pure Mario, from the heart, from that special place that allows him to step up to the moment.

And yet his place among the league's point guards remains a tricky proposition, since he hardly plays as a traditional point guard.

As a talking point, this is a list, compiled in this blog on Feb. 29, rating the league's point guards at the time, a leap-day leap of faith that such a compilation is even possible.

Clearly, with a championship ring, Chalmers has moved himself up the list, reasonably within the top half.

But how far?

What we ran Feb. 29 in this space:
1. Derrick Rose, Bulls
2. Chris Paul, Clippers
3. Deron Williams, Nets
4. Russell Westbrook, Thunder
5. Rajon Rondo, Celtics
6. Tony Parker, Spurs
7. Steve Nash, Suns
8. Monta Ellis, Warriors
9. Kyle Lowry, Rockets
10. Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers
11. Tyreke Evans, Kings
12. Ty Lawson, Nuggets
13. Jose Calderon, Raptors
14. Brandon Jennings, Bucks
15. John Wall, Wizards
16. Jason Kidd, Mavericks
17. Mike Conley, Grizzlies
18. Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves
19. Jeff Teague, Hawks
20. Jeremy Lin, Knicks
21. Mario Chalmers, Heat
22. Jrue Holiday, 76ers
23. Darren Collison, Pacers
24. Brandon Knight, Pistons
25. Jameer Nelson, Magic
26. Raymond Felton, Trail Blazers
27. Derek Fisher, Lakers
28. Devin Harris, Jazz
29. Jarrett Jack, Hornets
30. D.J. Augustin, Bobcats