The game of basketball has never been more popular. It is a wonderful time for the NBA, College Basketball, High School Basketball and Youth Basketball.
Overall, the game has become very athletic and there are many great shooters throughout all levels of the game. The game has shifted over the years as more and more high quality athletes are playing the game.
The game is fast, highly entertaining with players of all heights and positions now able to shoot from long distance, sometimes 5-10 behind the 3 point line. As a result, the traditional roles of positions have shifted and all players must be able to handle the ball and shoot from outside.
In the past, there were more defined roles for each position. Below we will provide a complete overview of the positions in basketball. The basketball positions still have roles and responsibilities. For each position, we will provide a comprehensive look at what it takes to be successful at that position.
What are the positions in basketball?
There are five main positions in basketball. They include: the point guard, the shooting guard, the small forward, the power forward and the center. These positions are frequently numbered using the following system: the point guard is considered the 1, the shooting guard is considered the 2, the small forward is considered the 3, the power forward is considered the 4, and the center is considered the 5.
Here is a list of the positions in basketball:
- The Point Guard – also referred to as the 1
- The Shooting Guard – also referred to as the 2
- The Small Forward – also referred to as the 3
- The Power Forward – also referred to as the 4
- The Center – also referred to as the 5
Roles, Responsibilities and Skills Needed – For Each Position in Basketball
The Point Guard – The 1
The point guard frequently takes care of the ball handling responsibilities for the team. He or she is usually the best ball handler that can create offense for the team. The point needs to have excellent vision of the court and know where each player is supposed to be.
The point guard is similar to the quarterback of a football game. They need to make things happen. They will usually bring the ball up and try to get the team into the offensive set or run the motion offense for the team.
They have to deal with full court presses and potential traps that others team may throw at them. They will try to make things happen by penetrating the defense and trying to put the defense in a difficult spot of stopping the point guard and potential leaving someone else open for an easier jump shot.
The point guard also must be able to hit the outside shot. If the point guard can’t hit the outside shot, the defense doesn’t need to respect the shot of the point guard and is able to play more relaxed defense which cuts down on the penetration opportunities for the point guard.
Overall, the point guard is someone the coach can count on and has the great responsibility of not turning the ball open and trying to ensure the team gets high quality shots to maximize the points scored. The point guard must pick the spots when to push the ball and try to create some quick, easy baskets for the team by getting teammates involved.
Defensively, the point guard will typically cover the point guard of the other team and be able to put enough pressure to try to put the other team in bad positions. A great on ball defender as a point guard helps the other teammates play more effective defense.
You have the more traditional point guards like a Jason Kidd who passed the ball amazingly, but could also score as needed. Then you have the more modern point guard like Steph Curry who is a score first point guard that is lethal from long distance. He has changed the game with his shooting range.
This puts the defense in the bad position of deciding whether to challenge the 3 pointer far away from the basket, which leaves the team susceptible to penetrating and creating easy baskets for others.
Here is a list of skills the point guard should have:
- Great ball handler
- Long distance shooting ability
- Able to penetrate offensive
- Able to slow down penetration and disrupt the other team on defense
- Ability to push the ball and create some transition points and easy basketball.
The Shooting Guard – The 2
The shooting guard is typically the best shooter on the team. They must have the ability to stretch the defense and required the defense to respect the three point shots.
Analytics tell us that the three point shot is a major advantage in the game. Many of the best shooting guard sin the history of the game can not only drain the long distance shots, but can also create off ot the dribble.
The shooting guard can also help the point guard out by handling the ball on occasion and helping when things are breaking down defensively. Usually the shooting guard or small forward are the best athletes on the team and have the most all around offensive skills.
The shooting guard can also play a role in the transition game on offense. Many “bigs” will look to distribute the ball immediately to the 1, 2, or 3 to get the ball going to provide those easy opportunities.
The best shooting guard of all time is arguably Michael Jordan. He had the complete game and could break down a defense with the outside shot, the turn-around jumper or the ability to get to the hoop. The best shooting guards can also distribute the ball.
Defensively, the shooting guard is often matched up with one of the best offensive players from the other team. They need to be able to play quality defense on the perimeter and not rely significantly on the help side defense. Once the help side defense commits, it leaves someone open, typically for a 3 pointer.
Here is a list of skills the shooting guard should have:
- Long distance shooting
- Ability to make things happen on offense by taking the ball to the hoop
- Ability to play quality on ball defense
- Ability to push the ball in transition
The Small Forward – The 3
The Small Forward is often times the best athlete on the team. There is usually a great combination of size, speed, jumping ability, ball handling and court vision. The best 3’s can do it all.
The player that comes to mind as maybe the best 3 of all time is LeBron James. The man can do it all. Most notable is his ability to see the court and distribute the ball, but he can also make it happen offensive by scoring baskets and has become a better long distance shooter later in his career.
His combination of power, speed, and vision makes him nearly impossible to cover. Teams must decide what they are going to give up in order to try to slow him down. The best 3’s can also play a high level of defense and the best 3’s can cover positions 1 through 4. This versatility helps a team when it comes to substitutions.
Often times we hear of point forwards and this is typically a taller forward who will spell the point guard and occasionally lead the offensive attack by taking over the point guard duties during different stretches of the game.
You will hear that a team has gone big, when the point forward is running the show. This can put some stress on the other team if their point guard is still in the game because of the match up issues that are created.
Here is a list of skills the small forward should have:
- Ability to do it all offensively
- Ability to occasionally initiate the offense as the point forward
- Most important, the ability to penetrate and get easy baskets
- The ability to penetrate and kick it out to someone to knock down the three pointer
- Defensively, the 3 needs to be able to play all around quality defense
The Power Forward – The 4
The power forward is usually the second tallest person on the team in height. They have the responsibility of rebounding and playing tough defense around the hoop. Traditionally, they have been known to play in the post area and to be able to score with their back to the basket.
Most recently, we have seen the evolution of the power forward, which has brought about more athleticism to the position and the ability to hit the occasional three pointer. Dirk Nowitki comes to mind as the person that helped this position evolve to what it is today. His ability to shoot the 3 pointer, take the ball to the hoop or score with his hoop to the back make him the hall of famer that he is sure to be.
The power forwards like Draymond Green have the ability to grab a rebound the push the transition offense without ever outletting the pass. This puts great pressure on the opposing team in transition.
This has been a change in the game with more and more 4’s able to do this. When a 4 has the ability to play transition offense and hit the three, while taking care of the boards, you have a truly special power forward.
Ultimately, the power forward must be able to hold their own with rebounding. If a team gets beat on the board, their chances of winning are significantly decreased. They must also have a little bit of shot blocking ability or at least the ability to make the other team adjust their shot when they get close to the rim.
Here is a list of skills the power forward should have:
- Ability to rebound and control the boards
- Ability to be a defensive presence in and around the hoop
- Ability to hit the mid range jumper and the occasional three point.
- Ability occasionally push the ball in transition
The Center – The 5
The center positions traditionally has been the tallest, biggest person on the team. They were known to take up space under the hoop and to be able to score in the post. For decades most NBA teams did not win a championship without a dominant big man.
This has started to change as the 5 positions has become more athletic. Some 5’s can even shoot from long distance and are now more lean and can move faster than the 5’s of the past.
I think back to the Patrick Ewings and Shaquille O’Neal as the traditional 5’s that played in the post and played quality defense under the hoop as well. You could rely on getting the ball into them in the post and they were able to make things happen.
The more traditional center is similar to Joel Embiid. He has a little different skills set, but at the end of the day, must rebound and control the area in and around the hoop.
The center is still a vital positions, but more and more teams push the ball and work outside in versus inside out. The ball goes less into the post and offenses start more with the penetration or pick and roll to try to put the defense in a bad position.
Here is a list of skills the center should have:
- Ability to rebound and control the boards
- Ability to be a defensive presence in and around the hoop
- Ability to score in the post and get some easy baskets
- Ability to pass the ball from the inside to create open 3 pointers for the shooters
The Evolution of the Positions in Basketball
Overall, we have seen an evolution occur within the game. More and more players are able to handle the ball in transitions and the stretch 4’s and 5’s can now catch and shoot the 3 pointer. This has put more pressure on defensive as they have to cover further way from the hoop.
The wide range of near 7 footers in the NBA that are well rounded has increased over the years and has changed the game. Everyone should be able to handle the ball and shoot to give the team the best options offensively.
At a younger age, more and more kids see the importance of handling the ball and they all want to be great shooters. It used to be that the tall kids didn’t handle the ball and push the ball in transition, but that has now changed for the better.
Kids are better able to develop their skills and coaches should encourage all payers to be well rounded and fully develop the essential skills of basketball: ball handling, passing, shooting, and defense. The game is fast paced and many teams rely on transitions.
There are amazing drills like the 3 on 2, 2 on 1 drill and full court layup drills that coaches can utilize with youth teams to help their players develop the skills that the pro game now requires.
Related Questions…
How To Teach the Basketball Positions?
All players should develop their ball handling skills, rebounding skills, the ability to shoot, their defensive skills and their court awareness, These are best develop in dynamic drills that require the younger players to run, dribble, pass, catch and shoot.
Too often times we get stuck with players standing around at practice. Instead, ensure each player is doing something and keep kids moving. Full team drills where everyone has a ball and kids are moving are best.
What Position is the Most Important?
The most important positions at the youth level is the point guard. If you can have 1-2 quality point guards that can get the team into the offense and take care of the ball, you will have some success.
The worst case scenario is when you don’t have a solid ball handler and the other teams keeps stealing the ball. At the higher levels, each position is important and with the crossover of responsibilities and skills nowadays a dominant player can play any of the five positions in basketball.
What Team Drills Can I run at Basketball Practice?
Here are our top two recommended Team Drills
What position has changed the most?
The power forward has become much more of a threat to shoot the 3 pointer and push the ball in transition. There were always players that could do this, but now there are more.
The idea of the stretch 4, someone who could stretch the defense by hitting long distance shots, really started opening the lane for penetration to the hoop. Teams had to decide whether to challenge the 3 pointer or let the power forward have open shots.
If they chose to challenge the hit, the middle of the floor became more open.
Also, the ability to grab a rebound, push the ball down floor and find someone in transition has sped up the game. The Golden State Warriors are the perfect example of an evolved team. Every player could hit a three and some from 5-10 feet behind the line.
The ball moves from player to player and they often got easy layups. They could score in burst and quickly change a game. Their style got everyone involved and the game was fun.
How has basketball changed?
With analytics becoming a major part of the game, the 3 point shot has never been more important and attempted than currently. There have been teams that have broken records on the number of attempts and the number of successful attempts. This has put extra pressure on the defense and placed a premium on the athletic player who can shoot from long distance.
Take Action…
Now that you have a better understanding of the essential skills for each position, think about how to best help your next steps, your kids next steps or if you coach how you can help your entire team through drills and skill development.
Basketball is a highly athletic game that requires skill development. Keep working hard on these skills and you will see the improvement in game situations.