Basketball Positions and Their Individual Role

Point Guard

The point guard is known as the “assist maker” and this role it the most important on the team. It is the player’s job to makes sure the ball gets from one player to another quickly and accurately in order to provide the team with an effective play.

The point guard needs to be smart and have excellent court vision. They can be measured by the number of assists made, meaning for the entire game their passes need to be extremely accurate.

Arguably, one of the best point guards in basketball is Allen Iverson. He is able to move quickly, shoot fast and push the ball around effectively. If you intend on being a great point guard watch videos of how he plays.

Shooting Guard

The shooting guard is simply one of the designated scorers. The role is best suited at letting the point guard dictate the game and provide the shooting guard with clean shots at the basket. The shooting guard is generally smaller and faster than a forward, and must have a powerful jump shot that can be reliable. A shooting guard can also be used as a small forward or “power forward”.

Finally the shooting guard needs to have great ball handling skills, as defenders trying to prevent their shot at goal will continually harass them.

Small Forward

A small forward will need to have great strength and perfect scoring ability. Their objective being to pull blockers and take fouls. Having a great jump shot and being powerful makes them a useful weapon on any team.

When on defense the small forward will be the aggravator and disrupter, continually moving around the court looking for opportunities. If they are able to make a steal, it will put momentum back on attack for a fast break and easy points.

Power Forward

A power forward can be considered very close to the center role. They are seen playing next to the center and generally face away from the basket, the objective being to slow down anyone that is looking to drive the ball towards them. You need to be very athletic to be a power forward and must have the ability to score and block, as well as move back and help in the offensive game. If you think you can play as a power forward, calculate your rebounds and blocks during a game, as power forwards are built for performing the best in these stats.

Center

The Center will always be the tallest player on the team, and are trained to be the best at disrupting the power forwards or centers on the opposing team. A center needs to tall enough to block shots at the basket and also fast enough to get back on offence for a nice slam-dunk. Their main focus is to dunk, block and take up the lane.