Basketball 101 - Point Guard

Welcome to Basketball 101.

Over the next few weeks, we'll go over everything you need to know to enjoy a basketball game from your neighborhood pickup court to the bleachers. I'm not an X and Os expert, but I'm a rabid fan of the game and I often have to explain what I like about it. Canada is hockey land *, so people pay little attention to hoops around here and find it very intriguing that I do. Be intrigued no more. If you ever wanted to get into basketball but didn't know where to start, this series is for you.

I will start the series with a run down of the positions. What their point is and how they interact with one another on the court. Today, we'll do point guard. It maybe is the most important position in today's NBA and it sure is one of the most interesting. Without further ado, here is everything you needed to know about  the point guard position, but were afraid to ask.

The Great Point Guards in NBA History are : Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson **, Gary Payton, John Stockton, Jerry West, Isiah Thomas and Allen Iverson ***.

Notable Point Guards in the NBA today: Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Tony Parker, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard and Rajon Rondo.

How to recognize the Point Guard on court: 99% of the time, the point guard is the shortest player on the lineup. Remember 5 foot 3 player Tyrone ''Muggsy'' Bogues? He was a point guard. Physically and strategically speaking, he couldn't have played any other position at NBA level. There are occurrences of freakishly tall point guards also, the best example being Magic Johnson at 6 foot 9. But there are exception because usually, tall players don't have the explosion and the dribbling skills to run point. The ideal point guard is between 5 foot 11 and 6 foot 3. 

There are two other ways to spot a point guard in a game. 99% of the time, he is the primary ballhandler for the team. What it means is that he has responsibility of the ball after an inbound pass, drives it up to the offensive zone and has to decide what play is going to be run. By default, he always starts with the ball. Superstars like James Harden and LeBron James are not point guards and yet are primary ballhandlers for their team, but they are exception to the rule. He is also the player most likely to start some shit on court.

Principal duties of the point guard: By definition, his job is to create offense. To score or to set up his teammates to do so. So as the point guard struts to the offensive perimeters, he needs to take a quick decision based on several factors such as : who is the best offensive option? who is the best defender guarding right now. Is there a possibility of a play right now or does he need to create it? What is the best physical mismatch on the court?

A majority of the offense in today's NBA is generated through a play called the pick and roll, which will analyze another day (it's fascinating, I swear), but it's main purpose is to mislead the defense into thinking you're going to run one play and then run another. It is a predominant play because it always starts by creating a 2 on 1 situation, so it's difficult to defend. But once the pick and roll has started, everything lies on the point guard's shoulders to take the proper decision to get a basket.

The point guard's best friend is: Ironically, the point guard is just about anybody's best friend on court, but his best friend by default in today's NBA is the power foward. You have two big, freakishly tall guys in a lineup and the power forward is the quickest, most athletic of the two, so he's the prime pick and roll partner for your point guard.

The different styles of point guard: There are two main, self-sustaining style of point guard : the score-first point guard (Allen Iverson) or the pass-first point guard (John Stockton). Since you're the main responsible for the team's offense, you need to find a way to pile up buckets. It's a requirement for every point guard to be able to at least finish at the rim and bank your layups in case your target shits the bed and passes the ball back to you. It's also good to have a 3 points shot, in case you're trapped outside the perimeter by an elite defense.

There is a new breed of athletic point guards in today's NBA who can do pretty much everything, but it's a model that is starting to show its flaws as every athletic point guard is falling prey to the same exact injury : the ACL tear. As fun as it is to watch an über-aggressive, attacking point guard, I think it's bound to disappear at some point.

Capital Stats for a point guard: 1-Assists 2-Points and sometimes 3-Steals

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The perfect point guard: He is a finesse player and a quick thinker. Ideally not the best scorer on his team. He uses speed and finesse against bigger players and uses his athleticism and size against quicker, feistier players. He should always milk the biggest physical/skills mismatch on court even if it's not him. He is a leader, a great teammate and should care about winning more than anything. Clippers' own Chris Paul is the closest thing to a perfect point guard.

* please note that I'm also a hockey fan. I am Canadian after all.

** I believe The Big O also played Shooting Guard.

*** It's a fact that AI ALSO played Shooting Guard.