basketball is a very versatile sport, with different positions for the players, each with its own importance on the court. As such, the basketball positions are essential for creating the best game strategies, improving each team’s performance.
Each basketball position requires unique skills from its players, as well as specific responsibilities that will help make the dynamics of the match even more fluid, whether on offense or defense.
Basketball positions range from point guards, who need to be agile and skillful in order to develop the best attacking moves on the court, to pivots, who have the responsibility of protecting the basket and standing out in defense for their team on the court.
By understanding how basketball positions work and how they work on the court, a player can improve his chances of standing out against the other team. This also improves their chances of scoring the best baskets and winning the game.
This understanding also helps the team to create a dynamic on the court, with each player relying on the other for better performance.
Even if you’re not going to play basketball and you like the sport, it’s very interesting to know how it works and its positions, making the experience of watching the games much more fun and interesting.
So let’s see what the basketball positions are?
Participate in our free Whatsapp community and receive daily tips, news and trivia on more than 50 sports! Click here to join.
Basketball positions: complete list
- Armorer;
- Playmaker;
- Ward;
- Pivot wing;
- Pivot.
Basketball positions: learn more about them
Now, take a look at how each of the basketball positions works on the court.
Armorer
Basketball players who play the position of point guard tend to be the shortest, but they also need to be agile and have a lot of skill with the ball.
These players also have the responsibility of carrying the ball to start an attack against the opposing team, initiating the play. This way, they end up distributing the best passes to their teammates, as well as organizing the pace of the match.
The point guards are also their team’s main perimeter defenders, so they have the responsibility of intercepting dangerous passes and preventing the opposing team’s players from making progress on the court.
Playmaker
The point guard is usually his team’s main shooter, with the main responsibility of scoring points, sometimes throwing the ball from a long distance, and his shots need to be accurate because of this.
The wingsmen can also have the mission of entering the opposing team’s defense, either finishing a play or creating new passing opportunities. The player in this position can also mark the opposing team’s point guard, helping to defend their perimeter.
Wing
A wing player needs to be very versatile, with a combination of three important characteristics: height, agility and physical strength. The winger can also score on the court in a variety of ways, either by making shots or infiltrating the opposing team’s area and plays.
It’s worth noting that the wings also play a very important role in defense, having to mark the opposing team’s best attacking player, protecting the rim at all costs.
Pivot wing
The pivot guards are also very important in a basketball game, being the players who rely not only on physical strength, but also on their ability to score while close to the basket.
As such, the shooting guard needs to have a lot of knowledge in order to score points while in the paint, not only by making shots close to the basket, but also by grabbing offensive rebounds. On defense, the wing-pivot is responsible for protecting the basket, in other words, blocking the opposing team’s shots.
Pivot
Players who play the pivot position, which is in the center of the court, need to be the tallest on the team, as they can play a very important role in their team’s defense and also in rebounding.
The pivot players are responsible for scoring points close to the basket, making the best dunks, trays and hook shots.
On defense, the pivot has the task of protecting the basket by blocking the opposing team’s shots, as well as changing the path of the ball and grabbing the best rebounds.
Basketball positions: which is the most important?
After getting to know all the basketball positions and understanding how each one works, you must have been curious to know which one is the most important on the court, right?
In fact, the answer to this question is easy: all positions are important for the best performance in the game and for winning. However, there is one position that stands out from the others and that needs to exist on the court, otherwise the plays wouldn’t be the same
Therefore, the position that would be considered most important in basketball would be that of point guard. This is because the point guards have different missions, not only leading the attack, but also distributing the ball to the other players, controlling the pace of the game and organizing the defense.
Therefore, the playmakers are those players who will make the best decisions quickly, with a lot of intelligence and being able to act under pressure.
Since the amateurs create the best scoring opportunities, they are essential for the other positions to be able to carry out their missions within a match. This doesn’t mean, as we’ve said before, that all the other positions aren’t important.
Basketball positions: complete list
- Armorer;
- Playmaker;
- Ward;
- Pivot wing;
- Pivot.
Now that you know all about the basketball positions and how they work, take the opportunity to continue browsing the site to find out more about the sport and various other disciplines.
Also leave your comment here, telling us what you thought of the article and what else you’d like to read on the site!
- Baseball positions: pitcher, hitter, bases and more
- Handball positions: winger, playmaker, pivot and more
- Muay Thai moves: jab, straight, hook and more
