Point guard

The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. This position has a special role and is often the shortest player, though not always.

Point guards control the speed of the game. They “run” the team’s offense by handling the ball and making sure it gets to the right player at the right time. They need to be very good at passing and dribbling to move the ball around the court. In a pick and roll offense, the point guard usually moves around screens to pass the ball to a big, like a power forward or center. They can also shoot when they have space.

On defense, point guards usually guard players near the edge of the key area. Most of all, a point guard must understand and follow the coach’s game plan, much like a quarterback in gridiron football. They also need to adjust to what the other team allows and keep control of the game’s pace.

Overview

A point guard is a special player in basketball. Their main job is to help the team score by passing the ball to teammates or sometimes scoring themselves. They are like a coach on the court, handling the ball and deciding where to pass it. Point guards start plays, pass the ball to the best scorer, and control how fast the game goes. They need to be good teammates, know when to speed up the game with a fast break, and plan careful plays. Point guards must also keep track of important things like the shot clock and the score while leading their team.

Examples

Magic Johnson won the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award three times, the most for a point guard in NBA history. Stephen Curry and Steve Nash have each been named the league MVP twice. Other NBA point guards with wins include Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Since 1969, Johnson and Curry are the only point guards to win the NBA MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP awards in their careers. Notable point guards of the WNBA include five-time champion Sue Bird, her Olympic teammate Diana Taurasi and Courtney Vandersloot. In the NBA, point guards generally range from 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) to 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) whereas in the WNBA, point guards are usually 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) or shorter. Having above-average size (height, muscle) is considered helpful, but skills like awareness, speed, quickness and ball-handling are more important. At 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) the shortest player in NBA history, Muggsy Bogues played 889 games in a 14-year career as a point guard.

After the opponent scores, it is usually the point guard who brings the ball up the court to start an offensive play. Passing skills, ball handling and court vision are important. Speed is helpful; a fast point guard can create space to work. Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring. John Stockton holds the all time NBA record for assists. Another major factor is the assist-to-turnover ratio, which shows the player's decision-making skills. In today’s basketball, a good point guard also needs a decent jump shot.

The point guard stands on the edge of the play to see everything, which is important because they need to lead. Announcers often call the point guard a "coach on the floor" or a "floor general." These names were true in the past, when some point guards, such as Lenny Wilkens, were also coaches while playing. This is rare now, as coaches usually focus on coaching. Some point guards have freedom in the offense, but they still need to show good leadership.

Besides leadership and basketball skills, ball-handling is important for a point guard. Usually, the point guard has the ball and needs to keep it and move it quickly. A point guard with good ball-handling and quickness to drive to the basket is very valuable.

After ball-handling, passing and scoring are important for a point guard. As the main decision-maker, a point guard’s passing skill decides how well they can turn their decisions into action. It is one thing to see a good position for a teammate. It is another to actually pass the ball there. For this reason, point guards are usually better at passing than scoring. But a good jump shot and the ability to score by driving to the basket are still useful skills. Point guards often use their scoring to help their work as decision-makers.

In addition to the traditional role, modern teams use point guards in new ways. Some modern point guards use a style of play usually done by bigger players. They use moves like the drop step, spin move and fade-away jump shot.

In recent years, basketball has changed from a careful style to a more athletic, scoring style. This created so-called combo guards at the point guard position. These more explosive point guards focus on scoring instead of setting up others, sometimes skipping passes and defense for higher scores. Young, shorter players now develop scoring skills, which used to be hard without true point guard skills. Combo guards can surprise defenses by driving to the basket or stepping back for a shot. But there are downsides to this style. A point guard usually controls the offense and decides who gets the ball. Scoring point guards often look to score first, which can stop teammates from getting the ball. Even so, combo guards still need good passing skills, but not as much as traditional point guards.

A defensive point guard is very good at stopping the other team’s point guard from scoring. They use pressure on the ball to cause mistakes and create steals and scoring chances for their team. One famous defensive point guard is Kirk Hinrich, known for his quickness and defense against the pick and roll. His skills helped the Kansas Jayhawks reach the Final Four in the NCAA Division I tournament in 2002 and 2003. Hinrich led the Jayhawks to the 2003 National Championship game and played for the Chicago Bulls in the 2003 NBA draft.

Other defensive point guards include Jrue Holiday, who helped the Milwaukee Bucks win the 2021 NBA Finals with his defense against Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Marcus Smart, a point guard for the Boston Celtics, won NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Other NBA point guards known for defense include Gary Payton, Chris Paul, Patrick Beverley, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Mike Conley Jr.