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Basketball how to play point guard
Basketball how to play point guard
USA Basketball - 7 Ways to Make a Better Point Guard
Point guard is perhaps the most demanding position in basketball. A good point guard is expected to have exceptional ball-handling skills, be a scoring threat, orchestrate the offense, make assists, and play good defense against the opposing point guard. Since your point guard will touch the ball far more often than other team members, it is essential that he makes good decisions about what to do with it. Without strong point guard play, your team is going nowhere.
In fact, the point guard is often described as your representative on the court. The point guard has to have a great understanding of your wishes and has to be able to translate those wishes into realities on the court. Controlling the pace of the game, having the presence of mind to wait until players are in proper position before initiating plays, recognizing who has the hot hand, and effectively communicating your strategic directions to the team in the heat of the game all fall to the point guard.![]()
Since your point guard has so many critical responsibilities, he constantly faces strong defensive efforts to reduce his effectiveness. If the opposition can disrupt your point guard and shake his confidence, they can drastically reduce your team's offensive productivity and get easy baskets off of turnovers. Since you know for sure that your point guards will be facing constant pressure, it is your responsibility to prepare them for it.
Here are seven great basketball drills for developing point guards who can withstand and overcome this kind of defensive pressure to effectively lead the team in the direction that you want it to go.
Two-pass, Three-second Limit Three-on-two
This basketball drill is good for your entire team, but you can certainly use it specifically to hone the decision-making and reading-the-court skills of your point guards. The offense has to generate a good shot within two passes and three seconds.
Have three offensive players (all point guards if you wish) at the half-court line and two defenders stacked in the key.
Initially, the middle offensive player will have the ball and will dribble toward the key. The defender on top will cover him. The wing players should run wide and cut to the hoop at 45 degrees once they near the top of the key extended. The bottom defender will cover the first pass. The defender who stops the middle point should rotate down to stop the pass to the opposite wing cutter. If the defense has played the odds to prevent a lay-in, then the middle point man should be open at the free throw area for a jumper. That would be the second pass. If no open shot has been generated by then, the offense has failed and the "fast break" is over.
You can use this drill to develop reading-the-court abilities, too. For instance, if your middle player cuts to the hoop after passing instead of remaining at the free-throw area, then the offside wing should cut to the free-throw area.
Otherwise, the spacing is distorted and one defender could shut down two players, destroying the three-on-two advantage.
Another way to instill reading-the-court abilities is to start the ball on one of the wings. The wing is free to dribble to the hoop from the wing or to dribble to the middle position, and the other offensive players need to establish logical positions accordingly. For instance, if the wing player does dribble to the middle, then the middle player should "banana cut" behind him into the vacated wing lane. The idea is to quickly establish three good options that will always result in a good shot within two passes and three seconds.
Two-on-Three
This basketball drill will challenge your point guards to operate under intense defensive pressure. The idea is to keep from getting trapped, and, if trapped, to pass out of the trap effectively.
Have three defenders on the baseline under the basket and two offensive players at the wings outside of the three-point line.
A coach above the top of the key throws a ball to one or the other of the offensive players, who must immediately dribble inside the three-point line, which then becomes the out-of-bounds line. The defense attempts to trap him (he can dribble indefinitely; they have to make him pick up his dribble) and to prevent an escape pass. The other offensive player cuts and moves in an attempt to provide an escape target.
Play continues until the defense gets a five-second call on a stationary passer, steals the ball, intercepts a pass, or causes an out-of-bounds violation. This drill teaches your guards to dribble effectively against pressure, to move to get open, and to maintain poise when trapped. They will have to pivot and protect the ball. You can make this competitive by keeping track of which pair can maintain possession the longest. If you want to up the ante on defensive pressure, just make it two-on-four.
Three Dribble One-on-One
This simple basketball drill provides your point guards practice in their one-on-one skills.
They will need these skills when the shot clock is winding down, plus, you want your point guards to be good offensive threats. If they are, then they can penetrate, draw the defense, and distribute the ball more effectively. You certainly want a dribbling limit. The last thing you want is point guards who dribble around endlessly looking for a shot.
Position an offensive player at the free throw line and a defender under the basket with a ball. The defender throws a crisp pass to the offensive player and closes on him. He has up to three dribbles to get a shot off. If you like, you can have play remain live until the defender gets the rebound or the shot goes in, but the new dribble limit is "one."
You should vary the position of the offensive player to provide practice in attacking the hoop effectively from different angles.
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Two-Man Game
This basketball drill provides practice in establishing effective angles, cutting, exchanging the ball, and moving off of another player in an "open court" setting.
Many offenses feature such settings on the "weak" side, and two skillful players can wreak havoc on a defense if they are highly skilled in attacking the hoop strategically.
This is a four-player drill, two offense and two defense. Position your point guard three feet above the top of the key and a wing player free-throw line extended outside of the three-point line. Each should be guarded. The wing player should have his feet pointing right at the hoop.
The point guard dribbles toward the wing and attempts to penetrate into the gap. As he nears the wing, the wing reads his own defender. If his defender is sloughing off, the wing will cut high and behind the point guard as he penetrates, and the point guard will leave him the ball right off of his dribble.
However, if the wing defender is playing the passing lane aggressively or closing on the point for help defense, then the wing should back-door cut to the hoop, and the point guard should hit him for a lay-in.
The key thing is for the wing to do one or the other move explosively and decisively.
If the point defender is cheating over to prevent the penetration, then the point guard simply beats him to the hoop with a crossover dribble.
After passing to the wing, the point guard should cut for a possible return pass. If he passed back door, then he should cut to the corner. If he dribbled the ball to the wing cutting behind him into the key area, he should roll to the hoop, maintaining good spacing. It's also a good option for the point guard to simply keep the ball and continue driving to the hoop off of the decoy action provided by the wing cutter.
This drill will help the point guards develop a feel for what will work in each specific case. Give-and-go's and sudden pick-and-rolls also fit in with this drill if nothing good results from the initial attack at the wing. The drill continues until the offense scores or the defense gets a stop.
Pass and Screen Away
This basketball drill provides your point guards with practice in hitting a wing, setting an effective off-ball screen, and opening up after the cutter comes off of the screen. Many offenses feature this kind of motion from the point guard position.
This drill works best with six players, three offense and three defense. Two wings start out a foot or two above free-throw line extended and outside the three-point line, and your point guard, with a ball, starts out a few feet above the top of the key. The wings do a 'V' cut to free up, and the point guard hits one of them. Then the point sprints into position to screen for the off wing's cut. The off wing cuts off of the screen, and the point guard opens up (using a drop step to seal his defender) to the wing passer in case the wing cutter was covered. Quite often, the point guard will have a wide open path to the hoop.
Though lots of moving screens go un-penalized, you should teach your players to set correct ones and your cutters to use them properly.
Spacing and angles are critical. That's why doing this kind of drill is valuable; it features correct spacing and allows you to direct players to effective screening positions
We recommend that you start the drill as a "form" drill to establish the fundamental structure. Then, go "live" and allow the defense to do whatever they want to try to stop the play. Similarly, allow the offense to take advantage of any "cheating" by the defense. For instance, if the defender guarding the wing passer stands in the passing lane instead of in correct defensive position, the wing should simply drive straight to the hoop. If the wing defenders don't give on the V cut, then the wing should keep right on and the point guard should hit him for a lay-in.
Comprehensive Lay-in Drill
At the very least, you want your point guards to be able to shoot a basic lay-in with either hand. Really effective point guards can do much more. Being able to hit reverse lay-ins (with either hand from either side) and short hook/scoop shots makes such point guards almost impossible to stop on the drive and drastically reduces the chances that they will have their shot attempts blocked.
Having lots of options makes up for the substantial height disadvantage that most point guards face when driving to the hoop. We recommend that you include plenty of reps in these advanced lay-in techniques for your point guards. Be sure to include attack angles from the baseline and straight-on as well as from the standard 45-degree angle. Any lay-in drill format that gets you lots of reps is fine; the key thing is for you to teach and focus on these advanced techniques so that your point guards end up with skills that they can rely on in a real game situation.
Perimeter Jumpers
All things equal, a point guard who shoots well from outside is about twice as hard to guard as one who doesn't. Therefore, you should have your point guards working daily on their perimeter shooting. There are all kinds of basketball drills that you can use for this purpose, but here's one that works on conditioning and inside-out principles, too.
Start with your point guard at an elbow with a ball.
Have him pass to a player in the low block and then sprint out to the three-point line. The low-block player will hit him for a jumper. After the shot, the point guard will sprint to an elbow and back out to the next perimeter spot. Meanwhile, the low-block player gets the rebound and hits the point guard for the next jumper. You can designate five spots per round, and then you can add an upfake-before-the-shot round, an upfake-and-power-dribble-before-the-shot round, and so on.
Be sure to include rounds moving in both directions. Charting results helps with focus and motivation.
What Else Can You Do to Develop Great Point Guards?
As we mentioned at the very beginning, there is a huge amount of ground to cover when you're working with point guard play. If you're interested in learning more on this critical topic and to get free basketball drills, be sure to look over the many great resources available at WinningDrills.com.
The Ultimate Guide to Playing Point Guard
Point guards are the heart of a basketball team.
The engine. The quarterback.
A basketball team can't play in sync without a strong point guard leading the way. Point guards need to be able to dribble, pass, play defense and shoot the basketball. But they also have to make quick decisions, read and react, be a leader and be responsible.
If you're a point guard--or want to be a point guard--let this guide help you improve your game. From ball handling to leadership to passing to strength and conditioning, this is the ultimate guide for playing point guard to the best of your ability--and helping take your team to the top.
Ball Handling
The ball is always in the point guard's hand, so strong ball handling skills is a must. Visit iHoops' ball handling section to learn more, or improve your ability by following these tips:
5 Crossover Dribbling Techniques: Here are different crossovers that point guards use to maintain possession.
Shooting
Setting your team up for the best shot sometimes means taking it yourself.
Here are keys to getting off a clean shot--and swishing it.
Shooting off the Dribble: Picking up your dribble and nailing a jumper isn't easy, but this animation will help you improve.
The Shot Fake for Perimeter Players: A fundamentally sound pump fake is perfect for getting seperation from a defender for a shot. Here are keys to the perfect shot fake.
Passing
Passing is an aspect of basketball that must be a strength for any point guard. Here are some tips to making sure your passes set your teammates up perfectly without any turnovers.
Passing Fundamentals With Steve Nash: Watch as one of the NBA's all-time great point guards demonstrate the basics of passing.
Point Guard's Guide to Feeding the Post: Learn the proper fundamentals of working the ball inside to your forwards.
Perimeter Defense
The work doesn't stop when your team loses possession. Here are tips for playing strong perimeter defense and helping your team make a big stop.
6 Perimeter Defense Tips: Defense is largely effort, but are some fundamentals to keep in mind to help your D.
2-on-1 Fast Break Defense Tips for Point Guards: Point guards often find themselves on the wrong end of a 2-on-1 fastbreak. Here's what Duke University's coaching staff recommends for those situations.
Leadership
Point guards are expected to be the captain of the floor. Pick up the necessary qualities of a great leader by following this advice:
5 Steps to Being a Great Leader: "Great leaders make the impossible seem possible." Learn how to be the one who inspires your teammates.
5 Ways to Separate Yourself From the Pack: Do the little things to make yourself the best player on the floor, and become the classic leader by example.
Strength and Conditioning
Being a great point guard is more than an on-court job. Get your body ready to lead your team with these guard-specific strength and conditioning tips.
The Definitive 6-Week Guard Workout: This training plan will get any guard faster, stronger and quicker for next season.
3 Drills for an Explosive First Step: The first step is crucial for a ball handler. Here are workouts that will make you quicker than your opponent.
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How to play basketball read online Vladimir Gomelsky (Page 2)
I began to go to basketball and watch the game meaningfully, probably from the age of 6, that is, from 1959, and then I began to remember all my father's players by their first and last names. Mom always sat nearby and, as a rule, explained what was happening on the site. From an early age, I learned that in basketball, the ability to make the right decisions ultimately leads to victory.
The team that makes these decisions faster and more often wins. I have always looked at point guards with great pleasure and respect: those players on the court who have more and more possession of the ball and distribute passes to those who know how to score the ball into the ring. Now basketball is a five-on-five game, with five different roles of players on the same team. They are assigned numbers to make it easier to understand who they are talking about. The first number is a point guard, the second number is an attacking defender, the third number is a small forward, that is, a shorter forward, the fourth number is a power forward, larger in anthropometric data, and finally, the fifth number is a center - this is usually the tallest player on the court. So, the first numbers, point guards, have always interested me the most, and I can list by heart all the great point guards of our country, who went down in the history of not only domestic, but also world basketball.
One of these players was the captain of SKA Riga and the USSR national team in the 1950s Maiganis Valdmanis.
A unique point guard who never forgets that there are spectators in the stands. He looked very elegant on the court, and his technique was perfect. Later, after many years, I realized when I began to be interested in the National Basketball Association that those people who compared Valdmanis's game with Bob Kuzi's game on the NBA site in the Boston Celtics did not say in vain that they were similar. These basketball players resembled each other in technique and vision of the game, ahead of their time by many years. Such players are deservedly called geniuses, and Maiganis Valdmanis in the place of the point guard is the first genius of domestic basketball.
Another amazing player whose debut in the USSR national team in 1965 I saw with my own eyes is Zurab Sakandelidze, perhaps the fastest basketball player in Europe at that time. It is difficult to compare his speed with the speed of the stars of the National Basketball Association of those years: Sam Jones, Casey Jones, Jerry West, whose game I only saw on TV in black and white, but “Sakko” - Zurab Sakandelidze - was incredibly fast.
I saw this wonderful player at the European Championship in Moscow, where I came with my parents at the beginning of summer and where I saw the cream of European basketball, and I understood the importance of the technique of this game. Sakandelidze not only ran the 100-meter race in 11 seconds and could have done athletics, where he would have become an unsurpassed sprinter, but at this speed he also handled the ball as if it were an extension of his arm, his hand, his fingers, and It was extremely difficult to defend against such a fast and technical player. This rule still works today - the faster and more technically the player, the more difficult it is to defend against him.
Many point guards inspired my admiration, I can't help mentioning Ivan Edeshko, with whom I was lucky to be together in CSKA. It was a great pleasure to play with him because his passing skills were perfect. You just need to open up and break away from your opponent, at least a little, and Ivan gives you the ball.
That is why the winning pass across the entire field from Ivan Edeshko to Alexander Belov in 1972 in the Olympic Munich did not surprise me at all - I trained with him and saw how easily he makes such passes in our training hall. Edeshko handed out a lot of such passes, they just didn’t catch the eye of the audience, and this pass became the main one in his life: the first ever victory of the USSR team and the first ever defeat of the US team at the Olympic men's basketball tournament. It was a very important milestone for our country.
I saw how Arminak Alachachyan played, I was amazed by his refined technique, so to speak. It is a pleasure to remember my friend and teammate of CSKA - Stanislav Eremin, after whom the younger generation of point guards, who played after me, already begins. In this galaxy, the 1988 Olympic champions should be noted: Voldemaras Chomicius, Igor Miglinieks, and especially Tiit Sok - that's who was the real conductor at the Games in Seoul; they were followed by Evgeny Pashutin, Vasily Karasev, Sergey Bazarevich - the great point guards of their time.
The role of point guard in our country was deservedly respected, and our basketball - first Soviet, and then Russian - pleases fans all over the world with the number of stars in this role. My interest in this place on the team is due to the fact that as an active basketball player I have always been a point guard, but modesty does not allow me to continue the list with my own name.
The need to begin the presentation of the history of world basketball is due to how interesting the circumstances under which this game came into being. Americans are rightfully proud of their invention: the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, is considered the birthplace of basketball. The game originated at the Young Men Christian Association college. True, there is one nuance in the history of its creation: it is generally accepted that basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith, but in 1891 James Naismith was a simple teacher, and besides that he was a citizen of Canada, that is, it turns out that a Canadian gave us a wonderful sport, working in the United States of America.
James Naismith was a PE teacher at this philanthropic men's college. It was a serious institution of higher education, well equipped and equipped for that time: a large sports hall 48 meters long and 32 meters wide with high ceilings, electric lighting and a balcony for spectators. At the end of the century, most of the time in physical education classes was devoted to performing a large number of fairly boring gymnastic exercises, and students could play their favorite games - baseball and American football only on the street. Outdoor games are possible only in warm weather, and in the summer students have holidays, and the climate in Massachusetts does not favor year-round physical education in the fresh air, so the director of the college, whose name history has not preserved for us, gave teacher James Naismith the task of inventing an outdoor ball game in the room. It is difficult to say whether this task was easy for Mr. Naismith, but after two weeks he told the director that he had come up with a game in which the main goal is to score as many goals as possible - he used the word "goal" - in the opponent's basket, which is on top , which means you can't reach it.
The height at which the basket must be placed, one of the rules that Naismith devised and which has survived to this day, was 10 feet, that is, 3 meters and 5 centimeters. This is due to the fact that it was at this height in the college gym that the lower edge of the balcony was located, to which the peach basket was nailed. A very funny story is connected with peaches: in Massachusetts, peaches did not grow because of the too harsh climate, they were brought from states with milder weather conditions, for example, from Georgia - a real peach state. Throughout the country, peaches traveled in special round wicker baskets with a bottom, and after use, such baskets could only be burned. For this purpose, they were prepared in the college yard, from where Naismith took them and adapted them in the gym for a new game. The most interesting thing is that at first the baskets hung with the bottom. The first basketball games in Springfield were held on 9for 9 people in the team, which is explained by the large number of students in the class - 16-20 people.
Dribbling had not yet been invented: it was impossible to drive the ball, and it was also forbidden to run with the ball - this is the second rule that is still alive. According to the rule, you can run without the ball, and after the player has caught the ball, the rule regulates the ability to take two steps and stop in place. Thus, it turns out that the invented team game was softer than it is now, because physical contact between players of opposite teams was prohibited by the rules - all collisions were interpreted in favor of the attacking team. I have tried many times to imagine playing by the rules of the 19th century, and it seems to me that basketball was not as spectacular as its modern version, but I believe that then the game was more exciting. It was required to show certain athletic qualities: jerk speed, jumping ability, endurance and, most importantly, a sense of elbow - the ability to see a free partner and give him a pass, while the most important thing is that the partner was at a close distance from the basket in order to transport the ball there.
The duties of the referee during the match, and he was alone, included getting the ball out of the basket, so the stepladder was an obligatory attribute of the first basketball games. Photographs have been preserved, though taken 10 years later, where Dr. Naismith, standing on such a stepladder, removes the ball from the basket. In fact, just three weeks later, when the throwing skills of the college students in Springfield began to develop, it became clear that using a stepladder was not the best option, and a truly wise decision was made: the bottoms were cut out of the peach baskets and the ball, falling into the basket, fell through through - down. Around the same period, the name of the game was born, which has come down to us: "basketball" ("basket" - basket, "bol" - ball). One interesting fact that I really like is that basketball and volleyball are the same age, both of these sports were born in the United States of America, and university teachers are the inventors.
Positions in basketball, their meanings and placement on the playing field
Basketball has always been and will always be a team sport.
Such a game depends on the uniqueness and abilities of each. Despite the fact that modern teams are distinguished by the multifunctionality of each of their members and are able to replace each other to some extent, each of them has its own position in basketball and its significance. The amateur sport of this sport has five roles, and the professional one has ten. Therefore, if you plan to start playing, then it is simply necessary to get acquainted with the basic description of the roles of the players.
The versatility of sport predetermines its success. Such athletes bring a lot of benefits to the team as a whole than players with a narrow specialization. But it is important for a coach to understand that everyone has their own strengths that need to be used and developed.
How many people are playing?
There are only five player positions in basketball. They are also called field. Usually, two teams must enter the court. The rest are considered as reserve players (no more than seven people for one team).
There are twelve athletes in total in a game, substitutions during the last one are not limited. In order for the main participant to become a substitute, the second must be invited by the judge.
What are the roles of the players?
The game is considered to be a team game - here each participant is equitably invested in the result, which will be the result. In other words, thanks to the formation in basketball on the court, everyone has their own role, according to which tasks are determined.
At the moment there are no rules in force that would describe exactly the presence of all roles, the location of each player and with whom he must play. All information is conditional, therefore, the coach decides which tactics and arrangement to choose, depending on the team performers and the opponent. However, there are a few basic positions that are most commonly seen at the present time.
Point guard
"PG position" in basketball refers to the shortest player with the highest ball handling and IQ in the sport.
The task of such a participant is to be responsible throughout the entire gameplay for dribbling the ball across the field. He also needs to be careful to build an attack, taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of the enemy. At the time of defense, the first number bears a certain responsibility - it holds back the point guard of the second team. All this thanks to the ability to analyze and prevent the implementation of the strategic plan of the enemy.
It is no coincidence that PG in basketball is called the general of the playing field. In many ways, it is he who determines the outcome of the entire game, so it is important that the team listens. Yes, and the first number should be able to communicate well with others.
His characteristic features are expressed in:
- free possession of the ball;
- high speed;
- dexterity in working with the ring;
- good jumping ability.
Earlier, when the game was still not so developed, the declarer performed combinations only at the beginning of the attack.
Shooting guard
The role of the attacking or Shooting Guard in basketball is very similar to the previous one. The roles are interchangeable. But in the first case, the participant should not be engaged in building attacking strategies. His main goal is to score from anywhere on the playing court. This allows every offensive tactic to focus on the defender's roll. A basketball player in this role is always popular, as he is often the most capable player in the league or the leader of his team. It is thanks to him that the audience enjoys exciting moments. Such participants in basketball are also called scorers, as they bring points well for the whole team and work for defense.
Usually this basketball player is focused on the offensive, but if defense is required, he carries it out near the weakest of the opponents or helps the point guard.
The basketball player is strong in:
- maximum hit accuracy. This is what most often leads to the victory of the entire squad.
- feed rates;
- dribbling;
- navigation.
Light forward
The role has another name - the third number. The main goal of Small Forward in basketball is to score points. Compared to defenders, attacking players are taller, which means they block the shot better. The third numbers can boast of a good hit in the ring from almost every distance. The area on the court where they play is called the three-point arc. The small forward is able to block one of the best players of the second team, as he easily reaches out and does not allow the opponent to make a throw. In addition, its weight allows you to push away a member of the opposite composition. They also differ in agility and speed.
Power forward
The second tallest member of the team plays the role of Power Forward in modern basketball. He usually plays around the free throw circle. The main goal of the fourth number is the successful blocking of an incoming opponent.
So he does not allow the latter to successfully attack. The power forward is also strong offensively, as he accurately hits the ball into the basket from medium distance when it is passed by the defender. In defense, he must be able to block an opponent's shot, which is difficult for the center to reach.
We also recommend reading: How useful is basketball for adults?
The basketball offensive player must also hold the ball so that the stronger ones can push forward.
Distinctive features are expressed in:
- the ability to block any throws and passes;
- throws from a certain distance;
- holding a basketball.
Center
The player of this basketball role plays on the field under the hoop. If you look at all the participants, you will definitely not confuse him with anyone - he will be the tallest. Also, such an athlete has athletic data and high mobility.
In the classic version, the fifth number in basketball could not boast of good throw accuracy, but now a lot has changed.
Now he is able to shoot accurately from medium range with ease, and even score a three-pointer, which is why the second name of the center is “stretch 5”.
We also recommend reading: "Learning to shoot a three-pointer."
At the end of the game, a certain strategy is usually used - it is necessary to foul on number 5 so that he misses from a free kick.
The ball must then go to the opponent. Such a strategy in basketball is directed against the spreaders. The idea of its origin arose as an option to resist the legend of this sport named Shaquille O'Neal. This leader under the basket was considered almost as useless as a free-throw basketball player.
In general, number fives are considered valuable shots for any sports club. But usually basketball players with such a set of skills and abilities come across very rarely.
What indicators do positions depend on?
There are certain parameters that help distribute the roles in basketball.
