Commonly referred to as the "leader of attack" and compared to the quarterback position in American football, the point guard is one of the most important positions on the basketball court. Playing the role of point guard requires great ball possession skills, good scoring skills, and a thorough understanding of your team's strategy. However, this versatile position also gives you the opportunity to play an important role on the field by leading the offensive and scoring efforts. Being a point guard is difficult, but it is also one of the most satisfying positions for a basketball player.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Learning the Role
Step 1. Dribble the ball forward
At the most basic level, the point guard is responsible for moving the ball across the court, keeping the ball in his team's possession, and preparing for offensive play. This means he must pass the ball to his teammates to start play, and, whenever possible, score. The point guard usually gets the ball when it is passed to him at the start of an offensive play. In general, he will dribble the ball towards the opponent's defense, then defend around the three-pointer line to strategize.
Of course there are some exceptions. For example, if the defending side presses hard (which means guarding every attacking player even before these players have crossed the half-court), then the point guard may not be able to freely dribble the ball alone. In a case like this, he may have to pass the ball to his partner immediately
Step 2. Keep the ball in your team's possession
When the point guard is dribbling the ball forward, he will usually continue to do so until a strategy begins. As he approaches the net, he will be under increasing pressure from the opposing defense. Normally, when he reached the three-point line, there would be one person guarding him and he wouldn't be able to move forward without risking the opponent's tight defence. When the point guard approaches the ring, he must be careful not to give the opposing defender a chance to steal the ball.
Be aware that usually a point guard should not stop dribbling until necessary (for example at the start of a strategy). If the point guard stops dribbling, he cannot move again without a penalty. This means that the opposing defense only needs to keep it from passing the ball or shooting, making their job a lot easier
Step 3. Pass the ball to a freestanding teammate
One of the important tasks of a point guard is to pass the ball to a teammate who has a high chance of scoring. In general, if a point guard sees a partner standing near the ring or around the perimeter of a poorly guarded key, he should pass the ball to that partner so that the teammate can shoot without interruption. A good point guard should have a lot of assists (passes that result in a score) at the end of most of his games - this is a sign that he is constantly passing the ball to the right people to score for his team.
Step 4. If you are in a free position, do a jump shot or layup
While giving other players a chance to score is an important point guard job, he can't be lacking in doing so either. If the point guard sees that all of his teammates are shadowed by opposing defenders but he himself is in a free position to score, he must do so through a layup or jump shot. If the opposing defenders realize that he is not able to do this task well, then they may leave him unguarded and concentrate on the other players so that the point guard's team has a hard time scoring.
A point guard with a good three-pointer or jump shot is invaluable. With this ability, he has the potential to score from any position around the ring, meaning the opposing defense will always have to guard against it. This makes it easy for the other players on his team to score
Step 5. Prepare to defend after shooting the ball
Regardless of whether your team gets the ball into the ring or not, the point guard must immediately prepare to defend when the ball is in the air. The exception is if he sees an opportunity and gets close to the ring for a layup, otherwise he'll probably be somewhere around the end of the key perimeter or around the three-point line. This position will provide a crucial advantage when defending - because he is usually the player in the position furthest from the ring, is also one of the players in the most ideal position to immediately prepare the defense when the ball changes hands.
Be on the lookout for fast breaks (a situation where the opposing team immediately turns around after your attack has failed) - if you see an opposing defender pass you as soon as the ball goes into the ring or his team gets a rebound, follow him! You may be the only player not near the opposing ring, so you are the only one who can prevent the opposing team from scoring points easily
Part 2 of 4: When Attacking
Step 1. Stay on the perimeter of the action
Although a point guard may sometimes play near the ring, usually his standard position is at the top of the action - this means near or right on the three-point line in front of the ring. This position will give him a good perspective on the players of both teams, which will be important to see scoring opportunities and start a strategy. This position also provides the easiest and smoothest path to the ring if the opposing defender fails to guard it.
Of course a point guard does not have to limit his movement only in this zone. If an offensive strategy requires it, he must be versatile in all areas of the court, including under the ring
Step 2. Direct the other attacking players to complete the strategy
As mentioned in the opening section of this article, a point guard usually acts as an attack leader. Since he usually starts the game with a dribble and is around the perimeter of the action, he is in a better position than the rest of the team to provide direction in scoring opportunities. The point guard usually gives verbal commands, hand signals, and code words to direct his teammates. For example, in a strategy, he might name a strategy his team has trained, or direct a partner to approach the ring through eye contact and a quick movement of his head.
- The point guard's orders must always create scoring opportunities for his teammates. If he is not looking for a partner who is free to pass the ball, then he must always make sure to give orders for his teammates to look for gaps so that he or someone else can score.
- To familiarize yourself with the types of directions a good point guard gives, watch him during a match. The next time you watch a basketball game, pay attention to the point guard. You must have seen him trying to do field surveys, giving orders and nonverbal cues to his teammates. For example, a point guard very often asks for screen assistance (teammates cover the opposing defender who is guarding another teammate) by making eye contact with one of his colleagues and directing it to the opposing defender who is in front of the point guard.
Step 3. "Feed" your teammates with a quick and effective ball pass
When a point guard sees a teammate who has a scoring opportunity, he must pass the ball to him as quickly as possible so that the teammate can score based on his pass. So, a point guard must pass as efficiently as possible. He should not make passes that are too real - this will signal to the opposing defender that a pass is imminent.
- In high-level basketball games, point guards sometimes make no-look passes, behind-the-back passes, and fake-out moves to great effect. However, if you're inexperienced with these moves, don't lean on them during a match. Never try a cool or great pass if a simple chest pass will suffice.
- Be careful when passing the ball into a crowd, even if the person you are aiming for is free. The more opposing players near your pass, the greater the chance that the pass will be interrupted.
Step 4. Know when (and how) to shoot
As mentioned above, if a point guard poses a credible scoring threat, then this is a huge bonus for his team. If the opposing defenders believe you can score, they will guard you and let your teammate go. The best way to become a scoring threat against your opponent's defense is to score points when you have the chance. If your opponent's line of defense doesn't protect you, punish them for it.
- For example, if you pass the ball to a teammate, but he is immediately covered and cannot shoot it. If the opposing defender who was guarding you is following the ball, then immediately request the ball back from your teammate so you can shoot - there is a greater chance for your teammate to pass the ball back to you than for the opposing defender to return to his previous position to take care of you. However, know that both you and your team-mates must always be aware of what the opposing defense is doing.
- If there's an opposing defender in front of you while you're trying to shoot, one way to do it freely is to use the pump fake move. Basically, start with your usual shooting motion, then stop abruptly. Stand firm, bend your knees, hold the ball with both hands, and raise it to nose level as if you were about to shoot. If done well, the defender may jump in to try to make a block, giving you a chance to dodge him or timing your shot so you do it when he's back down.
Step 5. Control the tempo of your ball possession
Since the point guard will control the ball most of the time in his team's power, he can control how fast the game will go. If he spends time dribbling and shooting, he is considered to be slowing play, but if he immediately runs or passes the ball to a teammate who is free to shoot, he is considered to speed up play. Both of these can be the right choice depending on the state of the game. Here are some examples of situations that may require you to speed up or slow down your game:
- Your team leads the game after a few successful fast breaks, but your teammates look tired. In this case, slow down to give them a chance to recuperate while the ball is in your hands - you may end up making better results in the long run if you don't score more points soon.
- Your opponents look tired. If that's the case, look for fast breaks to speed up the game and score some points easily - the defense just can't keep up the tempo, so take advantage of their fatigue!
- You've started a fast break, but your opponents have managed to get back into their territory and keep the ring. If this happens, don't try to get past the crowd of opposing defenders - instead, stay on the perimeter and wait for your teammates to catch up with you.
Part 3 of 4: On Defense
Step 1. Stay on the perimeter to guard the opponent's point guard
Just like when attacking, the point guard usually defends around a key perimeter or near the opponent's three-point line. This position will allow him to guard the opposing team's point guard, by playing the opposite of his usual role when in an attacking position. This will put the necessary pressure on the opponent's point guard to prevent him from shooting or approaching the ring as he runs across the court.
However, when attacking, there are many cases where you need to move from your standard position. It all depends on what the offensive line is doing. For example, if the point guard passes the ball to a teammate and he moves closer to the ring, keep a close eye on him to prevent him from gaining easy access to the ring. In this case, there's a good chance he'll want to get the ball back to lay up under the ring, so stay between himself and the ring
Step 2. Use strong defensive tactics
A common saying in basketball is that defending is 90% about attitude, 10% about ability - in other words, the strategy is much easier, but your physical state is actually more important. To be the most effective defender, be aware of how you use your body to defend against your opponent. Here are some defensive tips for a point guard:
- Be in a low position. Keep your shoulders low, with your hips leaning back. This will make it easier for you to react to your opponent's moves while guarding him - especially if he's trying to get past you.
- Always keep your hands ready. Most defensive players usually leave one hand up when their opponent is within shooting range - they do this to try to block the opponent's shot. Many also like to keep one of their hands down to cut passes and try to steal the ball.
- Stay about an arm's length away from your opponent. If you're too far away, he may be able to shoot before you can reach him to do a block, but if you get too close, he will easily pass you.
- Have fast footwork. Use short, fast steps like a linesman at a football game. The faster your footsteps, the faster you will be able to react to changes in your opponent's direction.
Step 3. Take care of the lines of the operands
Since you're guarding your opponent's point guard, make sure you're aware of a lot of passes. It's nearly impossible to cut every pass, and if you try, your opponents will quickly learn to trick you and aim for the ring. Try to be aware of the position of the attacking players, so that when you see a pass being made, you can move to the front of your opponent's pass as he does so, so you can cut through the pass. It's not easy to strike a balance between cutting-passing and guarding an opponent's point guard, so a point guard who defends well is usually highly valued.
Because of his back-to-back position, it's usually more difficult for a point guard in a defensive position to know what's going on on the court than an opponent in an offensive position. You can quickly look behind you and your flanks to guess your opponent's offensive position, but don't take your eyes off your opponent for too long or he'll shoot free
Step 4. Prevent offensive party fast breaks
As noted above, sometimes a point guard is the only defender who is in a position to guard the opposing team's fast break. In this case, try to stay between the dribbler and the hoop. Don't let him pass you or he will easily score. Be prepared to follow him into the ring - most fast breaks will end in a layup attempt.
Fast breaks are very hard to resist if two opposing players are coming at you at the same time. If this happens, make sure you don't focus too much on any of them. If you focus too much on just one person, he will pass the ball to his partner and you won't have time to react before he scores. Try to stay in front of both players in a position between them and the ring. Balance your attention between the two players to slow them down and give your teammates time to catch up. If one of the opposing players stops dribbling before he is very close to the ring, be prepared to guard the other players and try to rebound. If both players have a chance to score easily near the ring, be prepared to block
Part 4 of 4: Become a Team Leader
Step 1. Know and understand your coach's tactics
Compared to other players, point guards usually have a special relationship with their coaches. The point guard is responsible for executing the coach's offensive strategy on the court but must also have the knowledge of the coach's playing strategy necessary to take the initiative when the situation calls for it. For these reasons, a point guard must understand the coach's offensive strategy book better than anyone else on his team (and must be able to carry out the coach's instructions when given during play).
In addition, because he usually controls the ball early in the game, a point guard is given captaincy duties such as requesting a time out. Knowing when to do these things requires him to be familiar with the coach's strategy and the conditions on the pitch (especially in late stages when time-outs and other time-consuming tactics are often required)
Step 2. Have good communication with your teammates
A point guard who is not able to communicate with his teammates on the field will be a big weak point for his team. The point guard must be able to use his voice and body to give direction to his teammates to create scoring opportunities, execute strategies, and so on. An important part of developing this communication skill is practicing a lot as a team so that each member knows what kind of signal the point guard will give and how they should communicate as a player.
The point guard can discuss with his teammates and agree on a system of signals, code words, etc. to ensure his team's strategy remains a secret on the field. For example, if he raises his fist when he's at the end of the key point, this could be a signal for the small forward to back down to the three-point line and get ready for the pass
Step 3. Lead by example
Because of your unique position, the rest of your teammates (especially the inexperienced ones) will expect you to "set the tone" of play and practice. A good point guard takes the game seriously, trains hard, listens to his coach, and continues to improve his skills outside of training. He will also support his colleagues to do the same. By earning the respect of his teammates for his hard work and dedication, the point guard can improve team communication and help develop valuable friendships on the pitch.
Step 4. Learn from the NBA's best point guards
The world of professional basketball has no shortage of great point guards – with some being league legends of all time, while others are still active today. Watching these point guards dominate the court will provide the inspiration, humility, and educational points an amateur point guard looking to improve on. Here are some NBA point guards who are considered some of the best in their position:
- Fill Thomas
- Gary Payton
- Magic Johnson
- Jason Kidd
- John Stockton
Tips
- Master the fake moves! This move is very useful as a point guard if your opponent's defense is strong during a match.
- Practice, practice, and practice.
- Learn the basics and rules of basketball before you step onto the court! You can try looking for articles on wikiHow about how to play basketball.
