My take on basketball positions
Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2023 3:53 pm
I've been frustrated for some time by the existing 5 positions and how they drive the discourse. I think they add nothing and force people to compare apples to oranges, guys who have completely different roles in their teams.
Starting from BBallIndex offensive a defensive positions, I tried to simplify and create a smaller set that could better describe what we see on the court.
Primary ball handler:
This is a guy who's primary role is to bring up the ball and organize the offense. He can finish plays but rarely he's the one creating the advantage.
Example: Rubio, Rondo, Lonzo Ball
Perimeter creator:
This is a guy who who will both score, organize the offense and create for others. He can also bring the ball up but he's the one often creating the advantage. Guys who relentessly attack the basket are often in this group
Example: Luka, LeBron, Trae, Garland, Shai, Morant
On ball scorer:
The difference between this and the primary creator is that the scorer will most of the time look for his won hot and pass only as a last resort. Moreover, this player will take more pull up shots rather than drives, hence moving the defense less.
Example: Durant, Booker, Mitchell, Tatum
Off ball scorer:
These guys are mostly movement shooters whose primary threat is their ability to cut or make contested shots off the catch.
Example: Curry, Bane, Thompson, Huerter
Perimeter defender:
This guy will be known for his defense on the perimeter. He can have a secondary offensive role but this must NOT be what he's known for and his calling card. The best of these guys are able to guard 1-3 and eventually switch up, but their calling card would be defending on guards
Example: Holiday, KCP, Wiggins, Bridges, Smart
Defensive big wing:
There's a lot of contamination between this and the previous group, but the difference I see is that these guys are more meant to defend the 3 and up, and eventuallyt he best of them can switch to the 1 or the 5.
Example: Gordon, Anunoby, Crowder, Tucker
Offensive big:
This is tricky, the guys here will need to be the ones who's primary calling card is that you run your offense through them, they are not just finishers. And that they will prioritize this part of their game rather than focus on their defense. They can be good on defense, but the idea is that you want them to be always involved on offense.
Example: Jokic, Embiid, Sabonis, Sengun, Valanciunas, Giannis
Defensive bigs:
These are instead guys who bring rim protection and/or mobility, and that's their primary calling card. They can be very good on offense, but primarily as finishers.
Example: Bam, Davis, Allen, Mobley, Gobert
To be clear, there are guys who can realistically do multiple things and the separation sometimes is not really clearcut.
For instance, Curry can play both on ball and be a primary creator and off ball.
Giannis I had no clue what to do with him.
Davis might sound weird to put him in the same category of Gobert, given his scoring volume.
It sounds limiting to call JRue a perimeter defender, but the reality is that he's just good as primary creator, he wouldn't be where he is without that defense and that's why he's at his best with Middleton and Giannis next to him.
What do you think?
Would it make sense to try to make rankings by position based on that?
Just to be clear, this is what I consider the primary roles, but when ranking you must take the whole package.
It makes totally sense to rank as a better defensive big a guy who's maybe not as good on defense but much better on offense: would likely both be used as defensive bigs in their teams (so similar role) but the offense would make the second a more effective player.
Interesting also how you don't need all of them in a lineup, but you can decide to even have multiple guys in the same role.
For instance, the Cavs have two defensive bigs, the Suns two perimeter scorers, the Warriors two off ball scorers, the Mavs two primary creators.
Starting from BBallIndex offensive a defensive positions, I tried to simplify and create a smaller set that could better describe what we see on the court.
Primary ball handler:
This is a guy who's primary role is to bring up the ball and organize the offense. He can finish plays but rarely he's the one creating the advantage.
Example: Rubio, Rondo, Lonzo Ball
Perimeter creator:
This is a guy who who will both score, organize the offense and create for others. He can also bring the ball up but he's the one often creating the advantage. Guys who relentessly attack the basket are often in this group
Example: Luka, LeBron, Trae, Garland, Shai, Morant
On ball scorer:
The difference between this and the primary creator is that the scorer will most of the time look for his won hot and pass only as a last resort. Moreover, this player will take more pull up shots rather than drives, hence moving the defense less.
Example: Durant, Booker, Mitchell, Tatum
Off ball scorer:
These guys are mostly movement shooters whose primary threat is their ability to cut or make contested shots off the catch.
Example: Curry, Bane, Thompson, Huerter
Perimeter defender:
This guy will be known for his defense on the perimeter. He can have a secondary offensive role but this must NOT be what he's known for and his calling card. The best of these guys are able to guard 1-3 and eventually switch up, but their calling card would be defending on guards
Example: Holiday, KCP, Wiggins, Bridges, Smart
Defensive big wing:
There's a lot of contamination between this and the previous group, but the difference I see is that these guys are more meant to defend the 3 and up, and eventuallyt he best of them can switch to the 1 or the 5.
Example: Gordon, Anunoby, Crowder, Tucker
Offensive big:
This is tricky, the guys here will need to be the ones who's primary calling card is that you run your offense through them, they are not just finishers. And that they will prioritize this part of their game rather than focus on their defense. They can be good on defense, but the idea is that you want them to be always involved on offense.
Example: Jokic, Embiid, Sabonis, Sengun, Valanciunas, Giannis
Defensive bigs:
These are instead guys who bring rim protection and/or mobility, and that's their primary calling card. They can be very good on offense, but primarily as finishers.
Example: Bam, Davis, Allen, Mobley, Gobert
To be clear, there are guys who can realistically do multiple things and the separation sometimes is not really clearcut.
For instance, Curry can play both on ball and be a primary creator and off ball.
Giannis I had no clue what to do with him.
Davis might sound weird to put him in the same category of Gobert, given his scoring volume.
It sounds limiting to call JRue a perimeter defender, but the reality is that he's just good as primary creator, he wouldn't be where he is without that defense and that's why he's at his best with Middleton and Giannis next to him.
What do you think?
Would it make sense to try to make rankings by position based on that?
Just to be clear, this is what I consider the primary roles, but when ranking you must take the whole package.
It makes totally sense to rank as a better defensive big a guy who's maybe not as good on defense but much better on offense: would likely both be used as defensive bigs in their teams (so similar role) but the offense would make the second a more effective player.
Interesting also how you don't need all of them in a lineup, but you can decide to even have multiple guys in the same role.
For instance, the Cavs have two defensive bigs, the Suns two perimeter scorers, the Warriors two off ball scorers, the Mavs two primary creators.