Most and least important positions in NBA

[Kurt Heimlich]

Talking positions in the classical sense is less important now than ever. Discussing the most/least important roles/skillsets is the more meaningful discussion. This is why the traditional center/power forward are devalued to the brink of oblivion. The most important roles/skillsets are shooting, ball handling and defensive versatility (length + footspeed). Low post iso scorers are lower value. Slow footed bigs are lower value. Small guards who can't shoot are low value. Etc.

[Lalouie]

only 5 players. they're all important. i don't see one team not having a certain positional need.

[NBAFan93]

Most important in the playoffs - strong and/or long forwards who can do everything - score, rebound, defend, playmake and iso

Most important in the regular season - agile guards who can shoot 3’s and score a lot of points...these players also sell a lot of tickets and get people to watch, which is why they are important for the regular season

[NBAFan93]

I also think that of all the traditional positions, not having a competent Center is kind of the biggest deal when you are going up against a team that has a good one.

[zimpy27]

Rank most to least-
Defensively: PF, SG, C, PG, SF
Offensively: SF, PG, SG, C, PF

An elite 2-way SG is most valuable
An elite 2-way C is the least valuable

[Buzzard]

1 - PG
2 - F
3 - SG
Last - C

If you have a superstar forward; the need for a great PG lessens. But there are only so many George, Leonard, Durant, and LeBron's to go around.

[Goner]

What position is the most important and least important?

I think most - PG
least - SF

Bruh, the last 8 FMVPs have been won by small forwards.

Lebron plays the point...leonard plays as a wing. Get out of where with this fake small forward thing.

Bruh, Sfs are wings. The term 'wing' can be used to generically refer to either small forwards or shooting guards since they each man a respective wing position. And although LeBron does tend to function as the PG much of the time, he defends the opposing team's SF, which is the minimum criterion for playing a particular position in this era of "positionless" basketball.

[SF_Warriors]

What position is the most important and least important?

I think most - PG
least - SF

Small forward has the last eight finals mvps..I would say it is a pretty important position

Bron
Bron
Kawhi
Iggy
Bron
KD
KD
Kawhi

[dhsilv2]

Bruh, the last 8 FMVPs have been won by small forwards.

Lebron plays the point...leonard plays as a wing. Get out of where with this fake small forward thing.

Bruh, Sfs are wings. The term 'wing' can be used to generically refer to either small forwards or shooting guards since they each man a respective wing position. And although LeBron does tend to function as the PG much of the time, he defends the opposing team's SF, which is the minimum criterion for playing a particular position in this era of "positionless" basketball.

Lebron guards whoever lebron guards. The positions were designed around their offensive role, not their defensive role. As for wings, the point here is there is no difference and never has been between a shooting guard and small forward. Teams run 2 or 3 wings along with a point and generally a big who's role is mostly for defense. Within this it is all fluid as there are no fixed roles or positions and again there never were.

[Teen Girl Squad]

I tend to think of it in terms of skill set roughly ranked as follows (as evidenced by most data metrics).

1. Perimeter offense (including the ability to get other players good looks)
2, Post defense
3. Perimeter defense
4, Post offense (including the ability to get other players good looks).

[AbeVigodaLive]

It's a lot harder to build behind a "big" offensively than any other era in NBA history.

Zone defenses are legal. And smaller players are allowed to mug the post player with near-reckless abandon, even in the middle of the 1st quarter... so it's even worse at the end of the game. It makes even getting that player the ball difficult in some sets.

Thus, perimeter players with size have an innate advantage in today's game.

[SF_Warriors]

Lebron plays the point...leonard plays as a wing. Get out of where with this fake small forward thing.

Bruh, Sfs are wings. The term 'wing' can be used to generically refer to either small forwards or shooting guards since they each man a respective wing position. And although LeBron does tend to function as the PG much of the time, he defends the opposing team's SF, which is the minimum criterion for playing a particular position in this era of "positionless" basketball.

Lebron guards whoever lebron guards. The positions were designed around their offensive role, not their defensive role. As for wings, the point here is there is no difference and never has been between a shooting guard and small forward. Teams run 2 or 3 wings along with a point and generally a big who's role is mostly for defense. Within this it is all fluid as there are no fixed roles or positions and again there never were.

I think this position-less nba argument does not necessarily remove all positional distinctions. For example, We would say JJ redick is a shooting guard. Is he the same type of wing like kawhi? No, much different players. But for example, we could put kawhi at small forward, power forward, and shooting guard and he would still be effective. JJ really is optimal for one position, and one could argue he is a liability elsewhere. We aren't going to put him at forward, for example. I think it is based more on a player's physical attributes and skillsets to determine how positionless they really are in the grand scheme of things. Star Small forwards in the traditional sense are very valuable because they have good size, and usually a very diverse skillset,which gives them the versatility to play different positions without hurting the team, and even causing mismatches. Hence the term, "positionless"



And I also do not understand why guys like bron cannot be classified as small forwards. He started next to kevin love and JR smith, both whom could be classified as the power forward and shooting guard on the cavs. Kawhi started next to siakam and danny green. Who out of those three would best classify as a small forward? Same for KD next to draymond and klay. It just makes sense to call them small forwards even though throughout the game they will play other positions.

[NBAFan93]

What position is the most important and least important?

I think most - PG
least - SF

Small forward has the last eight finals mvps..I would say it is a pretty important position

Bron
Bron
Kawhi
Iggy
Bron
KD
KD
Kawhi

Yep - and look how many of the recent MVPs have been guards who can score and/or assist on a lot of points and aren’t really the most “two way” types of players. Goes back to my post above about how for the regular season you want smaller, agile one-way guards who can score, but in the postseason it’s the bigger versatile forwards that are most important.

[dhsilv2]

Bruh, Sfs are wings. The term 'wing' can be used to generically refer to either small forwards or shooting guards since they each man a respective wing position. And although LeBron does tend to function as the PG much of the time, he defends the opposing team's SF, which is the minimum criterion for playing a particular position in this era of "positionless" basketball.

Lebron guards whoever lebron guards. The positions were designed around their offensive role, not their defensive role. As for wings, the point here is there is no difference and never has been between a shooting guard and small forward. Teams run 2 or 3 wings along with a point and generally a big who's role is mostly for defense. Within this it is all fluid as there are no fixed roles or positions and again there never were.

I think this position-less nba argument does not necessarily remove all positional distinctions. For example, We would say JJ redick is a shooting guard. Is he the same type of wing like kawhi? No, much different players. But for example, we could put kawhi at small forward, power forward, and shooting guard and he would still be effective. JJ really is optimal for one position, and one could argue he is a liability elsewhere. We aren't going to put him at forward, for example. I think it is based more on a player's physical attributes and skillsets to determine how positionless they really are in the grand scheme of things. Star Small forwards in the traditional sense are very valuable because they have good size, and usually a very diverse skillset,which gives them the versatility to play different positions without hurting the team, and even causing mismatches. Hence the term, "positionless"



And I also do not understand why guys like bron cannot be classified as small forwards. He started next to kevin love and JR smith, both whom could be classified as the power forward and shooting guard on the cavs. Kawhi started next to siakam and danny green. Who out of those three would best classify as a small forward? Same for KD next to draymond and klay. It just makes sense to call them small forwards even though throughout the game they will play other positions.

Reddick absolutely could be called a small forward or a shooting guard. What's the difference? You don't want him guarding anyone...but frankly I'd want him on anyone who is least likely to blow by him and can't man handle him.

When Green, Siaki, and Leonard were on the floor together...they were all 3 wings. None of them had point duties and none were rim protectors. Otherwise they all play in the same areas of the floor with Green being more focused on shooting as he doesn't have ball handling skills (which both makes him more traditionally a shooting guard and power forward out of the 3).

The reality is players play based on their strengths, weaknesses, and general skills. Lebron plays the point because he is the best player on his team's at running an offense. If we go back to the old traditional roles argument, does Lebron's offense come out of the high post? That's the "Small Forward's place" on the floor. Yet nobody we mentioned or discussed here actually plays out of the high post.

[SF_Warriors]

What position is the most important and least important?

I think most - PG
least - SF

Small forward has the last eight finals mvps..I would say it is a pretty important position

Bron
Bron
Kawhi
Iggy
Bron
KD
KD
Kawhi

Yep - and look how many of the recent MVPs have been guards who can score and/or assist on a lot of points and aren’t really the most “two way” types of players. Goes back to my post above about how for the regular season you want smaller, agile one-way guards who can score, but in the postseason it’s the bigger versatile forwards that are most important.

Yea, ideally you want a main guy who can a impact the game in as many ways as possible, especially in a grind it out environment like the POs. Having a 6'8+ guy who can score, shoot, handle, facilitate, but also defend multiple positions big or small, rebound, etc... is such a necessity in the playoffs. Thats is why iguodala won the fmvp in 2015. Not only was he giving the team points, but he was defending the opposing team's best player, handling the ball and facilitating, and just impacting the game in just about every way imaginable.

Why the bigger perimeter scorers benefit the most in the playoffs is that they are better equipped to handle the physicality that will for sure come in big games. Bump into curry a few times and it might affect him..bump into bron a few times and defenders get worn down. Having steph throw up shots against long defenders versus having KD throwing up shots over the same defenders..big difference in the quality of looks both guys are getting there.

[CS707]

Center. I have a hard time seeing a team winning it all with a center as their best player.

[SF_Warriors]

Lebron guards whoever lebron guards. The positions were designed around their offensive role, not their defensive role. As for wings, the point here is there is no difference and never has been between a shooting guard and small forward. Teams run 2 or 3 wings along with a point and generally a big who's role is mostly for defense. Within this it is all fluid as there are no fixed roles or positions and again there never were.

I think this position-less nba argument does not necessarily remove all positional distinctions. For example, We would say JJ redick is a shooting guard. Is he the same type of wing like kawhi? No, much different players. But for example, we could put kawhi at small forward, power forward, and shooting guard and he would still be effective. JJ really is optimal for one position, and one could argue he is a liability elsewhere. We aren't going to put him at forward, for example. I think it is based more on a player's physical attributes and skillsets to determine how positionless they really are in the grand scheme of things. Star Small forwards in the traditional sense are very valuable because they have good size, and usually a very diverse skillset,which gives them the versatility to play different positions without hurting the team, and even causing mismatches. Hence the term, "positionless"



And I also do not understand why guys like bron cannot be classified as small forwards. He started next to kevin love and JR smith, both whom could be classified as the power forward and shooting guard on the cavs. Kawhi started next to siakam and danny green. Who out of those three would best classify as a small forward? Same for KD next to draymond and klay. It just makes sense to call them small forwards even though throughout the game they will play other positions.

Reddick absolutely could be called a small forward or a shooting guard. What's the difference? You don't want him guarding anyone...but frankly I'd want him on anyone who is least likely to blow by him and can't man handle him.

When Green, Siaki, and Leonard were on the floor together...they were all 3 wings. None of them had point duties and none were rim protectors. Otherwise they all play in the same areas of the floor with Green being more focused on shooting as he doesn't have ball handling skills (which both makes him more traditionally a shooting guard and power forward out of the 3).

The reality is players play based on their strengths, weaknesses, and general skills. Lebron plays the point because he is the best player on his team's at running an offense. If we go back to the old traditional roles argument, does Lebron's offense come out of the high post? That's the "Small Forward's place" on the floor. Yet nobody we mentioned or discussed here actually plays out of the high post.

Brook Lopez is a center. Does that mean he shouldn't shoot threes? Positions now have different definitions as to what they do on the floor. Point guards can be volume scorers now. Power forwards can be spot up shooters and also have face up games. They are just no restrictions as to what players can/should not do, but it does not mean that there are no such things as positions anymore.

There are no traditional restrictions to what players do now. That does not mean we should not distinguish when a player is a shooting guard or small forward. There are players can play both, hence the wing terminology. But JJ redick is not going to start next to lou williams and patrick beverley because he is not a small forward..not in a traditional or modern basketball sense. Some players are just better suited to play one position, even though they have a very impactful skillset.

I am not going to put siakam on JJ nor am I going to put JJ on siakam. Saying they are all wings is way overgeneralizing it imo.

[DimesandKnicks]

PF's no longer exist

[DimesandKnicks]

What position is the most important and least important?

I think most - PG
least - SF

Bruh, the last 8 FMVPs have been won by small forwards.

Lebron plays the point...leonard plays as a wing. Get out of where with this fake small forward thing.

[Piecake]

Least = PF
Most = Whatever position your primary initiator plays

Center is still important for defense