by B. B. James

Created on: March 05, 2009   Last Updated: March 07, 2009

The point guard is the leader of the basketball team - the coach on the floor, so to speak. The point guards role is to bring the ball up the court to the offensive end and then to start the team on a play that will lead to a good-quality shot for a teammate. Sometimes, the point guard takes the lead in the play, perhaps by making an aggressive move towards the basket. Other times, the point guard holds the ball until he finds a teammate who is open for a shot or in a position to pass to another teammate. In short, the point guard makes the initial decision on how the play will transpire, and, if the first option on the play is thwarted, the point guard is often the play who gets the ball back and tries another tactic.

To play point guard well, a player needs several skills, some of which can be developed through extensive practice, and some of which seem almost inborn in the best players.

1. Dribbling. A point guard dribbles the ball more than any other player on the team, so it almost goes without saying that the point guard must be a good dribbler. This means that even at an early age of 10 or 12 years old, the point guard should be able to dribble well with either hand, and without looking down at the ball. The reason that the point guard can't look at the ball is that he (or she) needs to be watching everyone else on the court, in order to make a decision on where to move and whether or not to pass the ball.

2. Memory. The point guard has to be able to remember plays designed by the coach. When coming down the court, the point guard or the coach decides on a play, and the point guard yells the name of the play and puts up one hand to signal it (thus, again, the importance of being able to dribble with either hand). A point guard who can't remember that "Red Block High-Low" means that the forward on the Red (left) side will start out High (away from the basket) and move Low (towards the basket) is not going to be effective. Because that point guard knows that when his teammate makes that move, there may be an opportunity to throw him the ball, or else an opportunity to throw the ball to the teammate who is being left open because of the attention that the forward attracted by going towards the basket.

3. Vision. A point guard has to be able to see all the players on the court and to instantly assess who on his team is open for a pass, or who is moving to where he will be open. In the best players, such as Steve Nash or Magic Johnson, court-vision seems supernatural.

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