Basketball: Which Position Should You Play?: The Positions of "Positionless" Basketball and Where You'll Fit In

In basketball, unlike hockey, soccer and baseball, any player can do anything. Score in the post. Dribble. Shoot the ball. Guard whomever has the ball on the opposition. Unlike a soccer midfielder, who cannot use his hands like the goalie, or a baseball shortstop, who can’t throw pitches to the batter, a basketball player, as long as he is on the court, can perform any function the game requires. Anyone can move to any spot on the floor, and the same rules apply to every player regardless of size or designated position (if any). To this idea, basketball is and has always been “positionless”. But it is still useful to have a general idea of what your game is. The better you know your own game, the more easily you fit into a role on a team (or, the better you can tell if you can even help a certain team). The better you know your own game, the better you can sell yourself to a coach or General Manager who’s looking to fill his roster. The better you know your own game, the more easily you can look at a game situation, see what is needed, and contribute. Many teams at the professional and college level play positionless basketball. Every player knows his game and knows his role, and due to their versatility, positions and duties need not be designated for the team to play winning basketball. This is only possible when you have a group of high-caliber, high-IQ, versatile players. But not every team is this gifted. Even at the professional level, some coaches still want more structure: they will designate positions for players, and sometimes define (or confine) players’ roles based on those positions. This helps the coach maintain order and helps a coach hold players accountable for certain jobs on the court. It’s not right nor wrong: on a basketball team, a coach is the boss, and the boss makes the rules. And maybe you want a more solid idea of who you’re becoming as a player, for your own reference. You want to know which skills to develop next and you want that skill to seamlessly blend with your other skills. Plus, you may be a member of one of these more structured teams, now or in the future. You need to know who you are, what you’re doing, how that fits into the framework of any team you join, and what skills you’ll need to add to your game. I understand: The more skills, the better. But you’re on a time crunch; you don’t have forever to maximize your basketball opportunity. And maybe your next team’s coach will require that you declare a position in order to get on the roster. For the reasons stated above, I’ve created this guidebook, Which Position Should I Play? Read more