Position-less Basketball

As Jalen Rose states, “positions were created so a novice can follow the game.” Rose couldn’t have hit the nail on the head any better.

The belief that “small ball” is fairly new, dating back to Phoenix’s 7 seconds or less offense is false. The Showtime Lakers and Pat Riley were the initial engineers to the small ball phenomenon. Riley would take Kareem out of the game and play 5 guys about 6’8”, completely ignoring conventional wisdom.

Utilizing the terms “point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, center” not only limits, but also creates confusion and in some cases anger for players. Honestly, is Tim Duncan a 4 or 5, is LeBron a 3 or 4, and is Russell Westbrook a 1 or 2? Simply put, they are BASKETBALL PLAYERS. Forcing a player into a “position” to fit your team is not right. There is no reason to play one PG, SG, SF, PF, and C. You need to play guys with certain skills needed to play winning basketball.

First things first, as a coach, you need to create a language for your program to follow. Your players need to become fluent in your language to create a connection and the ability to comprehend one another. To simplify your language and eliminate some nonsense within your program, scratch out the terms used to describe positions.

As a player, your role is the skills in which you excel at. Whether you are 5’9” or 6’9” if you are a playmaker, you’re a playmaker. That is the role you play within the dynamics of your team. Furthermore, coaches should not get caught up in the notion that “I already have an all region point guard on my team, this kid has to wait his turn.” By subscribing to that belief, you hold the kid back, and prevent your team from reaching its full potential.

Furthermore, as youth players up to the age that they become freshman in high school, everyone should learn how to dribble/pass/finish with both hands without being labeled a “post guy” or “guard.” The youth level is where a lot of the labeling originates and the kid carries that tag along with them throughout their playing career.

Simply put, you are a basketball player, not a “position.” Think about if someone were to tell Charles Barkley, who is 6’4” on a good day, to try and run the team and defend guys like Isaiah Thomas and Mitch Richmond. Not happening. He thrived and became a Hall of Famer because his coaches realized what he does well and allowed Charles to excel within his role.