Typically two guards, two forwards and a center are on a basketball team. The two guards are referred to as the point guard and the shooting guard. The shooting guard, as the name implies, is the guard whose primary responsibility is to shoot the basketball and score points.
Positioning
In basketball, the center and the forwards typically play down low, meaning they are closest to the basket. The guards play from the perimeter, which is the free throw line and beyond.
A shooting guard may play on either the right or the left depending on personal preference or how the play is developing. A shooting guard will often stand near the three-point line, as they are a team's main threat to put up a long-range shot.
Offensive Responsibilities
Even though the shooting guard's primary role is to shoot the basketball, a quality shooting guard possesses other aspects of the offensive game. The best shooting guards are adequate ball-handlers and can take the ball to the basket or dribble to create an open shot.
A shooting guard should be a solid passer capable of passing to a player if they are closely guarded and another player has an open shot.
Defensive Responsibilities
The best shooting guards are also strong on the defensive end, as their primary job is to guard the other team's shooting guard. A shooting guard who can score with regularity doesn't have as much value to the team if they allow the opponent's shooting guard to come down and score on them at the other end.
Michael Jordan
The greatest shooting guard the game has ever known is Michael Jordan. Jordan's scoring wizardry is well-known, as he averaged 30.1 points per game for his career and garnered six championships and six Finals MVP awards to go along with five regular season Most Valuable Player awards.
Jordan was a great defender and captured the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1988. A 14-time All-Star, Jordan is the prototypical shooting guard.
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