While the goal of a basketball game is to ultimately outscore the opponent, players fulfill specific tasks in a team's attempt to achieve this objective. Each of a basketball team's five positions has specific tasks that, if performed efficiently, will increase its chances of victory. These specific tasks are used as guidelines and do not apply to every player in every situation.
Guards
In a traditional basketball lineup, each team has a point guard and a shooting guard. One of the point guard's primary tasks on offense is to handle the ball by dribbling up court, passing the ball to teammates and drawing the defense to her while creating open shots for her teammates. The point guard is considered a team's playmaker and often leads the team in assists. A shooting guard's task is to shoot. The shooting guard often leads her team in points scored and shots taken. While the point guard's specialty is passing and dribbling, the shooting guard's forte is scoring.
Forwards
Usually, a team has two forwards on the court, a power forward and a small forward. The power forward's tasks lie mainly in rebounding, while the small forward's tasks lean toward scoring. Similar to the shooting guard, the small forward is skilled at putting the ball into the hoop. The power forward is skilled at the physical aspects of the game, which involve bumping, jumping and outmaneuvering opponents. It's not uncommon for a small forward to outscore a shooting guard, especially when the dynamics of an opponent dictate an offensive attack that involves the small forward more than the shooting guard. Power forwards often lead their team in rebounds.
Centers
Only one center at a time is on the floor for each team. This player is usually the tallest member of the team due to his main tasks of rebounding and blocking shots. Depending on his team's defensive alignment, the center typically remains close to the basket to better accomplish his tasks. Centers normally lead or are among their team's leading rebounders and, in some situations, the team's leading scorer, as well.
Common Tasks
Offensively, basketball players have specific tasks and roles to fill, but defensively, their assignments become more similar. Depending on the type of defense employed by the team's coach, guards, forwards and centers need to effectively guard opponents in an attempt to keep them from scoring or rebounding. In what's known as a zone defense, players are given a portion of the court to defend, guarding any opposing player, regardless of position, who comes into that zone. Man-to-man defenses, on the other hand, require players to guard a single opponent, moving with them wherever they go on the court. Like most sports, these tasks and assignments are flexible and may vary by team. If you sharpen your abilities based on these tasks, you will be well prepared to be an effective basketball player.
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