Daniel Zhan

For decades now, there have been 5 positions in the NBA: the point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and centre. However, in the NBA, traditional positions have become outdated and obsolete because players are much more well rounded and have wider skill sets than before. There are 3 main positions in the modern NBA and also some amount of overlap between them: the guard, wing, and big. A guard is generally someone who would traditionally be considered a point guard or a shooting guard. Focusing mostly on shooting, passing, and dribbling, guards are usually shorter, capping out around 6’5, but some guards are bigger. Wings, who are versatile defenders and have a good combination of strength and speed, would usually be a shooting guard or small forward with traditional positions. More skilled than bigs but less so than guards, they focus on scoring and defense. Bigs, including virtually all centres and some power forwards, are great rebounders, tall and strong. Big players don’t dribble much; they usually set screens, roll to the rim, or shoot on offense. Accordingly, some stars have traits from all 3 categories, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, who can dribble and run like a guard but has the size of a big. More