Positions

The three basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams are: guard, forward, and center. More specifically, they can be classified into the five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and in informal games they are sometimes not used. They are grouped into two conceptual units: the backcourt and frontcourt.

Backcourt

Point guard

The point guard, also known as the "1", is the team's general and the best ball handler on the team. Their job is to hand out assists but also to increase the team efficiency.

Shooting guard

The shooting guard, also known as the "2", is usually the team's best shooter. A quality shooting guard should be able to consistently hit 20-foot (6-meter) jump shots. Besides being able to shoot the ball, shooting guards must have good ball-handling skills because they have to be able to create their own shots off the dribble. As shooting guards have a very wide skill set, they should also be able to make good passes. The shooting guard needs to be able to take long shots, such as a Three-point field goal.

Frontcourt

Small forward

The small forward, also known as the "3", is the position considered to be perhaps the most versatile of the five basketball positions, due to the nature of its role, which is sometimes similar to that of a power forward, and other times more resembles the role of a shooting guard. The small forward and shooting guard positions can be interchangeable.

Small forwards have a variety of weapons, such as quickness and strength inside. One common thread between all kinds of small forwards is an ability to "get to the line"; that is, have opposing players be called for committing shooting fouls against them, as fouls are frequently called on the defense when offensive players "take the ball hard" to the basket, that is, to aggressively attempt post-up plays, lay-ups, or slam dunks. Therefore, accurate foul shooting is an imperative skill for small forwards, many of whom record a large portion of their points from the foul line. Small forwards should be able to do a little bit of everything on the court.

Power forward

The power forward, also known as the "4" position and abbreviated as "PF", plays a role similar to that of the center, down in the "post" or "low blocks". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. On offense, they can "post up", playing with their back to the basket, or set up for mid-range jump shots. On defense, they play under the basket in a zone defense or against the opposing power forward in man-to-man defense. It used to be very rare to find three point shooting power forwards but nowadays most power forwards possess the ability to shoot from long range.

Center

The center, also referred to as the "5" or the "pivot", usually plays near the baseline, close to the basket (referred to as the "bottom of the key" or the "low post"). The tallest player is most likely to be assigned to the position of center. In the past, centers typically scored "down low, in the paint" (near the basket, in the key). Centers often contribute to the team by using their physique and skill to block opposing players shots near the basket, score close to the basket, gather rebounds and "set the pick" in pick and role plays. However, many centers today possess the ability to shoot from outside and handle the ball, making them more versatile and allowing them to space the floor.

While the center position remains a pivotal position, the scope of the position has transitioned from classic "back to the basket" players to athletic power forwards that can dominate the position due to their athletic prowess, defensive skills, or mismatch ability to shoot from the high post. The fast pace of the 'Run and Gun' offenses of coaches such as Mike D'Antoni call for less traditional center play, and more up and down the court style. The 90's may be the last period where we have seen a majority of centers classified as a "back to the basket" center.