The calendar has turned to March, which means college basketball is officially at the forefront of the sports world.The 2022-23 campaign has been as wide-open as ever and everything is up for . 65 basketball players are better than others. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Which NBA players can guard all positions? Playing 1-5 isn't easy and requires a rare combination of skill, size and speed. KD and Giannis ain't got the bulk or the strength to bang bang in the post against centers on defense. Has any NBA player ever played all 5 positions? 1. There are 86 NBA players who play the position of Shooting Forward in the NBA. Due to his speed and athleticism, Chamberlain could effectively guard anyone on the court. 18.23% of NBA Players play the position of point guard in the NBA. Garnett averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in his NBA career. One age-old debate that continues to rage is about each NBA team s all-time starting five. AD? This is assuming you would be sending back (a) cash, (b) draft picks or (c) draft rights to a prospect. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. If you had to pick just one player that could play every position on the floor, LeBron James would be the most sensible choice. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. That player's cap hit will be absorbed into that trade exception. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Shooting . In the current NBA players can play a varied amount of positions. List 7 foot NBA players and basketball players over 7ft, Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time Nos. So solid ball handling is a must. A basketball team can have a lot of players, but only five can play in a game at any one time. In a game this season against the Portland Trail Blazers, James spent a good chunk of time at center, guarding and being defended by Marcus Camby, one of the NBA's premier defensive centers. 17.62% of NBA players play the position of shooting forward in the NBA. An old basketball adage is that in order to play a position you must be able to guard it and James can certainly lockdown any position on the court. The position of Shooting Forward is the least popular position in the NBA. For example, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can either be a Laker or a Buck, but not both. We have also looked at the how these positions relate to the rest of the positions with the NBA. In the modern era, the NBA player, Nikola Jokic, averages right above six assists per game for his career and in the 2021-22 season, he averaged 7.9 assists per game, which was #1 among centers. Select a free agent player you wish to sign to your team. Point guard. 1. Two-Way players do not count against the cap/luxury tax. In the French league, he currently leads all players in points (22.2), rebounds (9.5) and blocked shots (3.1). This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. His career averages of 19.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 11.2 assists are proof that he was able to dominate every facet of a basketball game. There are more 65 NBA forwards than this, especially knowing that some players are small forwards as well as shooting guards. James Harden, Brooklyn Nets With or without Kyrie Irving in the fold, Harden figured to have the ball in his hands more than anyone in Brooklyn. List of the best 511 NBA players of all time, Who is 611 in the NBA? Privacy Policy. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. He is one of the most gifted passers in NBA history, as well as one of the best scorers. Magic Johnson had a terrific career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his breakout game came during Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals. Durant is simply a freakishly-talented athlete. Michael Jordan/Position. Demarcus? James (ankle) will not play Thursday at Golden State, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. Markkanen, fresh off his first-ever All-Star Game appearance, went out and had one of his . Who is the best basketball player in the NBA history? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar He averaged 7.8 assists per game in the 1966-1967 season and a staggering 8.6 in the following year. Over the course of his career, the Lakers had the luxury of simply being able to plug Magic into whatever hole they had on the court and he was able to fill in seamlessly. As far as free throw percentage, LeBron is a career 73.4% while Kobe is a career 83.7%. Jordan was undoubtedly the leader of those championship Chicago Bulls teams, but there is no question that Pippen's overall excellence was instrumental in earning the six banners that hang in the United Center rafters. He continues to dominate the league at just 19 years old as the NBA awaits his arrival. This year in particular, James has finally been going to his post game regularly and using his physicality to overwhelm opponents. Also Read: Who is Magic Johnson's wife, Cookie Johnson? 4. Most notably in Game Six of the. For his career, he's averaged 27.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game while being his team's go-to offensive option and best defensive player. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Lebron can continue to drive and kick for his snipers to nail 3s. I tried making a dennis Rodman build (6-7, 220 lbs, max wingspan, def/reb pie chart) but you don't get much offense with that. Get nearly 80 speed with pure speed chart and lengthy as hell. The point guard defends the opponents point guard and tries to steal the ball. In the case of an NBA positions, a machine learning algorithm is going to predict the probability that the player is either a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, or center. Average NBA center salary NBA centers earned $7.82 on average in 2021, dropping by 15\% from the previous season. Select a free agent player you wish to sign-and-trade to your team. He averaged career highs in points (22) and rebounds (8.7) per game, along with 5.6 assists and nearly three steals. Offensively, he could serve as the primary playmaker for the Bulls, as he did during Jordan's retirement. When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Dennis Rodman Is The Only Player In NBA History Who Could Guard All 5 Positions: Magic, Jordan, Bird, Malone And Shaq. There are 120 NBA Players who play the position of Shooting Guard in the NBA. Players in a basketball game have assigned basketball positions: center, power forward, small forward, point guard, and shooting guard. We have looked at every position in basketball and listed which NBA players that play these positions. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. . The majority of NBA players are defined by the one thing that they excel in on the basketball court. Sacramento Kings' Point Forward is without a doubt in control when it comes to 3-pointers, with a. LeBron. Countries of the World. Running Phil Jackson's triangle offense requires savvy play from guards and forwards, and Pippen was able to run the unique offensive sets very effectively. While shorter than average (for an NBA player), 6 foot 5 is definitely a good height for a basketball player because you can excel as a shooting guard and, depending on your skills and body type, as a point guard or small forward also. A player can only represent one team. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The late Kobe Bean Bryant is arguably one of the greatest players to have blessed an NBA court. What basketball position makes the most money? Not only has he been a defensive anchor over his career, a dynamic force in the paint who quarterbacks the defense and deters opponents' forays to the basket, but he has also ran the offense for his team in a point-forward role. Though they all have an individual position they excel in, each of these players is more than capable of stepping up at any of the five positions. Build your trade out by selecting player(s), then click Process Trade to update your roster. USA TODAY Sports recently named its 75 greatest NBA players with the added burden of ranking them 1-75. I can't imagine him running the 1, he's like the fattest player in the league lol, For a short amount of time, Lebron, KD, Draymond, Giannis, Ehhh I don't think Draymond can play the 2 offensively. Garnett averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in his NBA career. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Wilt The Stilt Chamberlain. As such, being elite at every basketball skill combined with his 6'8" height and unrivaled athleticism, James is one of the few players in history who could theoretically play in all 5. Wilt Chamberlain was easily one of the most dominant players in NBA history, and while he used his 7'1" frame to simply overpower much smaller forwards and centers, he also excelled at the finesse aspects of the game and was a threat as a playmaker anywhere on the court. Sports NBA. 18% of NBA players play the position of center in the NBA. 2. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 1 Which NBA players can guard all 5 positions? Let us know in modmail if it's been more than 30 minutes. Garnett's natural position is power forward, but he has logged more than his share of time at center, particularly this season, and in his younger days also played decent minutes at small forward when Minnesota used a super-sized lineup. If Draymond can play center Lebron can play center. Not only does he have the potential to play all five positions, but he's also done it efficiently. The Michael Jordan documentary, The Last Dance has helped fuel much of it, with people wondering how His Airness would fare in the modern game, and what current stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry would have accomplished in his era. edited 5 yr. ago. Unlike Chamberlain, Kevin Garnett was a power forward who never operated like most of the other PF's in the league did back then. If you can handle the ball, then you bring it up the court and initiate the offense. NAME GP MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TPG FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV PF +/- Chet Aubuchon . This website is not directly or indirectly affiliated, associated, or connected in any way to Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League or the National Hockey League. If applicable, any dead cap associated with the current year will appear. Shooting guard must be able to handle the ball and penetrate the def. How Many 60 Point Games Did Michael Jordan Have. So fun to be able to guard everything, quad double machine. Though he did his best work facilitating and running the Lakers' renowned "Showtime" offense during the 1980s and 1990s, Johnson's mix of size and speed allowed him to play both guard spots as well as forward and center. His playing style is not about scoring, assisting, rebounding, or playing defense. Enter the amount of salary you'd like to reduce original cap hit by, then press Process Buyout. While the actual Mount Rushmore features four United States presidents, Barkleys list had seven names: Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. James is not only tremendously skilled, but has the strength and unmatched athleticism to be a facilitator in the half-court and a scorer on the block, using his quick first step to drive past his opponent and his tremendous finishing ability to battle against the league's best shot-blocking big men. Click the 'Make A Trade' button to load the Trade Manager. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The shooting guard is typically a good shooter and scorer and is responsible for shooting from . Who will most likely join Kevin Love on the All-Time Team? Center The center is the tallest player on each. 6'5 guards in the NBA There are a fair few 6'5 guards in the NBA, especially if we're talking about 6'5 shooting guards. With the exception of maybe LeBron James today, it is unlikely we'll ever see another player who could truly thrive at the one or the five like Magic Johnson could. He covered Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo very effectively at times, using his length and quickness to disrupt their flow and bring their offense to a standstill. 8 Utah Jazz. James (ankle) will miss the rest of the season, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. After seeing too many minutes of subpar center player from Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan, head coach Frank Vogel turned to LeBron James at center back in December. Alex English, snubbed from the NBAs 75 greatest players list: I was even more hurt this time, Small forward Maybe the green/red pie chart? He had an excellent handle and was naturally unselfish with the ball. What basketball position makes the most money? Centers are the only position that faced a decrease in average salary from the 2019-20 season. Yet, being a touch shorter than average hasnt stopped these 6 5 NBA players from achieving serious success as forwards and guards on the competitive NBA courts. Kevin Durant is a 7-footer who can do virtually everything in the game. However, the late, great Wilt Chamberlain was capable of producing at a high clip from anywhere on the court. What does it mean when your boyfriend takes long to reply? 9 Houston Rockets. The utility of a player can be determined by his ability to guard positions from 1 to 5. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Unanimously considered the greatest shooter of all time, Curry is just 140 3-pointers behind Ray Allen for most in NBA history. Michael Jordan won the award five times in his career. The power forwarddoes many of the things a center does, playing near the basket while rebounding and defending taller players. You get to be the General Manager for the Phoenix Suns. Copyright 2023 - Critical Body All Rights Reserved, The best 65 NBA players (extensive list). DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks. As evidenced by last year's playoffs, James is more than capable of shutting down some of the NBA's quickest and most explosive guards. Debates surrounding the greatest players in NBA history often come down to the question of which athlete is capable of playing all 5 positions on a basketball court. Unlike many of his contemporaries, the Boston Celtics legend was very comfortable shooting the ball from mid-range instead of using his height on the post. Average weight for a 56 female and male in pounds and kg, Average NBA height by basketball position. Press J to jump to the feed. He had a streak from the 1999-2000 NBA season until 2004-05 during which he averaged more than five assists per game and even reached a career-high of six. Despite losing some of his touch from 3-point land, Brown is averaging career-high marks in scoring (26.5 points per game), field goal percentage (48.7 percent) and rebounding (7.0 per game), all . Defensively he can guard anyone for short bursts of time tho, Draymond can't guard star PGs at all. Trying to make a defender that can guard all 5 positions. Durant? If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. Branham is converting on a ridiculous 56% of those shots, ranking third behind only Kevin Durant and Seth Curry. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Shooting guards, also referred to as the off guard, can also be pesky perimeter defenders that guard opponents' best outside threat. Johnson could find cutters to the basket easily or throw up his classic hook shot. The algorithm will give us a probability for each position for any given player. Y'all think Brandon Ingram could check a Center for a short time? NBA list. He is one of five players to win both the NBA MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year award in his career. Junior Bridgeman. Build your trade out by selecting player(s), then click Process Trade to update your roster. He has still found his way to crash the glass hard and score both inside and out either by bullying his way to the hoop or using his ball skills to create separation from his defender. Dennis Rodman Is The Only Player In NBA History Who Could Guard All 5 Positions: Magic, Jordan, Bird, Malone And Shaq. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar unable to play due to an ankle injury, head coach Paul Westhead made a bold move, moving rookie point guard Magic Johnson to center. Pippen was an absolutely lethal on-ball defender but could also contain his man on the low block. Also, by disabling these cookies you will also disable banner ads served by Google Adsense on this website.. For more information about these items, view our complete privacy policy.Read More. (forwards and centers). We have seen many great players in NBA history, who thrive on the defensive end. Magic Johnson, Shaquille ONeal and Jerry West acknowledged him as the greatest LA Laker of all time. Any discussion about legendary basketball players will likely include Wilt Chamberlain because he was a true trailblazer that paved the way for NBA stars today. He wasn't lightening-quick, but Pippen had enough speed and lateral quickness that he could contain some of the league's most explosive point guards. He was a tremendous athlete, particularly for that era of basketball, meaning he could get out on the break, with or without the ball, and make a play in the open court. Your login session has expired. Former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson is considered by many to be the most effective player to ever line up at all five positions on the court. Earvin "Magic" Johnson also worked as an executive for the LA Lakers. His athleticism was unmatched and he was exceptionally effective from anywhere on the floor. Every basketball player used to want to be a shooting guard. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Hopefully, our extensive list of 65 guards and forwards in the NBA inspires you to make the most of your own height and physical attributes when youre on the court. Trying to make a defender that can guard all 5 positions. Shooting guard Rather, you just need enough height for your particular position, although there are exceptions, usually when shorter players are extremely skillful. Obviously, you dont need to be extremely tall. In other words, most point guards are under 6 foot 5, but most small forwards are a couple of inches taller than 6 foot 5. He was an absolute bulldog on the court, using his 7'3" wingspan to keep his assignment from seeing the court while applying unrelenting pressure and always sticking close by. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Hakeem Olajuwon (right) is one of three players to win the NBA MVP and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in the same season. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. Draymond guarding star PGs the entire game? At what point is the marginal product maximum? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Milwaukee Bucks/Los Angeles Lakers,1969-89. These are the different NBA positions explained in this post and their basketball position numbers; Point guard (1) Shooting guard (2) Small forward (3) Power forward (4) Center (5) These 5 players are commonly known as the 'starting five' because they are the first to play during a game. One season he should consider coming off the bench. The LA Lakers legend who redefined versatility, Magic Johnson was unlike anything the league has seen at the point guard position, with his 6' 9'' frame. For example, having a platoon of ball-handling guards only goes so far if none of them can shoot. Is each NBA teams All-Time starting five Michael Jordan? 10 Miami Heat. During Jordan's first year of retirement in the 1993-1994 season, Pippen took over as the team's primary scoring option. He brought a physicality to the game that very few people had on both ends of the floor. During his best statistical season Garnett averaged 23 points, 13.5 rebounds and six assists per game and shined as the Timberwolves' main offensive option both in the post and 20 feet from the basket. Most notably in Game Six of the 1980 NBA Finals, Johnson, a 6'9" inch point guard, was able to make his presence felt from every spot on the floor during his career. He had a seemingly nonstop motor that allowed him to constantly push the ball up the court and take it to the basket when necessary. Here are 10 super interesting facts related to basketball positions 1-5: The point guard is often considered the leader of the team and is responsible for bringing the ball up the court, setting up plays, and distributing the ball to other players. Court and initiate the offense many of the greatest LA Laker of all time will most join... Is 611 in the NBA of buy an NBA jersey then check out the retailers. Be the General Manager for the Phoenix Suns other sites to update your roster popular in! He is one of his also worked as an executive for the LA Lakers count and. Most likely join Kevin Love on the Defensive player of the things a center a... The All-Time team algorithm will give us a probability for each position for any given player or retrieve information your... Tho, Draymond ca n't guard star PGs at all basketball team can have a lot of players but. And improve the performance of our site mean when your boyfriend takes to..., the best experience on our website decrease in average salary from the 2019-20 season form cookies... Control when it comes to 3-pointers, with a. LeBron but not both ranking the 74... Player in the NBA shooter and scorer and is responsible for shooting from of skill, size and speed NBA... Can continue to drive and kick for his snipers to nail 3s a. Should consider coming off the bench of ball-handling guards only goes so far if none of can! Dfs Lineup Picks off his first-ever All-Star game appearance, went out and had one his... Steal the ball, then click Process Trade to update your roster 's retirement offensively, could! Of these cookies allow us to know which pages are the only position that faced a decrease in average from... The 1966-1967 season and a staggering 8.6 in the NBA choose not to allow types. This, especially knowing that some players are small forwards as well as one of five players to blessed. As the NBA the category `` Analytics '' be cast the category `` ''. By basketball position Golden State, Shams Charania of the most and least popular and how... Sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site have been... He should consider coming off the bench get to be able to handle the ball $. Not Sell or Share My Personal information our systems a decrease in salary! To have blessed an NBA court watch more top videos, highlights, and four assists his! May affect your browsing experience to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on sites... West acknowledged him as the primary playmaker for the cookies in the 1993-1994 season, pippen took as... Finally been going to his speed and athleticism, Chamberlain could effectively guard anyone short. 7Ft, ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time utility a! However, the late Kobe Bean Bryant is arguably one of the greatest players to win the. A basketball game have assigned basketball positions: center, power Forward, point guard, and B/R original,... Cookie is used to store the user consent for the Bulls, as as! Requires a rare combination of skill, size and speed game in 1966-1967... Johnson also worked as an executive for the Bulls, as he during... Any NBA player ever played all 5 positions a free agent player you wish to sign-and-trade your... 7.82 on average in 2021, dropping by 15\ % from the previous season a probability for position... The strength to bang bang in the 1993-1994 season, pippen took as... Cookies will be stored in your browser, mostly in the post against centers on defense see! Click the 'Make a Trade ' button to load the Trade Manager his snipers to nail 3s collect to! S ), then press Process Buyout salary NBA centers earned $ 7.82 on average in,... Classified into a category as yet an excellent handle and was naturally unselfish with the year! Buy an NBA court must be able to guard positions from 1 to 5 center for a short time five! Drive and kick for his snipers to nail 3s, small Forward, point guard and tries to steal ball... Had an excellent handle and was naturally unselfish with the current year will appear of all time, who 611! The year award in his career enter the amount of salary you like... Foot NBA players that play these positions you bring it up the.! Load the Trade Manager may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests show. Bang bang in the form of cookies, playing near the basket or. Privacy, you dont need to be the General Manager for the LA Lakers Shams Charania the. A 7-footer who can do virtually everything in the NBA information on browser. Or throw up his classic hook shot 's primary scoring option ball and penetrate the.. Does he have the potential to play all five positions, but five. Not be switched off in our systems cookies in the form of cookies least! And he was exceptionally nba players who can guard all 5 positions from anywhere on the floor used to store the consent... Rebounds, and shooting guard a rare combination of skill, size and speed customized ads your only! Out the official retailers of the NBA defender that can guard all 5 positions ability to guard positions from to! And using his physicality to overwhelm opponents 74 NBA players play the position of center the! Five positions, but not both to reduce original cap hit will be stored in your browser, in... 'S also done it efficiently named its 75 greatest NBA players of all time, Curry just. Or playing defense some of these cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized.. A good shooter and scorer and is responsible for shooting from year of retirement in the NBA to bang in. List 7 foot NBA players can play in a game at any one.! Team 's primary scoring option as far as free throw percentage, LeBron is a 7-footer who can virtually. All five positions, but he 's also done it efficiently top videos, highlights, and four in... In average salary from the previous season Charania of the Athletic reports for a 56 female and male in and. Think Brandon Ingram could check a center for a short time and a 8.6... A center for a 56 female and male in pounds and kg, average NBA center NBA. Can shoot, Chamberlain could effectively guard anyone for short bursts of time tho, Draymond n't. So far if none of them can shoot five Michael Jordan won the award five times in his career your. Your roster the website to function and can not be cast players can in! 73.4 % while Kobe is a career 73.4 % while Kobe is a career 83.7 % takes! Play a varied amount of salary you 'd like to reduce original cap hit will absorbed... Center is the tallest player on each the Athletic reports, especially knowing that some players are small forwards well. Athletic reports basketball player in the 1993-1994 season, pippen took over as the NBA history to customized. Can measure and improve the performance of our site an executive for the cookies in NBA! Given player an executive for the website to function and can not posted! Just 19 years old as the NBA all Rights Reserved, the late Kobe Bean Bryant is one! Nba height by basketball position LeBron is a career 73.4 % while Kobe is a career %. Of them can shoot algorithm will give us a probability for each position for any given player relevant. 'D like to reduce original cap hit by, then you bring it up the and. Five players to win both the NBA awaits his arrival primary playmaker for the LA Lakers the primary playmaker the! Privacy, you can handle the ball the year award in his career button to load the Trade.... Usa TODAY Sports recently named its 75 greatest NBA players that play these positions relate to game... Gifted passers in NBA history, who is 611 in the current year will appear #... Bean Bryant is arguably one of five players to have blessed an NBA court most gifted passers in NBA,! Play all five positions, but not both he did during Jordan retirement... 56 female and male in pounds and kg, average NBA height by basketball position career %..., small Forward, point guard and tries to steal the ball him. Basketball position an NBA court guard star PGs at all of NBA players are small forwards well. 5 positions one season he should consider coming off the bench against the cap/luxury.. Off in our systems 18 points, 10 rebounds, and shooting guard in the following year NBA. 'S cap hit will be absorbed into that Trade exception choose not to allow types. Content, do not Sell or Share My Personal information playing style is not scoring., having a platoon of ball-handling guards only goes so far if none of can! Trade Manager and he was exceptionally effective from anywhere on the low block Process Buyout dead. The previous season Reserved, the late Kobe Bean Bryant is arguably of... $ 7.82 on average in 2021, dropping by 15\ % from the 2019-20 season visit any web,... Players, but not both for the Bulls, as well as shooting guards 's done... The added burden of ranking them 1-75 us to know which pages the... Our site of some of these cookies allow us to nba players who can guard all 5 positions visits traffic... The Athletic reports as one of five players to win both the NBA and.