Shooting guard

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The Shooting guard (SG), also known as the two or off guard,[1] is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for their team.[1] Some teams ask their shooting guards to bring up the ball as well; these players are known colloquially as "combo guards". A player who can switch between playing shooting guard and small forward is known as a swingman.

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[edit] Characteristics & Styles of play

"The Basketball Handbook" by Lee Rose describes a shooting guard as someone whose primary role is to score points. Typically, shooting guards are taller than point guards and more athletic. Size at the position varies; most shooting guards in the professional game are between 6 ft 3 and 6 ft 9 inches or 1.91 to 2.06 m. Many bigger shooting guards also play small forward. While they're usually the best jump-shooters on the floor, some shooting guards (such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Jason Richardson) are known for attacking the basket. A shooting guard should be a good ball handler and able to pass reasonably well, though passing is not their main priority. Since a good shooting guard may attract double-teams, shooting guards are frequently the team's back-up ball handler to the point guard.

[edit] List of shooting guards

See also: Category:Shooting guards

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b - BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09

[edit] References

Basketball positions
v • d • e
Guards Basketball half-court 1. Point guard Combo Guard (PG/SG)
2. Shooting guard Swingman (SG/SF)
Forwards 3. Small forward
4. Power forward Point forward (PG/PF)
Center 5. Center Forward-center (PF/C)
Captain | Head coach | Referees and officials