New Player Position Names

Basketball has kept the same terminology for positions since its inception.  Guards, forwards, and centers are the old-school way of describing positions.  The game has evolved drastically over the last couple of decades and our descriptions of positions need to change with it.  

Rashad Phillips wrote a book entitled "Basketball Position Metric".  He describes the different positions he would like to see change.  He has 5 different guard descriptions, 3 forward descriptions, and 4 center categories.  I won't go into each of them due to some terms being used currently.  There are some I would like to start using. 

When describing guards we hear the term "combo" guard used often.  This describes a guard who can run the team and score.  A guard that can serve as the initiator, go-to scorer, and/or shooter.  An example of this is Marcus Domask of Illinois.  I like the term "hybrid" guard to describe players like this.  A hybrid guard is the rare breed of scorer/initiator and the deadliest player on the court with the ball in their hands.  You will hear me use a "Hybrid" guard on my broadcasts this season. 

I will be using "Dual Forward" this year as well.  What is a Dual Forward?  This is the do-it-all position.  They can score, be an initiator, rebound, and defend.  An example of a Hybrid Forward would be Coleman Hawkins.  Coleman affected almost every area of the game due to his versatility, talent, and size.  This position can be the biggest stat stuffer on a team.

The next new term I'll be using is called a "Hybrid Post".  These players can play with their backs to the basket, face up and score, pick-and-pop, pick-and-lob, etc.  An example of a Hybrid Post would be Frank Kaminski!  He could space you with the "3", bury you in the post, or pick and pop with the best of them.  This position seems to becoming more popular with the rise of these talented 7-footers with multiple skill sets. 

The last term I'll be using is "Point Center".  This player is the tallest on the team and can serve as an initiator, distributor, scorer, and focal point of the offense.  College basketball hasn't seen too many of these types of players.  The player that best epitomizes Point Center is Nikola Jokic.  If you follow basketball you know that what dominates the NBA will soon trickle down to college basketball.  Don't be surprised to see a player or two donning an Illini, Wolverine, or Hoosiers jersey with this skill set. 

The game of basketball continues to evolve and we in the media need to evolve along with it.  This is one of the ways we can improve our descriptions and add more flavor/color to the broadcasts! 

Stephen Bardo

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