Is Point Guard the "Hardest" Position In Basketball?

lawdog1

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I got into a little debate with someone on another board about this.  You often hear basketball commentators toss out the idea that PG is the "hardest" position in basketball.  The dude on the other board used that as one reason that Wall should be ranked ahead of Griffin as the top rookie.  That debate aside, I disagreed with the idea that PG is just generally a "harder" position to play than any other.  Sure, PGs may have some more responsibility to run the offense, but I don't think it makes it harder, especially for people like Wall, Nash, CP3, etc.  If you have the talents those guys have, then being a point guard is just doing what you do.  Its not hard for them.  I just don't think you can say any one position is harder than another because it all depends on the other personnel, the system, the match-ups etc. 

I'm curious what others think about this. 
 
I got into a little debate with someone on another board about this.  You often hear basketball commentators toss out the idea that PG is the "hardest" position in basketball.  The dude on the other board used that as one reason that Wall should be ranked ahead of Griffin as the top rookie.  That debate aside, I disagreed with the idea that PG is just generally a "harder" position to play than any other.  Sure, PGs may have some more responsibility to run the offense, but I don't think it makes it harder, especially for people like Wall, Nash, CP3, etc.  If you have the talents those guys have, then being a point guard is just doing what you do.  Its not hard for them.  I just don't think you can say any one position is harder than another because it all depends on the other personnel, the system, the match-ups etc. 

I'm curious what others think about this. 
 
The Point Guard literally runs the team's offense... that alone should make it harder than every other position. 
 
The Point Guard literally runs the team's offense... that alone should make it harder than every other position. 
 
Originally Posted by D723

The Point Guard literally runs the team's offense... that alone should make it harder than every other position. 

PG has the ball in his hands more than 50% of the time, and is in a way a coach on the floor, making all the decisions. even if there is a superstar player, a PG is always an important piece of the team. PG has all the responsibilities. just how QB is the most important position in football
 
Originally Posted by D723

The Point Guard literally runs the team's offense... that alone should make it harder than every other position. 

PG has the ball in his hands more than 50% of the time, and is in a way a coach on the floor, making all the decisions. even if there is a superstar player, a PG is always an important piece of the team. PG has all the responsibilities. just how QB is the most important position in football
 
Yeah probabaly, but I still assert that even in today's NBA, center is still the most valuable and impact full position.
 
Yeah probabaly, but I still assert that even in today's NBA, center is still the most valuable and impact full position.
 
Originally Posted by Fatal Lightning

Originally Posted by D723

The Point Guard literally runs the team's offense... that alone should make it harder than every other position. 

PG has the ball in his hands more than 50% of the time, and is in a way a coach on the floor, making all the decisions. even if there is a superstar player, a PG is always an important piece of the team. PG has all the responsibilities. just how QB is the most important position in football
I don't know that the PGs on the Lakers or Heat really fit the "coach on the floor" descriptions, but I guess they're exceptions to the rule.
 
Originally Posted by Fatal Lightning

Originally Posted by D723

The Point Guard literally runs the team's offense... that alone should make it harder than every other position. 

PG has the ball in his hands more than 50% of the time, and is in a way a coach on the floor, making all the decisions. even if there is a superstar player, a PG is always an important piece of the team. PG has all the responsibilities. just how QB is the most important position in football
I don't know that the PGs on the Lakers or Heat really fit the "coach on the floor" descriptions, but I guess they're exceptions to the rule.
 
Originally Posted by lawdog1

Originally Posted by Fatal Lightning

Originally Posted by D723

The Point Guard literally runs the team's offense... that alone should make it harder than every other position. 

PG has the ball in his hands more than 50% of the time, and is in a way a coach on the floor, making all the decisions. even if there is a superstar player, a PG is always an important piece of the team. PG has all the responsibilities. just how QB is the most important position in football
I don't know that the PGs on the Lakers or Heat really fit the "coach on the floor" descriptions, but I guess they're exceptions to the rule.
Derek Fisher is not a coach on the floor or a floor general? when do you ever see derek fisher take a bad shot or do something stupid? Lebron is playing point now, and he gets all the trust of his point guard. as long as you get your team involved and you're winning, no one is gonna tell you that you suck
 
Originally Posted by lawdog1

Originally Posted by Fatal Lightning

Originally Posted by D723

The Point Guard literally runs the team's offense... that alone should make it harder than every other position. 

PG has the ball in his hands more than 50% of the time, and is in a way a coach on the floor, making all the decisions. even if there is a superstar player, a PG is always an important piece of the team. PG has all the responsibilities. just how QB is the most important position in football
I don't know that the PGs on the Lakers or Heat really fit the "coach on the floor" descriptions, but I guess they're exceptions to the rule.
Derek Fisher is not a coach on the floor or a floor general? when do you ever see derek fisher take a bad shot or do something stupid? Lebron is playing point now, and he gets all the trust of his point guard. as long as you get your team involved and you're winning, no one is gonna tell you that you suck
 
It's harder to be proficient as a true center.

Point guards aren't even that valuable. Offense can run through other players, often non-PG superstars. As is the case with most championship contenders. It's so prevalent that the last team with a Top 5 PG to win the NBA Finals were the 1990 Detroit Pistons.
 
It's harder to be proficient as a true center.

Point guards aren't even that valuable. Offense can run through other players, often non-PG superstars. As is the case with most championship contenders. It's so prevalent that the last team with a Top 5 PG to win the NBA Finals were the 1990 Detroit Pistons.
 
Obviously this is going to be on a case by case basis, but to be honest, I consider the 4 and 5 to be the toughest positions to play. IMO, there are more versatile players now with high basketball IQ's that allow them to run the point successfully.

Patrolling the paint, controlling the glass and being the anchor of a defense is much tougher and yields more responsibility.
 
Obviously this is going to be on a case by case basis, but to be honest, I consider the 4 and 5 to be the toughest positions to play. IMO, there are more versatile players now with high basketball IQ's that allow them to run the point successfully.

Patrolling the paint, controlling the glass and being the anchor of a defense is much tougher and yields more responsibility.
 
Originally Posted by Bean Pie Slanga


It depends on the system.
Yep

Sure, PGs may have some more responsibility to run the offense, but I don't think it makes it harder, especially for people like Wall, Nash, CP3, etc.  If you have the talents those guys have, then being a point guard is just doing what you do.  Its not hard for them.

Not good reasoning.  Just because you have players that excel at that position doesn't take anything away from it's difficulty.  Natural talent only takes you so far.  They still have to work hard and refine their craft just like anyone else at this level.

Assuming we are talking about a system that relies on a conventional PG then it's natural to assume they have the most responsibility on the floor.      
 
Originally Posted by illmaticsoulchild

Obviously this is going to be on a case by case basis, but to be honest, I consider the 4 and 5 to be the toughest positions to play. IMO, there are more versatile players now with high basketball IQ's that allow them to run the point successfully.

Patrolling the paint, controlling the glass and being the anchor of a defense is much tougher and yields more responsibility.
not really, as a 4 or 5 you only have to finish the play. rebounding is not hard, especially if you have a good 4 or 5 backing you up. defense is just staying in the paint and waiting for an idiotic and undersized player to get his shot blocked. it is harder for a perimeter player to get defensive player of the year than a center or power forward.

either way, you can have versatile players run the point, but that is credit to them, not cause the position is so easy, because as a point you need to know every play, where every player goes and also know their strong points and weak points, where they like the ball, etc. something you dont have to worry about as a 4 or 5
 
Originally Posted by illmaticsoulchild

Obviously this is going to be on a case by case basis, but to be honest, I consider the 4 and 5 to be the toughest positions to play. IMO, there are more versatile players now with high basketball IQ's that allow them to run the point successfully.

Patrolling the paint, controlling the glass and being the anchor of a defense is much tougher and yields more responsibility.
not really, as a 4 or 5 you only have to finish the play. rebounding is not hard, especially if you have a good 4 or 5 backing you up. defense is just staying in the paint and waiting for an idiotic and undersized player to get his shot blocked. it is harder for a perimeter player to get defensive player of the year than a center or power forward.

either way, you can have versatile players run the point, but that is credit to them, not cause the position is so easy, because as a point you need to know every play, where every player goes and also know their strong points and weak points, where they like the ball, etc. something you dont have to worry about as a 4 or 5
 
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