Positions on the Basketball Court

In his professional life, Dr. Minto Jain serves as an independent agent with Rex Real Estate Brokerage in Toronto, Ontario. An avid basketball fan in his free time, Dr. Minto Jain follows the Toronto Raptors and has attended several of the team's games.

In a basketball game, each team sends five players onto the court. A team usually assigns its tallest player to the position of center, who plays closest to the basket and must be able to effectively accept passes, block defenders, and make scoring attempts under or near the basket. This multi-skilled player needs to demonstrate competency in a variety of shooting styles, including hook and jump shots, as well as in blocking shotmaking attempts from the opposing team.

The next tallest player typically takes the position of power forward. Expected to be one of the fastest and strongest players on the team, he or she oversees the lane and thus must be effective in rebounding and inside shooting. The small forward is typically shorter but demonstrates high levels of skill in distance shooting, as this position requires the player keep back from the net to be ready for defensive play.

The shooting guard is often the shortest athlete overall but is a strong shooter and has a fast dribble. He or she must be able to effectively move the ball down the court and consistently make shots beyond the three-point line. 

The point guard, meanwhile, is primarily responsible for setting his or her teammates up to shoot. Skilled in coordination and strategy, he or she can dismantle a defense and execute offensive tactics on the spur-of-the-moment. Like his or her four colleagues, the point guard draws on the strengths of his or her teammates to drive a team's success.