A Brit’s Guide to the NBA

The NBA at first glance, from the outside looking in, may seem extremely complex. Here’s a brief breakdown of the league and how it works.

The Conferences. The NBA is a professional Basketball league in America and Canada comprised of 30 teams across two conferences, the East and the West, based on geographical location of the teams. These two conferences are then split into divisions again based on location. These divisions are the Atlantic, Central, Southeast, Northwest, Pacific and Southwest. Each division is then comprised of 5 teams and each team play 82 matches each season, excluding playoffs. I know why so many? There has been some talk of reducing the number of games played in each season, but for now, that’s purely speculation. Coming from a place like the UK where in Football, or Soccer in the lingo the Americans, the premier league season only consists of 38 season matches. This is excluding all domestic and European cup matches. Looking at it from that perspective, asking someone to play 82 matches in a season seems like a very tough ask.

The Teams. In each team, you have an average of about 14 players per team, and in this 14 you have your core starting 5. The Point Guard, Shooting Guard, Small Forward, Power Forward and Centre.

• The Point Guard. This is the on-court coach. Typically the shortest player on the team, although in recent times the NBA has seen point guards reaching heights of 6”6, the point guard has to be the one to guide the team. They must be the conductor, the glue, the mastermind. Essentially the eyes and ears of the coach, they run the plays and dictate the pace. Everything runs through the point guard. Some players you might have heard of in this position include Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
• The Shooting Guard. Their role is to essentially “get buckets”. Usually the most rounded scorer on the team, the shooting guard is usually a rather adept shooter and is also capable of driving towards the basketball through traffic. Also often seen as the secondary ball-handler, they are quite good at dribbling and getting assists as well. Some notable players in this position include Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Klay Thompson and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
• The Small Forward. A role where the player must be extremely versatile. In this position, you’re needed to be able to score, play exceptionally good defence and be a strong rebounder. They are often the third or perhaps the second best rebounder on the team. Essentially they’re required to be a “Jack of all Trades”. In today’s NBA, the small forwards of the game are some of the best players in the whole league. Some notable players in this position include LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
• The Power Forward. Another position where versatility is important. Typically a player that would be found occupying the post or the “low-block from pretty much the entire game. The main responsibility of a power forward would be rebounding and providing an opportunity for the easiest shot closest to the basket. Serious height and strength is ideal for this position. Notable players at the power forward position include Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
• The Centre. The big man. Usually the tallest player on their respective team. The main jobs of the centre are to be the primary rebounder and to protect the paint. They are typically the last line of defence the basket has and must defend it. Must also be very strong as the majority of their play would be in the post. Notable players in this position include Yao Ming, Shaquille O’Neal, Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

I feel as though, although it may seem obvious, I must still mention the fact that all players are obviously needed to contribute to all aspects of play. Point guards and shooting guards are still needed to play exceptionally good defence and the centres are meant to score many points in the paint. However, I just highlighted the aspects of play which each position is traditionally known for.  On the other hand, the NBA has been experiencing a paradigm shift in recent years where the traditional position system is being phased out. You might have noticed that I put Giannis Antetokounmpo as a notable player for each position; this was for a very good reason.

The players coming into the NBA each year, through the NBA draft, are arguably more rounded players than the years prior to them. Back in the days of Yao Ming and Shaquille O’Neal, the big men in basketball wouldn’t even think about putting even one foot outside the 3-point line. Now it’s common practice for power forwards and centres to shoot the 3-point shot. When you have players the size and stature of Andre Drummond pulling up for a half court buzzer-beater, you know times are changing. Many big men are even becoming very able ball handlers. Some big men are stepping up to be the primary ball handlers for their teams. I can think of no player who does the role of all players on a team better than Antetokounmpo. He has become the first player ever to finish in the top 20 for all major stats. This includes points, assists, rebounds, blocks, steals etc.

However, what does all of this mean for the NBA? Well, I guess we’ll find out in the years to come.