What is the shooting guard in basketball?
The shooting guard is one of the five common basketball positions that generally emphasizes scoring points and/or demonstrating playmaking ability on offense while playing solid defense against the opposing team’s shooting guard, wing player, or other types of players, especially near perimeter areas of the court.
Additionally, the shooting guard is sometimes abbreviated as SG, its position is usually indicated as the number 2 or 2-man, and its alternative name is typically referred to as off-guard.
How to understand the player roles and diagrams on this page
In relation to any diagrams below, each of the offensive players are generally represented by the standard basketball positions in number format, unless otherwise noted.
In essence, 1 is the point guard; 2 is the shooting guard as mentioned earlier; 3 is the small forward; 4 is the power forward; 5 is the center.
Furthermore, in terms of a brief legend for the diagrams:
- Black Dot or Small Circle: The black dot or small circle represents the basketball.
- Solid Arrow: The solid arrow indicates movement or a cut on the basketball court.
- Dotted Arrow: The dotted arrow represents a basketball pass.
- Wavy Arrow: The wavy arrow indicates dribbling.
- T-Shaped Symbol: The T-shaped symbol signifies a screen, also known as a pick.
- Double pipe symbol: The double pipe symbol denotes handoff action.
What is an example of a shooting guard executing a backdoor cut?
This example diagram features a shooting guard executing a backdoor cut from a wing area of the court.
To begin, 1 takes one dribble towards the right side wing, which is also a signal for 2 to perform a backdoor cut to the basket.
While still cutting to the basket, 2 receives the ball from 1 and scores by way of a layup at the rim.
What is an example of the shooting guard being involved in screening action?
For this example, the shooting guard will set a cross screen for a teammate and then use a down screen that is set by another teammate.
This particular action is also known as screen the screener because one offensive player sets a screen and then uses a screen themselves.
At the start of the action, 2 steps into the lane to set a cross screen. 5 uses that screen to get open near the right side low post area.
However, while that happens, 4 cuts toward the basket from the top to set a down screen in the lane. Afterwards, 2 uses that screen to get open near the top, effectively replacing the vacant spot previously held by 4.
Following that, 2 receives the ball from 1 and has the opportunity to take the three-point shot.
What is an example of a shooting guard performing an Iverson cut?
This example consists of a shooting guard performing an Iverson cut to get open near a perimeter area of the court.
To begin, 3 cuts through to the left side corner while 2 executes an Iverson cut from the left side wing to the right side via a pair of high post screens set by 4 and 5.
Afterwards, 2 receives the ball from 1 and has the option to take the open three-point shot or possibly attack the rim to score points via a layup or other type of close-range shot.
How does a shooting guard typically score points?
Via jump shots
A shooting guard typically scores points near the perimeter areas of the court by way of mid-range or three-point jump shots.
Also, it is usually recommended that the shooting guard should strive for high quality jump shots that are open and totally uncontested by defenders when possible.
To produce high quality jump shots, the shooting guard could consider utilizing one or more off-ball or on-ball screens.
Moreover, the shooting guard could also perform one or more basketball moves to create separation from the defender that would be covering them. After that, the shooting guard could take the jump shot at the moment when separation occurs.
By attacking the rim
The shooting guard could utilize a quick first step to blow by their defender. From that point, the shooting guard could get to the rim and score before their defender could recover or before any helping defenders are able to limit or prevent the scoring opportunity.
Moreover, the first step is probably the simplest way to attack the rim as it generally only requires that the shooting guard is quicker than the on-ball defender. Also, the first step could be potentially effective if the on-ball defender makes a mistake such as being in an improper defensive stance.
In addition to that, the shooting guard could perform one or more basketball dribbling moves such as a crossover dribble or a between the legs dribble to break down the on-ball defender.
Following that, the shooting guard could attack the rim and score points.
What’s more, the shooting guard could make use of the on-ball screen and then score at the rim via a close-range shot such as a layup, dunk, or floater action.
By cutting to the basket
If the shooting guard does not have possession of the ball, particularly while filling one of the perimeter areas of the court, it is still possible to score by simply cutting to the basket when the opportunity presents itself.
For example, let’s say that an offensive player such as the point guard has the ball near the right side wing and the shooting guard is currently located near the left side corner on the weak side of the court.
From there, let’s say that the point guard is able to dribble into the gaps of the defense, which also causes multiple defenders to collapse on the ball.
In other words, one or more defenders will slide into the lane to protect the basket and/or to prevent the point guard from scoring with the ball.
Let’s also say that the defender who is protecting the basket at that current time is not a typical shot blocker such as a rim-protecting center.
Instead, let’s say that the defender near the basket is somewhat of equal size or only slightly bigger than the shooting guard such as a small forward.
Alternatively, the defender could also be taller than the shooting guard such as a power forward but perhaps not as athletic in terms of vertical leaping ability.
Against those types of defenders, the shooting guard could immediately cut to the basket while the majority of the defense would be focusing on the point guard.
Afterwards, the shooting guard could receive the ball from the point guard, and then quickly score before the overall defense is able to fully react.
In this instance, cutting to the basket is useful because the shooting guard would be moving without the ball instead of standing still, which is easier for the defense to contain.
Furthermore, any time an off-ball player cuts to the basket, that action could potentially lead to defensive breakdowns because it is usually very difficult for the defense to cover the offensive player in possession of the basketball as well as any off-ball action effectively at the same time.
Although, it should be noted that if the primary defender near the basket did happen to be a rim-protector, then the shooting guard would probably want to stay near the left side corner and then receive the ball for a possible jump shot via a potential kick pass or drift pass from the point guard.