How the point guard is basketball's quarterback

• By Craig Haley

What has changed in the NCAA Basketball Tournamentis that the most successful teams were traditionally the ones full of veteran players. Today, many of the most talented players are freshmen instead of seniors. What hasn’t changed is the importance of having a strong point guard. No team wants to be caught without one – the so-called “quarterback” on the court, leading the flow of action on both ends.

The positions in basketball are numbered one through five, and, appropriately, a point guard is the one whom others follow. That’s the mindset a youth basketball coach wants to bring out. A skilled point guard makes everybody’s job easier because his decision making and leadership are an extension of the coach on the floor. He is adept at handling the ball, setting up teammates, scoring, directing and exploiting weaknesses in the opposition. Indeed, a Peyton Manning in gym shorts.

Developmentment

To develop a point guard, a coach wants to instill confidence in him, always suggesting how his leadership runs both the offensive and defensive sets. Teammates will respond to how a point guard displays a relentless style in practice, so a coach who develops the mindset of his point guard is basically doing the same for his entire team.

While some athletes will lead vocally or through example, the point guard has to do both. On offense, he is the main dribbler, so the ball will be in his hands the most. It’s pivotal that he dribbles with his head up so he can see the floor in front of him and recognize the best way for his team to score a basket. He calls out the plays to signal what should be happening. It’s his job to set up his teammates through his passing, so he often leads his team in assists. But his ability to score points on jump shots and drives to the basket provides points, too, so he can draw defenders away from his offensive teammates.

Mechanicsnics

Defensively, the point guard is the great communicator. He’s demanding intensity out of his teammates and disrupting the opposing team. His aggressive play will draw the same out of his teammates more than a coach yelling instruction from the sideline will.

Drills in practice will improve any young player. Some have the potential to bring out the best in a point guard. From the first day of practice through the playoffs, a coach must stress muscle memory and proper mechanics. He can turn a simple full-court dribbling drill into a two-way teaching tool.

If a young point guard constantly uses his or her dominant hand to dribble the ball, work on the opposite hand. Have your "quarterback" use his opposite hand to dribble from the end line to midcourt and back. Don’t stop there, either. He immediately should turn and dribble to the far end line and back. With the opposite hand! The dribbler has to keep his head up to see the entire floor. If he struggles at first, slow the action and have him dribble in place to gain a better feel for the ball while his head is up. Keep it low and by his side. As he progresses, have him do a full-court up-and-back dribble against a defender.

Defensivelyvely

The defender on the up-and-back dribble will gain as much as the dribbler. Have the dribbler go forward with a diagonal dribble. The defender has to drop-step and slide with the dribbler. Knees should be bent with balance on the toes, not the heels, and the eyes should be directed toward the belly because the ball will be on that plain. The defender’s palms should be up, and if he goes for a steal, he should tap the ball from underneath, not from above, where he often will slap the dribbler’s hand and cause a foul. The dribbler wants to pick and choose his opportunity for a steal. He’s more trying to slow the dribbler and force him into a mistake. You want your point guard to be more focused than the dribbler.

Guess what? This simple drill is working on conditioning, too. Your point guard should want to outlast all the other players on the court. He’s the quarterback, he sets the tone.