What is the most important position on the floor?

[DieHardYankee26]

The title pretty much explains it all. What do you think a dominant dynasty needs to have to sustain? Or even what does a championship team need to get there? I am just wondering on other people's opinions. I used to think it was the point guard just because if you look at the dominant dynasties 60's Celtics and 80's Lakers, they had Bob Cousy(hall of fame) and Magic Johnson(hall of fame). They also had dominant big men though in Russell(hall of fame) and Kareem(hall of fame). Then there was the Bulls dynasty which had neither but still won 6 championships. What do you think is the most important? Also, having said that, which ONE of these fifteen players would you pick in their prime to start a dynasty?

PG: Magic Johnson, Bob Cousy, Walt Frazier
SG: Michael Jordan, George Gervin, Jerry West
SF: Larry Bird, Dr. J, Elgin Baylor
PF: Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley
C: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem The Dream

[DC]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

Can't really say. You can name a champion that didn't have a strong X position.

Bulls never had real PGs
Lakers never had real PFs

But if I could have Jordan or a 2000 Shaq; that is who I would pick

[number10]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

Ill have to say a PG. He runs everything..slows it down, speed it up, gets the team into the "O" Sort of like the QB on the floor.

[GSW]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

Can't really say. You can name a champion that didn't have a strong X position.

Bulls never had real PGs
Lakers never had real PFs

But if I could have Jordan or a 2000 Shaq; that is who I would pick

+1

there isnt One position that can ultimatly be the most important. HOWEVER. if you have a do it all player that can play Small Forward... your chances to win improve significantly.

[Cebby]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

There is no most important position. You take your best player regardless of his position and build a team around him.

Hell, in the finals last year, the 2 positions that are traditionally touted as being the most important (C and PG) were each team's weakness.

If all the players are equal, I'd take a center. SF is the running back of the NBA and are incredibly easy to fill as a complementary #2 or #3 player.

[superjames1992]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

It depends on the offense IMO. For a team like Phoenix, the point guard is the most important while for teams like the Spurs the low post position is more important. It varies.

[ehh]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

In the NBA there isn't a "most important", but on lower levels of basketball I would definitely say point guard.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

I disagree, on lower levels I would say center. A good center will control the boards against lower level competition and get you easy buckets in the paint. The point guard, if he doesn't have players who can finish or shoot is limited to the scoring that he can do. Just my opinion.

[ehh]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

I disagree, on lower levels I would say center. A good center will control the boards against lower level competition and get you easy buckets in the paint. The point guard, if he doesn't have players who can finish or shoot is limited to the scoring that he can do. Just my opinion.

A center isn't getting easy buckets in the paint of his PG can't get him the rock.

Yeah I can see why you would think that way, it can go either way. I just like that a PG is the leader and facilitates the whole show. But obviously a great big man can be an enormous asset.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

A center isn't getting easy buckets in the paint of his PG can't get him the rock.

Yeah I can see why you would think that way, it can go either way. I just like that a PG is the leader and facilitates the whole show. But obviously a great big man can be an enormous asset.

I definitely don't underestimate how the PG runs the whole show but I was just thinking, for the lower levels of play, if a Center is really dominant, would be more useful than a really good PG who's passing is negated by a lack of good teammates. He might make those teammates better but the Center can rebound and score and block shots in the paint. Those are three very important aspects of basketball. I guess we probably need to clarify how low of a level of basketball this is, lol.

[youvalss]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

Doesn't really matter to me because you can see SF's that play the point and PG's that go for the rebound. Maybe in the 60's when the game was played more traditionally - where everyone did what they were supposed to do in their position, but today it doesn't really matter. The Lakers got to the finals withouth a real PG, the Pistons never had a real scorer (Hamilton is great but he's not that consistent unfortunately), the Mavs didn't have a real C etc...
It's all about the coaching staff having a plan to maximize the productivity of the team.

[Mo_Magic]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

Doesn't really matter to me because you can see SF's that play the point and PG's that go for the rebound. Maybe in the 60's when the game was played more traditionally - where everyone did what they were supposed to do in their position, but today it doesn't really matter. The Lakers got to the finals withouth a real PG, the Pistons never had a real scorer (Hamilton is great but he's not that consistent unfortunately), the Mavs didn't have a real C etc...
It's all about the coaching staff having a plan to maximize the productivity of the team.

Well you have to put the Lakers in context... the Bulls never had any "real" point guard either, but the one thing both teams have in common is that they had GREAT combo guards(#1 and #2 all time) in Jordan and Kobe. And not only that, they had some of the best passing forwards in the league(Odom, Pippen) who were extremely versatile and could do anything on a basketball court...

Now, when Kobe had Shaq, no, they didn't have any "real" point guards or point forwards for that matter, which is exactly why his assist totals then were higher than they are now.

There are positions that are more important than others as far as what the players do from it... as evidenced by most teams winning championships with dominant big men on both sides of the floor(or being AMAZING on one side), but a great coach is a coach that is able to negate a weakness in his team(like Phil Jackson with his lack of PG's) and turn it into an advantage(running large players at the point to create mismatches). That's basically what Phil's triangle is all about... mismatches.

As far as the actual question, I would say the center position is the most important because of his ability to control an entire game by slowing its tempo. Having a great center leads to less fastbreaks for the other team(because most shots are close to the basket), less easy baskets at the bucket, and a high percentage offense 'cuz of the defense needing to double down, allowing the Center to hit the open man and initiate the swinging of the ball...

Look what Olajuwon was able to do with a lack of talent(old Clyde Drexler, Sam Cassell, and Robert Horry... you kidding?!) or what Kevin Garnett did with the Celtics this year(if he isn't on that team, they probably win 30-40 games), or what Greg Oden will do for the Blazers this year(they're a playoff team, mark my words), or what Ewing brought to the Knicks(who also weren't TOO talented in my mind), or what Robinson brought to the Spurs', or what Duncan has been bringing to the Spurs'(championships) for the past 9 years... Being able to dominate a game through a post is instrumental in building a dynasty, unless your players are UNREAL and are not "dime a dozen," ala Jordan, Kobe, Pippen... I guess you could throw Centers in the "not dime a dozen" lot too...

[ehh]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

I guess we probably need to clarify how low of a level of basketball this is, lol.

That's true, lol. We're being pretty vague here!

[TMagic]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

For me, it's easily the Point Guard. As far as today's game is concerned.

I've said this plenty before, without solid point guard play, the team will suffer.

Just think about all the teams that advanced in the first round last year (Note: Lakers excluded because they have three ball handlers, the PG isn't the only one controlling the ball):

- The Hornets Chris Paul outplayed Dallas' PGs
- Deron Williams outplayed Houston's PGs
- Tony Parker outplayed Steve Nash
- Rajon Rondo outplayed Bibby
- Billups started playing well to beat the Sixers. Outplayed Miller to take series.
- You will see in the Orlando/Toronto series that Howard dominated. But, also take note that in the games they won, Jameer Nelson had very solid games in their wins. The only game Toronto won, was the only game TJ Ford and Jose Calderon had good games.
- The Wizards point guards brought nothing to the table.

Point guard play was the common factor in all of the teams moving on.

If Center was the most important position today, then the Rockets would easily have gotten past the first round in their last four tries. They are a prime example. Yao clearly outclasses any opponents center in all of his series. But, he still could not get out of the first round.

They also won all of those games in a row last season, WITHOUT YAO. Their best player, who also happens to be a center. How? Because Rafer played well in his absence. Last playoffs, in the games they won, Rafer Alston played well. The Rockets lost both games he didn't play, and lost the games where he was a non factor.

Rajon Rondo had a great series against the Lakers in the finals.

So for me it's easily the point guard. Without solid point guard play, your team will suffer. Good point guard play, makes everything easier for your team.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: What is the most important position on the floor?

I'd say having a point guard that takes care of the ball is a necessity if you want to win.