What are the Qualities of a Point Guard?

I did an interview on radio in London, not too long ago which will be a supplement to this. Listen to our dialogue as we did a series with Athletic Intelligence Media and Anthony Gentle., on the Point Guard Series:

I was a shooting guard most of my playing career until I was thrust into the Point Guard role my senior season at UCSD and I had to learn how to develop into the guy that was focused on getting everyone else going in the game and not just me. It was a role that provided me with authority, responsibility and most of all, a side by side role with my coaching staff as once we left the huddle, it was me that had to take control of our team.

Now in my talks with players I share with them these 10 qualities that I want in a Point Guard.

1.) Leader-No doubt the most important trait of a point guard. A leader isn’t someone who bosses players around. It means they are the one that organizes the offense and makes sure everyone is on the same page as far as the offense and defense is concerned. They should take the brunt of the heat when the team doesn’t convert so they make sure everyone is on the same page. They should be the voice in the player huddle. They are the straw that mixes the team.

2.) Play with two speeds-A high level point guard knows how to change speeds. Guards who play full speed all the time can be effective in transition, but in the half court find themselves easier to guard if they are going at one speed at all times. Playing with two speeds enables a point guard to set their defender up at a slower speed and then when making a move change speeds to penetrate the teeth of the defense. Even if a guard isn’t very quick they still can get in the lane and be a penetrator. It’s all about setting up their defender and playing with two speeds

3.) Give the ball to teammates where they will be successful.-I don’t really like the phrase a point guard makes players better. They don’t put the ball in the basket more for teammates or make them more athletic. No, a point guard understands where and when. Where on the floor to throw the ball to a player and when in the game to do so. A great point guard won’t give the ball to an energetic center with little skill in transition 20 feet on the run. They know that a player like that should only get it on drop offs or hard rolls to the basket. They also don’t give them the ball in jail, a term used when the offensive player receives under the rim, can’t do anything with it, goes up and shoots a bad shot. It’s the point guards responsibility as well as the post player. A good point guard understands their team’s strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. They won’t call an isolation and give it to a spot up shooter against the other team’s top defender, they know that they’ll have to penetrate and kick to them or run that player off screens. Those are a couple of examples of this remember a great point guard knows where and when.

4.) Have the ability to force two defenders to guard them.-A high level point guard has the ability to get into the lane and force an off the ball defender to help off their man to stop them from penetrating opening up another defender. Being able to get in the lane is so important for a point guard. Changing speeds has a lot to do with penetrating the teeth of the defense and making off the ball defenders help off teammates to open up scoring opportunities. This is a big key to having an efficient team offense is forcing defenders into long rotations and the only way to have this happen is to get the ball in the paint. Even if a point guard isn’t overly explosive on their first step and need the help of a pick and roll getting the ball in the paint is the lifeblood of a point guard.

5.) Having the ability to make a 15 foot jump shot-Being a long-range shooter isn’t a prerequisite of being a high level point guard, but you should show the ability to make a 15 foot jump shot. It’s important to make defenders guarding you to push up on you to make your move to penetrate and get in the lane. If you don’t show the ability to make at least a 15 foot jumper defenders will sag off and play you in the lane making it tougher to penetrate and create opportunities. There are very high level point guards that aren’t long range threats such as Tony Parker and Devin Harris, but they have the ability to knock down the mid range to mid range + (17-19 foot) jump shots. This makes defenders need to get out and guard them. Being that the elbows are such a popular kill spot of so many guards, that 15 foot jumper is so important. Screen and rolls, transition, and isolation situations often call for guards to pull up from 15 feet. Point guards can develop range in time, but I think at all levels it’s an important shot to master at the point guard position.

6.) Great vision-There are plenty of non scoring point guards that are high-level players. With so many hybrid point guards that are more scoring guards than true point guards having the ability to pass the ball and find open teammates is such an important skill. A great point guard keeps their eye on not only the players that are guarding them, but also the help defenders. This enables them to force those help defenders to leave their men and open up opportunities for their teammates to have open looks. Having great vision in a point guard is so hard to find. So many guards today want to pay attention to only the players that are guarding them and not pay attention to the other four defenders on the floor. Teams need playmakers that can create for others. I don’t think you have a chance of being a high-level point guard if you lack the ability to see the floor and pay attention to every player on the court. Watch great point guards like Steve Nash or DeRon Williams. They always have their heads up and eyes are constantly moving to process what’s going on. You can’t be a high-level point guard and have tunnel vision.

7.) Have the ability to be an on the ball defender-As a point guard it is so important to be able to keep the player that you are guarding in front of you. I’ve mentioned so many times thus far that to be a great point guard you need to be able to get the ball in the lane. Well since that is true stopping the ball from getting in the lane needs to be your goal. You have to have active hands that are constantly moving to not only take away your opponent’s vision, but also have your off hand to be active to try and get deflections. Lateral quickness is so important to constantly move your feet and change directions. Generating a lot of steals does not make you a great on the ball defender. I think keeping your opponent outside the paint is so important, more important than getting steals. You can get 3 steals in a game, but your opponent got in the lane all night scored 18 points on mostly drives to the rim and dished out 8 assists, 7 of which were drop offs because they drove by you and forced your big men to rotate to stop penetration opening up open lay ups for their big men. With so much pick and roll run these days that also is important to be able to guard the ball and get through ball screens. There is a lot to being a good defender besides getting steals.

8.) Finisher-Being able to get in the lane is so important for a point guard. But getting in the lane is only step one. As I mentioned so much in this post reading the help defenders is so important to a great point guard. A lot of times the help defenders are big post players or bigger wings that are trying to get at your shot. Being able to finish in the lane is so important for a guard. There are many ways to do this as you can get to the rim, shoot a baby jump shot, runners/floaters, and hooks in the lane. There isn’t one way to finish, like anything else you need to read the situation. Sometimes you can get to the rim, but in other cases there will be a defender waiting there for you forcing you to take a shot from 5 feet from the basket. Being a great finisher comes with experience. Just like anything else you will fail at first and you need to understand why you failed and make changes to your game. In the NBA you see guards that coming into the league thought they could get to the rim at will and found out quickly they will get their shots blocked by the height and length of shot blockers. In time they worked on their finishing moves and developed many different ways of scoring in the paint. Great finishing guards like Steve Nash, Tony Parker, and Rajon Rondo are so good in having so many different ways to finish. They know to the second of how deep they can drive it when to release the ball so it raises up just out of the reach of defenders. It’s a skill that is developed over time.

9.) Communicator-The other four positions on the floor can lead by example and be soft spoken, unfortunately a point guard can’t. Point guards are constantly talking to their teammates to the point where you want to tell them to shut up. A great point guard is always talking and communicating to their teammates on both ends of the floor. They are the ones that are talking in player huddles and organizing their team. You can’t be quiet as a point guard as you are the most important position on the floor. The point guard is the one who is the middleman that delivers their coach’s directions and makes sure they get followed and communicated to the rest of the team. Communication is such an important trait for a point guard. They can’t be quiet and take a back seat. Show me a great point guard and I’ll show you a great communicator

10.)Tough/Thick Skinned-As a point guard your will can’t be soft. It doesn’t matter if you are a rookie/freshman or veteran/senior a point guard will take the brunt of the pressure. It is your job to organize your team and get them into the offense and defense. The coach and the rest of the team are counting on you to be a leader. It’s the point guard’s job to make sure everyone is on the same page. Coaches are hardest on point guards for a good reason. A point guard can’t be a finger pointer or hide from pressure and criticism. It’s their job to take the heat when things go wrong. There is no room for a point guard to blame others for the team’s demise. You have to take the heat and make sure it doesn’t happen again. There is no room at the point guard position for players who hide and point fingers. Toughness is one of the ten traits that can’t be replaced with something else. Players and coaches love the point guard that can walk into the green room after the game and answer all the questions, head up, look people in the eye and say it was their fault, no one else’s. It focuses on solutions and cuts the blame game instantly so that the team can move forward.

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John Saintignon has an extensive background of an experienced and successful basketball coach at the International Professional, NCAA Division 1, NCAA Division 2 and High School levels — and a three-time NCAA All-American as a player and a professional player. Coach Saintignon has been helping players and their families navigate through the NCAA process of helping them get a college scholarship, having wrote a book on the subject while at Oregon State University, “ What does it take to get a college scholarship?”, as well as preparing them for the court. Coach Saintignon trains the athletes and provides performance nutritional advice working alongside Advocare to help his athletes reach their fullest potential. FB: JSSportsNet and at www.advocare.com/130423949

Saintignon was the Head Coach of Fuerza Guinda of the FIBA Americas; Coach Saintignon led his team to a Playoff finish. During the 2011-2012 season of the NBA lockout, Saintignon was instrumental in getting NBA players into jobs overseas having placed Jarron Collins and Mardy Collins into the CBA in China, Salim Stoudamire into Italy, Sam Clancy into Argentina, James Porter into Japan, Calvin Hampton into Bahrain. Over a 100 players have come through Los Angeles to get player development training including the future Hall of Famer NFL Defensive end and Superbowl winner Simeon Rice who came out to LA to train for 3 days in strenuous basketball training with Coach Saintignon.

Saintignon has been a coach in high school, college and professional basketball in Arizona, California, Oregon, Mexico and Bahrain. Most recently, Saintignon was the successful Head Coach in the Premier League in the country of Bahrain in the Middle East since March 2010, leading his team to a Final Four finish. Prior to that he was the Assistant Coach at Cal State Stanislaus University in the CCAA Conference and an NCAA Division 2 institution. Saintignon was also the Associate Head Coach and Director of Player Development for the Culiacan Caballeros of the top league in the Mexican Professional Basketball League (LNBP). As a first-year franchise, the Caballeros went to the LNBP playoffs in a top 6 finish.

Prior to coaching professionally, Saintignon was the Director of Basketball Operations and Assistant Coach at Oregon State University in the Pac-10 Conference from 2006 to 2007. Before landing in Corvallis, Saintignon was a teacher and Head Coach at Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Ariz. His previous high school coaching experience included being the Head Coach at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, Ariz. (2001-04); Bonita Vista High School in Chula Vista, Calif. (1995-01); and Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach, Calif. (1992-95).

Saintignon led his team at Canyon del Oro to the state tournament twice and was named the Coach of the Year in 2001-02. At Bonita Vista, he was also named the league’s coach of the year after leading his team to the CIF championship in 1999, the first CIF Championship earned in the schools history. At Mar Vista, Saintignon earned Coach of the Year honors by taking his team to the league championship in 1994-95, and the schools first since 1964.

As a guest speaker in Italy, Croatia, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Bahrain, Mexico Israel and Argentina, Saintignon has earned a reputation as an authority on player development and has produced several DVD’s on getting athletes better through individual training; “Advanced Guard Workout” is the title, as well as attacking on offense with his Secondary Break philosophy, called “On the Attack: Mastering the Secondary Break.”

Saintignon graduated from the University of California at San Diego in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and a Master’s degree from Liberty University in Sports Administration. He played one season at UC San Diego and three seasons at the University of California at Santa Cruz. In 1985-86, he was the Leading Scorer in the United States (USA) as he led the entire NCAA Divisions with 31.2 points per game scoring average. He earned All-Conference MVP and All-American candidate honors all three of his years at UC Santa Cruz as he scored more than 2,450 points in his career where he is the All-Time scoring leader in University history as his number was retired this year. He went on to play professionally in Spain and Mexico for four seasons earning various honors including several All-Star selections.

A native of Tucson, Ariz., Saintignon graduated from Salpointe Catholic High School where he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. Saintignon has been married for 16 years to Angelica and they are proud parents of their two sons, Vicente (14) and Sebastian (11).