One basketball team has a total of 12 players, five inside the court and the remaining players are bench players. Each player has different roles and responsibilities that help the team to win. One of the most important of those positions is the shooting guard and it plays the biggest role on a basketball team.
The shooting guard is called several different things. Some well known used names used to call a shooting guard are two-guard, off guard wing, and swingman.
Most of us know that shooting guards are capable of catch and shoot but the truth is, not all shooting guards are capable of doing that kind of mechanism. Some shooting guards are good at slashing the rim and some are good at shooting outside the three-point line. Even though some shooting guards have different skills, all we know is that the shooting guards are all capable of sinking in a game-winning shot.
To give you a deeper understanding of what shooting guards do inside the basketball court, we carefully wrote this article and researched everything for you. Now let’s go and learn what a shooting guard does inside the court.
Roles Of Shooting Guard In Basketball
Scorers Of The Team
Shooting guards tend to be above average shooters, they score more points at a higher rate than others on the team. The shooting guards are capable of sinking in many three-point shots in a single quarter, they are also good at slashing the boards.
The average height of a shooting guard ranges between 6’4 and 6’7 which means that their height is capable of getting by their defenders, slash the boards, and getting shot over the defense.
The basketball team expects so much from their shooting guard. They expect a lot of scoring outside the arc and a lot of inside shots as well. In short, shooting guards are the main scorers of one basketball team.
The Second Option To Handle The Ball
We all know that the point guard is the main ball handler of the team, but what if the point guard is being pressured by his defender? If a team’s point guard is being pressured too much by his defenders, the shooting guards usually back up the point guard in terms of handling the ball.
There are many reasons why this is helpful for a team, but the main reason is that a shooting guard is usually capable of starting the team’s offense when they bring the basketball inside the court.
The point guard also knows the shooting guard’s position too so in some cases if the shooting guard is handling the ball, the point guard becomes the shooting guard.
First Option During Clutch Time
Shooting guards are the first option of a basketball team to shoot the ball during close games or clutch time. Almost every shooting guard is capable of sinking in a buzzer-beater shot, it may be outside the arc, a jump shot, or an inside shot.
Shooting guards are always practicing shooting the ball so that their muscle memory improves. The Shooting guards are so dead eye and they can shoot in any minute of the game.
Shooting Guards Play on the Wing
The wing is the area on a basketball court just outside where the three-point line begins to curve towards the top of the key. The wing spot is one of the most frequently utilized areas of a basketball court to receive a pass from any players of the team, usually from the point guards, at the beginning of offensive possession.
Shooting guards like to begin their offensive sets on the wing spot for a couple of different reasons:
- It is safer to receive a pass from the point guard outside the arc compared to one forward or center that is inside the paint.
- The wing is not the most guarded area in a basketball court, that is why it is easy to score there without a contest.
3 Shooting Guard Workout Drills
Advanced 1-on-1
How It Works
Two players are required to do this drill. The two players play one on one from designated parts of a basketball court. The offensive player is only allowed to use a maximum of 2 or 3 dribbles before taking a shot.
Purpose
This drill helps to improve both the offensive and defensive skills of a shooting guard. The drill will also help the shooting guard to improve his shot and dribble decision.
Instructions
- The drill starts with one offensive player and one defensive player
- The offensive player will start on the free-throw line, while the defender guarding the offensive player tightly
- The game starts when the defensive player hands the basketball to the offensive player
- The offensive player can attack the basket or attempt to shoot mid-range as soon as the handoff pass is made
- An offensive player is only allowed to take two dribbles maximum
- Once the offensive player has had 10 possessions, the players will switch roles
- Then after the switch, the drill continues with the same rule
Elbow Pull-Ups
How It Works
A player will dribble the ball towards the elbow spot and perform pull up shots. Each player can only dribble the ball twice maximum.
Purpose
This drill will help the shooting guard’s mid-range shot to improve at the elbow area. The elbow spot is a dangerous area of the floor for a shooting guard to be in because the shot can be utilized on a fast break or offensive play.
Instructions
- Start outside the rainbow arc
- Take two dribbles maximum to one of the elbows and attempt to shoot the ball
- If you have a rebounder, just go back outside the arc and perform the same shot on the elbow area
- If you don’t have a rebounder, just get the ball where it bounces then return outside of the arc and then perform the shot on the elbow area again
- Make at least 20-30 shots
Three-point Shootout Drill
How It Works
The player will shoot a three-pointer in the five different areas of the three-point line. The five areas are the two corner three, two wing areas, and in the middle three-point line. Players must attempt to shoot ten shots in each area, with a total of 50 shots. They will count the missed shot, and the number of missed shots will be the number of push-ups that need to be performed.
Purpose
This drill will help the muscle memory of a shooting guard when shooting threes. Shooting guards will get more used to shooting three points and sooner or later if the drill is performed every day, shooting threes will be a piece of cake for a shooting guard.
Instructions
- Start in the corner of the three-point line, decide if you will start on the left or right corner
- After attempting to shoot on the corner, move to the wing
- Then after in the wing area, move to the middle
- After shooting in the middle three-point line, move to another wing
- Finish the drill in the last corner of the three-point line
- Count the missed shots and convert it to a pushup
Conclusion
Shooting guards are an important role in a basketball team and it is undeniable. Shooting guards can score, handle the ball and pass the ball and it considers them as a flexible basketball position.
They can also make space for themselves to free themselves from their defender for an easy uncontested shot. Let’s also not forget that shooting guards are so capable of shooting a buzzer-beater or a clutch shot.
In other words, having a talented shooting guard is an alas to one basketball team. It will help the team’s offense to flow continuously.
