Who are the confirmed 4 and 5 position players?

[Kblaze8855]

There are plenty of four position guys especially now with small ball. I think PJ Tucker has played 2-5. Maybe Westbrook did 1-5 too on the Rockets. So it’s less impressive than it used to be but still. It’s something to occupy my mind in this parking lot while I wait for something you don’t care about….


Confirmed 5:


Magic, Bird, Lebron, Boris Diaw, Lamar Odom, Darius Miles(I watched him play point on a couple teams and center on the Blazers).

Confirmed 4 with possible 5:

KG(1-3-4-5….don’t remember him playing the 2).

Tmac 1-4. He ever play center when he got old?

Steve Smith 1-4. Point on the Heat and 4 on the Bobcats.

Rodney Rogers 2-5.

Pippen 1-4. I don’t remember him playing the 5 for sure. I don’t remember the specific situation even though I do remember him guarding Webber, Ewing, Zo and other 5s at times.

Penny 1-4

Joe Johnson 1-4

Elgin Baylor 2-5 though maybe we won’t count it that far back before they really defined such things. Bob Cousy technically started at center a few times before Russell and Russell himself played in all 5 positions depending on the set so….do what you want with that.

Luka?

Who else? Kobe play the 4 when he got old?

Should we count old man playing a bigger position as he gets slower situations?

If not id have to remove Smith and Joe Johnson.

We counting old guys too slow to guard their old positions?

[FultzNationRISE]

So, youre just gonna not name Lebron James?

Is that whats goin on here?

[Manny98]

Giannis was utilized as a guard in his days with Jason Kidd and plays alot of minutes at the 5 under Budeholzer

Simmons 1,3,4,5

Durant 2-5 (played shooting guard his rookie year)

[Kblaze8855]

Yea Giannis would be 1-5 I forgot him. He did play point for stretches though it seems weird now.

[Baller789]

So, youre just gonna not name Lebron James?

Is that whats goin on here?

Who? Is he any good?

Where can I watch him in this year's playoffs?

[iamgine]

Dallas has a couple. Harrison Barnes and Dorian Finney Smith.

Shawn Marion.

Michael Beasley.

Lance Thomas.

Travis Outlaw.

Seems like there's a lot of them.

[Akeem34TheDream]

What do you mean by playing a position? Defending that position or having its responsibilities on offense? Or both?

[ShawkFactory]

What do you mean by playing a position? Defending that position or having its responsibilities on offense? Or both?

I generally take that to mean they can fill in adequately on both ends.

[bizil]

I recall Bird playing SF and PF for Boston. Always thought his positional versatility was DAMN NEAR on the level of Magic. Boston just never utilized him like that. I don't recall Bird playing SG, PG, or C for Boston. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong Even though I think he was very capable of playing SG and C for sure at times. Not sure about PG though. EVEN THOUGH Bird was a better passer than most PG's.

And FOR ME, the guys who LEGIT could play and defend four to five different positions VERY GOOD TO GREAT stand out more. SURE Magic could play all five positions on offense. But on defense, he was AVERAGE pretty much in terms of one on one defense. REGARDLESS of the position he was defending. But SIZE WISE, he wouldn't be overmatched unless it was center and certain PF's.

With a Bron and Pip, it MADE SENSE for them to guard ANYBODY 1-4 in an effort to slow them down. So FOR ME, the guys like Bron, Pip, Giannis, KG, etc. were MORE UNIQUE! Because they were elite two way players. If you put Pip at the PG for example, u DIDN'T have to do cross matchups. With the Lakers, they usually put Scott or Coop on the PG. If they didn't, Magic was a LIABILITY defending many smaller PG's. I give Magic MAJOR PROPS for being the godfather of positionless basketball. But TWO WAY WISE, somebody like Pippen deserves major props for that. And KG, Bron, and Giannis down the road up the ante more in there own way.

[Kblaze8855]

I saw him at the 2 plenty of times in big lineups. Point when he got older and they had Dee Brown and those young athletic guys. I don’t think he played point in the 80s.

[Akeem34TheDream]

I generally take that to mean they can fill in adequately on both ends.

I still think it is too subjective. Bucks play Portis Giannis Lopez together. Who is what there? Especially now, that term lost its meaning completely.

[bizil]

I saw him at the 2 plenty of times in big lineups. Point when he got older and they had Dee Brown and those young athletic guys. I don’t think he played point in the 80s.

Point guard flat out??? Like bringing up the rock all the time? After makes getting the C's into their offense?? Dee Brown was a PG. Why would Bird be playing PG with him out there?? Sounds like to me he was playing more as a point forward. For example, if Bird was out there with Dee Brown, Reggie Lewis, and Gamble or Fox at the same time, Bird would be like a point power forward.

And I could see Bird playing SG and C FOR SURE. Just never knew he did. But Bird as a PG FLAT OUT? Not sure about that one.

[bizil]

I still think it is too subjective. Bucks play Portis Giannis Lopez together. Who is what there? Especially now, that term lost its meaning completely.

Giannis is EASILY the SF in that equation. Giannis came in the league as a SF. And his style of play is MORE SIMILAR to a Bron or G Hill in many ways. And Giannis is USED to defending perimeter players. Plus Lopez is a TRUE center. Always has been. Portis is a PF who at times plays center. It WOULDN'T make sense for Portis to see a minute of action at the SF.

[Kblaze8855]

He was a point forward virtually his entire career. I’m talking when he was old and wild get frustrated with Dee. I watched the early 90s Celtics do it quite a bit. He was running pick and rolls and all. Dee was a point but Bird would often run that offense when he wasn’t just throwing long outlets to start it and not even making it to halfcourt.

[RRR3]

Good thread. I wonder who the worst player who was able to play 1-5 was? That would be interesting to find out.

Btw Kblaze couldn’t Horry play 1-5?

[bizil]

There's a difference between PG and point forward. Magic played LEGIT as a PG because he played with a natural SG (B Scott) and a SF (Worthy) on the perimeter. In the case of Bron, he came in the league as a PG. Because he played with Ricky Davis at SG and D Miles at SF on the perimeter.

So Bron was HANDS DOWN the PG for awhile as a rookie. Other times he played with a PG and SG on the perimeter. In that case, he was a point forward. When the Lakers won the chip a couple of years ago, he was FLAT OUT the starting PG. Because he played with KCP and Danny Green (an SG and swingman) on the perimeter. So in other words, some guys NEVER actually played PG. They played as a point forward. There's a difference!

[Kblaze8855]

He might in 2022 but I never saw him play point in his day. And even today it would be more of a position less basketball technically bring it up but it’s a motion offense than runs itself kinda thing.

And the worst? I guess it is Darius Miles. I know I saw him play the point on the Cavs. I tuned in specifically to watch him do it in 2003 when someone here posted it claiming the Cavs were making sure to get the #1 pick by letting him do it. He didn’t play much there or the 5 but I saw it myself.

[bizil]

He was a point forward virtually his entire career. I’m talking when he was old and wild get frustrated with Dee. I watched the early 90s Celtics do it quite a bit. He was running pick and rolls and all. Dee was a point but Bird would often run that offense when he wasn’t just throwing long outlets to start it and not even making it to halfcourt.

But it's not like a Magic type of PG though. With Magic he was playing with a legit SG in B Scott. And a legit SF in Worthy. You can run pick and rolls from the SF or PF position. That DOESN'T mean you are the PG FLAT OUT THOUGH.

[Kblaze8855]

There's a difference between PG and point forward. Magic played LEGIT as a PG because he played with a natural SG (B Scott) and a SF (Worthy) on the perimeter. In the case of Bron, he came in the league as a PG. Because he played with Ricky Davis at SG and D Miles at SF on the perimeter.

So Bron was HANDS DOWN the PG for awhile as a rookie. Other times he played with a PG and SG on the perimeter. In that case, he was a point forward. When the Lakers won the chip a couple of years ago, he was FLAT OUT the starting PG. Because he played with KCP and Danny Green (an SG and swingman) on the perimeter. So in other words, some guys NEVER actually played PG. They played as a point forward. There's a difference!


There are point guards who handled the ball considerably less than a teammate or two. The point isn’t necessarily the one dribbling. Depending on the offense he could have a number of roles.

When Sam got hurt Flip Saunders flat out had KG play the point. He played it with much smaller guys also on the floor. You could call it a point forward but he had to run sets from the 1 spot which is the key to me. It’s actually the reason I made this topic. An interview of his on how much he hated it. He did it but it was forced on him. Flip just didn’t see a better option.

He was a forward. He played point. You could call him a point forward but he was the point guard while he was playing it.

[Kblaze8855]

But it's not like a Magic type of PG though. With Magic he was playing with a legit SG in B Scott. And a legit SF in Worthy. You can run pick and rolls from the SF or PF position. That DOESN'T mean you are the PG FLAT OUT THOUGH.


Magic was working on his third ring before he was the regular point guard. Norm Nixon was the point. And later Magic often played 2-3-4 when copper would come in. I’ve seen Cooper play point while Magic is the 4 with worthy the 3.

Those teams weren’t that locked position wise. Celtics either.

[bizil]

There are point guards who handled the ball considerably less than a teammate or two. The point isn’t necessarily the one dribbling. Depending on the offense he could have a number of roles.

When Sam got hurt Flip Saunders flat out had KG play the point. He played it with much smaller guys also on the floor. You could call it a point forward but he had to run sets from the 1 spot which is the key to me. It’s actually the reason I made this topic. An interview of his on how much he hated it. He did it but it was forced on him. Flip just didn’t see a better option.

He was a forward. He played point. You could call him a point forward but he was the point guard while he was playing it.

But with KG I remember him playing with a SG, a SF, a PF, and C on the court at the same time. So I AGREE with you on KG. I remember KG bringing up the rock on makes AND misses. So I'm with you there. I just don't remember Bird doing that. And playing with that type of lineup on the court. Where YOU KNEW he was flat out the PG. With KG, he played as a point forward often of course. BUT I also remember playing as a LEGIT 7 foot PG as well on occasion.

[bizil]

Magic was working on his third ring before he was the regular point guard. Norm Nixon was the point. And later Magic often played 2-3-4 when copper would come in. I’ve seen Cooper play point while Magic is the 4 with worthy the 3.

Those teams weren’t that locked position wise. Celtics either.

NO SHIT!!!! I'm aware Norm Nixon was the PG! And I'm ALSO AWARE that Magic played all the other positions too! Why bring that up??? Magic's PRIMARY POSITION once Norm was traded was FLAT OUT as a PG. On defense, Lakers often did cross matchups. And of course Magic played ALL OVER THE PLACE depending on what they wanted to do. I ALREADY HAVE SAID several times in the past Magic was the godfather of positionless hoops. HELL I said it in this very thread. So what's your point???