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1 A desire to win. The point guard must radiate a competitive toughness and a find-a-way-to-get-the-job-done mindset. They are unconcerned about glory stats and only focused on things that impact the final score. This mindset can become contagious and should be contagious. I think of a guy like former Duke point guard Steve Wojokowski, who had average ability but a great will to win that carried over to his teammates.
2 Focus on others. Now I don’t believe the point guard necessarily has to be a team leader, but they cannot be a selfish, high-maintenance athlete or it will be a long season for everyone. Not only does a teammate-first mindset breed good team chemistry, but athletes who are like this tend to be emotionally consistent and balanced.
The opposite also is true. If your point guard is a “me first” type of player, it will be hard for your team to reach its potential and you will not sleep very well.
This has little to do with how much a point guard scores. There are many high-scoring combo guards today at all levels. Teammates know the difference between a point guard who is a capable scorer taking quality shots and one that heaves shots and wants to lead the team in the box score.
3 Ball-handling skills. The point guard is under control and sees the nine other players with soft vision because he or she can handle the ball. They can effectively dribble, pass, pivot and fake while getting the team into its offense.
This player cannot be bullied due to lack of skill. If they can’t dribble well, other teams can make you change everything you do. If you cut off a snake’s head, its body helplessly flails around. We don’t want our offense to look like that.
4 Value every possession. A quality point guard hates turnovers and poor shots, and they model that in their play. They understand that a careless turnover is a felony, and that poor shot selection can become plague-like. These things start with the point guard, and they must take responsibility for that. They never want the team to look like noon ball at the local YMCA.
5 Team coordinator. An effective point guard can communicate calls and changes, making sure that every player on the court understands what is happening. They can reload the offense if a fast break or a set play breaks down. They also know the optimal tempo for the team’s offense and defense and how to keep and change momentum. They must play the game as if they were sitting in the stands, seeing the big picture of what must be done.
6 Make teammates better. The point guard must set up players with easy shots that suit their skills. The point guard’s passes are on time and on target, and their soft vision helps find open players at just the right time. They must be consistent and purposeful, thus helping teammates improve their play over time.
When there is no rhyme or reason to what a point guard does, teammates tend to be unsure what to do, so they stand around and watch. Point guards should be deceptive to opponents, but predictable to their teammates.
7 Understand the situation. The point guard can transfer concepts from practice and timeouts, but can also read situations and make adjustments on the fly. They know who and what gives your team the best chance to succeed in certain situations.
8 Directs the fast break. They must get open and available quickly for the outlet pass, advance the ball quickly from foul line to foul line and reward players who sprint ahead. The point guard makes good reads for the pass, the type of pass and to whom and when to pull it back out. They keep an eye out for a secondary opening. They also convey a “we’re coming at you” mentality.
9 Penetrate gaps and make reads. The point guard puts pressure on the defense, creates layups, fouls, offensive rebounding opportunities and short pull-ups.
10 Shoots a high percentage. The point guard is a good finisher in the key, is a capable 3-point shooter when left open and is a great free-throw shooter.
11 Various gears and speeds. The point guard must be shifty, in that they can change speed and direction. They are in great shape, and both teams sense they are strong and fit — especially in the fourth quarter.
12 A defensive bulldog. I put this last only because we often have another player guard the point. What is essential is that they make defense a priority and help set the tone for their teammates on how hard we play.
We share this list with our point guards and each season my hope is that our point guard strives to become more like the person described here.