Nick Crain | 12/30/22

  In the modern NBA, teams value players that can pull down a rebound then push the break. Historically, the transition game was on the shoulders of traditional point guards. In the past, forwards and bigs would secure the rebound, find a guard with an outlet pass, then generate the break from there.   Today, however, handling the ball is something a good portion of the league can do. Every night around the league, we see 7-footers bring the ball up the floor.   With this continuing to become a trend, point forwards are beginning to emerge. Ten years ago, these types of players were rare. The most skilled players in the league, including LeBron James and Kevin Durant, were the size of forwards but could also legitimately run point for a team. These days, there’s a ton of guys that can do that.   As this trend continues, there’s an archetype of player labeled as point forwards. These players developing into what they are in the NBA starts early in their childhood careers. With the way the game is played now, kids that are taller growing up aren’t being forced to just play center. They’re being molded into modern bigs that fit the style of play in the NBA with guard skills.   This phenomenon has pushed the agenda of positionless play, as athletes are expected to do a bit of everything on the floor. This has also resulted in the game being played as fast as it ever has, which also has increased nightly team scoring outputs on average.   Just looking across the league, some of the younger players even fit this point forward mold. Guys like Scottie Barnes, Aleksej Pokusevski, Bol Bol and others spend time bringing the ball up the floor despite being some of the taller players on the floor.   As the league continues to shift in this direction, we’ll see this more and more. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft was Paolo Banchero, who stands at 6-foot-11 but handles the ball quite a bit. The top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft will likely be Victor Wembanyama, who brings the ball up the floor and initiates offense at times despite being 7-foot-4.   Even if these guys aren’t playing full-time lead guard, they’ve got the green light to push the ball and handle it in up tempo situations.   This skill is something to consider when roster building and evaluating players moving forward. If they can’t grab a board and push on their own, they may be at a disadvantage.