SG · Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
Post fades and pull-ups built for playoff possessions
Open player profile →
NBA archetype · Shot creators
Midrange specialist
Midrange specialists live between the rim and three-point line, using footwork, balance and release points to solve switching defenses and late-clock possessions.
Win the space defenses concede
A scorer who turns the supposedly inefficient middle of the floor into a playoff-proof source of controlled offense.
This is a role family, not a rigid label. Great players can belong to more than one archetype.
01
Pull-up balance
02
Footwork and counters
03
Late-clock reliability
04
Contested-shot touch
Different expressions of the role
Representative players
SG · Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant
A complete library of pivots, fakes and fades
Open player profile →
SG · Toronto Raptors
DeMar DeRozan
Modern volume in the game's abandoned spaces
Open player profile →
SF · Golden State Warriors
Kevin Durant
Release height that makes a clean contest nearly impossible
Open player profile →
Continue learning the roles
Related archetypes
Organize the floor
Point guards
Pass-first point guard
The possession starts with vision: manipulate help, deliver teammates the ball on time and control tempo before hunting a shot.
Advanced court visionTempo controlPick-and-roll command
Johnson · Stockton · Nash · Rondo
Study the archetype →
Pressure from the backcourt
Guards
Scoring guard
A lead guard whose first threat is putting points on the board from every level, forcing the defense to tilt before the pass arrives.
Self-created offenseThree-level scoringLate-clock shotmaking
Iverson · Curry · Lillard · Harden
Study the archetype →
Score or create
Guards
Combo guard
Too dangerous to call only a point guard or shooting guard: a creator who can run the offense and become its primary scorer.
On-ball creationSecondary playmakingDownhill burst
Wade · Westbrook · Mitchell · Ginóbili
Study the archetype →