The NBA is becoming a positionless league. Coaches are more comfortable playing nontraditional lineups, cross-switching defensive assignments, and sliding players between positions. However, there are still five spots in a lineup, and what spot a player occupies still matters. Every five-man group needs someone to perform a few basic roles so everything one guy does (or doesn’t do) impacts his four teammates. That’s why who plays where is more important than ever. More positional flexibility means more diversity in the types of players at each spot. This series will take a look at how each position is changing, through the lens of three starters, each with a different skill set. This is the NBA Positional Census.
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August 30, 2017
Three Centers That Reflect the NBA’s Positional Evolution
Thon Maker, Jusuf Nurkic, and Willie Cauley-Stein are big men who have the potential to thrive in modern schemes, but there are glaring questions about the role they play on the floor
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August 28, 2017
The NBA Positional Census: Power Forward
Harrison Barnes, Frank Kaminsky, and Julius Randle illustrate the challenges of playing a position with a constantly changing job description
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August 22, 2017
Three Small Forwards That Reflect the NBA’s Positional Evolution
Brandon Ingram, Joe Ingles, and Justise Winslow all represent the blessings and the plight of the 3 spot, arguably the most versatile position in the league
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August 17, 2017
Three Shooting Guards That Reflect the NBA’s Positional Evolution
Zach LaVine, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Caris LeVert are different examples of what is expected of an SG in a post-Kobe landscape
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August 15, 2017
Three Point Guards That Reflect the NBA’s Positional Evolution
Reggie Jackson, Ricky Rubio, and Malcolm Brogdon all play the 1, but their differences highlight how much the position has changed