Point forward

Point forward is an unofficial playing position in basketball for those who share the attributes of both a point guard and a forward.

A point forward is a forward who is responsible for being the primary facilitator on offense. The player is typically responsible for bringing the ball up the court. In the NBA, power forwards typically range from 6' 8" (2.03 m) to 6' 11" (2.11 m) while in the WNBA, power forwards are usually between 6' 0" (1.83 m) to 6' 4" (1.93 m). In some cases, the point forward directs the offense once a traditional point guard dribbles the ball up-court. The role is generally filled by a small forward and rarely by a power forward.

ESPN analyst Dave Telep believed that a point forward was more than a forward who was a good passer, but also needed to facilitate the offense for teammates at least half of the time. Former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Larry Bird, lauded for both his scoring and passing skills, once said "I'm a point forward now" after he believed coaches wanted him to score less and pass more.

Don Nelson, a coach often associated with point forwards in his Nellie Ball system, used them to compensate for weaknesses on his team, such as having guards that were not strong ball-handlers. Other coaches have used point forwards to free their guards to score. In some cases, a team employs a point forward when a forward is their best playmaker.

Three former members of the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA) all claim to have originated the point forward term. Former Bucks player Marques Johnson claims to have coined the term. During the 1984 playoffs, Milwaukee became short on point guards after Nate Archibald was sidelined with a hamstring injury. His coach, Don Nelson, instructed Johnson to set up the offense from his forward position. Johnson responded, "OK, so instead of a point guard, I'm a point forward". However, Del Harris, then-Bucks assistant coach, claims that he first mentioned the term to Nelson while discussing strategies to use Paul Pressey. Harris says he came up with the term while coaching Robert Reid with the Houston Rockets. Harris credits his predecessor as Rockets coach, Tom Nissalke, with creating the point forward strategy with Rick Barry's role in Houston.

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