What Do I Look For When Evaluating Guards? – Ask Prep Hoops AZ

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Welcome to a new series here on Prep Hoops AZ! I'll be on here answering commonly asked questions to myself and the rest of the Prep Hoops AZ team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">"What do you look for when watching a prospect and evaluating them?"</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Well the biggest thing and honestly the most important thing is having a baseline when evaluating prospects. You shouldn't compare a 6'0" guard to a 6'7" wing unless they're next to one another in the rankings and you're deciding which player will translate better to the next level and do better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So first things first, when it comes to guards the biggest thing to pay attention to first is how gifted of a passer a guard is. That helps breakdown the difference between a point guard, a combo guard, and a shooting guard outside of obviously a size difference. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After looking at them as a passer, I evaluate how strong they are at being a playmaker. Just because a player can pass doesn't mean they're a good playmaker. Playmaking goes deeper than swinging the rock, it's running the offense, setting your teammates up in quality positions for looks, and commanding the floor with the ball in their hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Once you have that as a baseline, the shooting form is key. If you cannot shoot as a guard, you HAVE TO be a gifted athlete, an exceptional playmaker, or an elite defender to overcome that deficit in a massive part of the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With that being said, if you have any of those skills to make up for lack of shooting, a player becomes much more recruitable and has a better chance of successful. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">So what else matters?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the biggest things that matters when it comes to figuring out a true point guard, a combo guard, and a shooting guard is ball handling and dribbling.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To be a true point guard regardless of size, you have to have a tight handle and the ability to control the ball like it's on a string. That skill ultimately will make a difference as to whether or not you can play on-ball as the lead guard or off-ball as a two guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's also the difference in determining what level a guard prospect can be. If you're a guard that can handle or move with the ball, your ability to play at the next level falls drastically. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next edition, we'll look at how wings are evaluated. If you have any questions you want answered, reach out to the Prep Hoops AZ team!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->