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An Analysis of the Celtics and the NBA’s Changing Positions

Position names mean little in the modern NBA as there’s a growing emphases on small-ball and the development of players who transcend traditional positional conventions (ie: stretch-four, point-forward, etc…).

You’ve likely heard pundits deny the existence of positions, as – in the immortal words of Jalen Rose – they were created “so a novice could follow the game”.

However, when coaches draw up plays, each player’s differentiated by a number telling them where to go/what to do. Each number traditionally corresponds as follows: one for point guard, two for shooting guard, three for small forward, four for power forward and five for center.