I saw a basketball game this past week (actually I saw six games this week) in which I bet very few watching would realize how important, valuable one of the players was to his team.
He scored six points, took only three shots from the field all the game, hitting two of them. He played the position they call a point guard. A point guard in this day and age in basketball is I think a very under rated position. Always has been.Today far too many folks evaluate the value to a team by how many points a player scores. A point guards responsibilities are many. Think how much time the ball is in the possession of the point guard. First of all he generally is the one responsible for getting the ball up the court and into the offense.
Often that comes with some pressure from the defense. Once up the court it is his job to try and get the floor balanced and his team into its offensive pattern. Get the offense started and get the ball to the "big dogs." The ones with the fire power. This young man did all this and did it without any fanfare. His coach I think knew his value to the team as seldom was anyone substituted for him. He had good timing in delivering the ball to his teammates those with the offensive power. When his team rebounded the ball on the defensive end of the court his teammates knew where to look for him and wanted to get the ball into his hands quickly. He was a treat to watch and the value to his team would not be fully recognize in the box score.
A point guard must be unselfish. Often he will have to give up what might be his own offensive abilities for the good of others, the team. And folks...today that is pretty rare. "Nobody wants to play rhythm guitar behind the lead singer in the band." Too often in our world today...folks want to be front and center, they want to be the lead singer in the band otherwise they won't go on stage.
" I discovered that no one forgets a star player, but it is very difficult to remember a role player or a set-up man or a sixth man off the bench"
Pat Conroy==My Losing Season
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November 22, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson