A FILIPINO player’s lack of size may be the reason why it is easier to find a talented guard rather than a talented center in the country.

I am not sure if this was the reason behind coach Ron Jacobs penchance to build his team around a solid point guard, a practice passed down to his basketball disciples. Perhaps, Jacobs also believes that a point guard is the extension of the coach on the floor.

For a coach who is building a team around this thought, he must find the right guard for his team, primarily the one who is expected to put things in order and be the leader. He must be the first to understand the system and effectively relay it to his teammates as the mentor’s extension on the floor.

Other things to consider are:

Ball-handling skills. He must have the ability to handle the ball with either hands and maneuver it effectively when running the offense. Ball-handling ability calls for the ability to squeeze out of tight situations on the floor.

Passing ability. Although there was the emergence of the point guards in recent years, there is no change in the primary responsibility of the point guard, which is to distribute the ball with an effective pass to the right person at the right time with the right scoring opportunity to boot.

Quickness and speed. Time is of the essence in running the offense, so it is important for a guard to make decisions and create situations for the team to score in a matter of seconds based on what he reads in an opponent’s defensive setup.

Adequate scoring ability. The ability to create situations includes the ability to score at will when there is no other option. A point guard should have the ability to drive and hit the long shot when the situation calls for it.

Defensive abilities. A point guard must be able to defend effectively against the rival point guard and disrupt whatever plans he may have in running the offense. This includes providing help defense down low and providing a safety net when the opponents undertake a fastbreak on the other end.

An off guard should have the same measure of basketball abilities, although he is expected to be offensive-minded without the usual responsibility of thinking about what offense to run or how to break an opponent’s defense.

An off guard is often the better shooter and scorer between the two guards. But there are situations that scoring may be put aside when he should run the offense in lieu of the point guard, should the latter be contained.

I was asked so many times on who among these are the most important and I would say all of these are important for our guards to compete.

But if I were a basketball god, I would give a guard the size of a power forward to be able to force mismatches on his opponent.

If we were able to produce a player above six-feet-four with the same exceptional abilities needed in a guard, then we are well on the way to making a bigger impact in international basketball. That is aside from producing a quality center.

This is particularly true in the National Basketball Association (NBA) where guards are really tall. If I remember right, Johnny Abarrientos was considered for a slot in an NBA team several years ago, but this fizzled out as the NBA focused on welcoming the Chinese and Japanese instead.

But a coach, particularly an innovative one, should not be trapped in stereotypes. In same manner that a tall player does not necessarily make him a center, a small player is not necessarily a good guard.

But in a country that is filled with small players, a coach must then make a decision on the kind of guard, particularly the point guard, he wants for the team.

In this vein, it depends on what kind of system he is running and what the point guard is called upon to do in this system.

And because a point guard is a mentor’s extension on the floor, it follows that he should have a solid relationship with the coach and must be able to grasp immediately the instructions and relay it in an effective manner to his teammates.

Beyond the technical details, I believe that the guards are the heart and soul of the team.

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THIS week’s query comes from Adel G. from Malate, Manila, who wrote:

Dear Coach E,

Is it important for a player to learn to dribble with both hands?

Dear Adel,

To be honest, the ability to dribble well is very important. Remember that aside from the pass, the dribble is a way to transport the ball around. This is even more important if you are a guard. But remember that dribbling is only the tip of the iceberg as you should learn in depth other skills needed in playing the sport.

Coach E

(Original Article was published last June 13, 2007 at the Business Mirror Sports Section in the column Ask Coach E.)