Swingman

Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions. Whereas 6'9" Larry Bird was a natural small forward and 6'6" Michael Jordan was a natural shooting guard, some versatile players such as 6'8?" LeBron James can "swing" between the two positions.

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The "swingman" concept first came into vogue in the late 1970's and early 1980's, when star players such as George "Iceman" Gervin defied traditional pigeonholing into the 2 or 3 position. The best swingmen use their "in-between" height to exploit defensive mismatches: they will run past bigger players, and post up or shoot over smaller players. Scottie Pippen was another notable swingman, and some of the most popular players in the NBA today are natural swingmen, including All-Stars Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Manu Ginobili.

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A swingman who handles the ball and runs the offense--and thus combines the skills of point guard, shooting guard, and small forward--is called a point forward. Scottie Pippen is the most celebrated point forward of all time. LeBron James, who is a rising superstar, and Tracy McGrady who can also be considered a point forward.

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Small forward: The small forward, or colloquially "the three", is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter and leaner than power forwards and centers but, on occasion they are just as tall. On offense, they are often well-balanced between power-orient...

Shooting guard: A shooting guard (SG) is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. They are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. Therefore, one of their major tasks is to lead the team in scoring during fast break situations. In half court situations when the shot clock is going to expire...

Michael Jordan: Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former American National Basketball Association player, and is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time....

Swingman related Images and Photos (experimental)

Bulls Swingman White Jersey - John Paxson	Bulls Swingman White Jersey - Scottie Pippen	adidas Celtics Swingman Ray Allen Road Jersey	adidas Celtics Swingman Ray Allen Home Jersey
adidas Celtics Swingman Bob Cousy Green Jersey	adidas Celtics Swingman Paul Pierce Home Jersey	adidas Celtics Swingman Danny Ainge Home Jersey	adidas Celtics Swingman Ray Allen Kids Road Jersey
adidas Celtics Swingman Ray Allen Kids Home Jersey	adidas Celtics Swingman Pierce Road Jersey [Green]	adidas Celtics Swingman Kevin McHale White Jersey	adidas Celtics Swingman Kevin Garnett Road Jersey