The Evolution of Positionless Basketball in the NBA

How the NBA has gone from a positionally dominated game to the exact opposite

By: Ben Friend

https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2025/04/09/the-longer-the-shot-the-more-comfortable-kristaps-porzingis-is-taking-them

Throughout the history of the NBA, the game has developed in many prominent ways from where it first began. One of the most interesting developments in basketball, especially in recent years, is the rise of positionless basketball, something that is more relevant today than ever before.

In the past, basketball has been defined as a sport with five different set positions. The point guard, typically the floor general who is meant to bring the ball up the court and initiate plays, usually controls the offense. The shooting guard, a player who is known for their scoring and shooting with good ball handling skills. The small forward, usually the most versatile player on the court with scoring, rebounding, and defending abilities while being taller and stronger than the guards. The power forward, typically the team's second tallest player with good rebounding abilities and post scoring. And finally the center, the tallest player on the team who plays near the paint and tries to protect the rim as well as rebound.

In the NBA today, most teams still have some players who play their role as their primary position, however, more and more teams have started using lineups and adding players to their roster who may be regarded as a positionless player and don't have the traditional skill set of other players at their position. For example, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio spurs, standing at a massive 7 foot 3, would typically be defined as a center. Though he is listed as a center, Wembanyama is far from it, with the ability to defend guards one on one, shoot the basketball from behind the arc, and handle the ball up the court. Wembanyama averaged 24 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, and almost 4 assists per game before he got hurt last season, and shot an impressive 35% from the three point line. Wembanyama is one of the most versatile players basketball has ever seen so while this may seem like an anomaly to the center position, there are entire teams which demonstrate this new brand of positionless basketball as well.

The Boston Celtics are a perfect example of a team whose players are almost all positionless. The starting lineup for the Celtics of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Kristaps Porzingis is one of the most dominant and talented starting fives the game has ever seen, and this is no coincidence. Each of these players has the ability to shoot three pointers and defend other players no matter their position. This also holds true for the rest of the Celtics roster. This season, the Celtics averaged 17.8 three-pointers made per game , an NBA record. This is largely due to the roster's versatility and the ability of every player to make three pointers, ranging from 6 foot 1 guard Payton Pritchard all the way to 7 foot 2 Kristaps Porzingis.

While this brand of positionless basketball is still a newer concept in the NBA, more and more teams have begun playing with more nontraditional lineups. This trend will most likely continue as the years go on, as the teams who have been finding success recently have the ability to guard other teams with any player, and use their versatility to an advantage.