The point guard should be the servant of the team.

Things a Quality Point Guard Must Have
1. High Skill Level - Ability to string skills together - Dribble into shot
or dribble into pass
2. Stamina - Physical & mental
3. Courage - Step up & rise to the occasion; don't be afraid to make the play
4. Intensity - Playing hard - Mental intensity - Focus
5. Communication - Coach on the floor - Posture of confidence and strength -
Show no weakness - Keep emotions under control
6. Awareness - Paying attention to details - Study & analyze the game
- Ask why? How? - Immerse yourself in the game to know what is happening,
what has happened so that you can predict what will happen. This is the 6th
sense that top guards seem to have.
7. Timing - Know what teammates can do, where.
8. Deception - Be unpredictable - Every move you make should look the
same until the last second. Use your eyes to disguise your intentions.

Breaking the Press
* Avoid the baseline and the sideline
* Catch in the middle of the floor as far up the floor as possible
* Catch facing as you land
* Turn in the air toward the middle of the floor as you catch to have
maximum vision
* If you can't catch facing your basket, catch & turn toward the middle
* Right hander makes
* Front turn on right side
* Rear turn on left side
* Left hander makes
* Front turn on left side
* Rear turn on right side
* On made baskets try to get the ball before your man denies you
* lf you are guarded by the point guard, he may have retreated to
protect the basket
* Catch near the sideline facing the center of the floor
* If you are denied full court
* lt may be a dead ball situation or the defender may have been in
position to deny immediately after a score
* Start in the center of the court behind the foul line
*  lf the defender face guards without vision of the ball, use eye
contact with the passer to request a direct pass. A pass behind the
defender's head is very difficult to defend. Don't give the pass away with
your eyes or by putting your hands up too soon.
* If the defender is close to you
* Beat his front foot and seal him by sitting on his leg - Relax to set
it up and step over his foot and hop to seal.
* If he steps up when you attempt this move, rear turn and leg whip to
seal to the other side
* If the defender plays a gap
* Make a hard cut straight toward the ball - Run North-South, not
East-West
* If just a hand or arm is the passing lane, chop the arm with you your
near hand.
* If he denies with his body, cut behind him. Use his momentum against
him.
* Walk him down and seal for a lob - Use posting techniques and show
both hands for the lob.
* Get an Iowa State - lf the ball is passed to a teammate while you are
sealing for lop, time your cut & cut toward the ball & up the floor. You
have your defender behind you.
* Anytime the defender is vulnerable on the back side take advantage of
it.
* Using screens to get open
* The point guard should start on the ballside.
* Make a hard cut toward the ball. This sets up your angle to screen
(back to the ball) & gives you a lane to go set the screen.
* Most teams switch. When the switch occurs, step across and seal the
defender.
* Keys to handling the ball in the backcourt
    * You must take care of the ball. Use your body to protect the ball.
Dribble low and hard.
    *   You must maintain maximum vision of the floor. Be able to convert
your dribble into a pass.
    *   Enter the center 1/3 of the floor in front court.
    *   Enter the front court with a pass against a trapping defense.
    *   If you pass, make an immediate cut. The defender will probably
either jump at the pass or relax after the pass giving you an advantage.
* Attacking the press with your dribble
            * Options when you receive the ball
      * If the defender is out of position when you receive the ball, catch,
look, and go.
      * If the defender is quickly closing the gap when you receive, go
against his momentum.
      * If you want to clear teammates out or if the defender is in good on
ball position, use a head and shoulder fake without foot movement.
      * Pass fake & go. Pass fake up & go under or pass fake one direction
and go the other.
    *   Change directions on the dribble.
      * Between the legs dribble is preferred because
        1. your leg protects the ball
        2. the ball moves away from the defense when you change hands.
      * Drive the defense back and change as he is moving to cut you off.
      *         Plant your outside foot with a one foot jump stop and step opposite
with the other foot. The ball goes between your legs front to back.
    * Against a trap back dribble with a closed stance to use your body to
protect the ball. Push step or hop back.
              * Use the pullback crossover to clear yourself to beat the defense
with the dribble or pass.
              * Use variations
        * Pullback & go to the same side
        * Pullback & fake a crossover & go
    * You must be able to turn your dribble into a pass.
    * The key is the low weak hand pick-up of the ball.
    * Balance hand pick-up off right hand dribble and left hand dribble.
* Breaking a defender down in open court
    * Defenders will be chasing from behind so you cannot let up much
    *   Beating a defender ahead of you in open court
      * Go right at him between the eyes. Try to get his feet parallel
instead of getting a 45 degree steering angle
      * Go at an 8 speed. You can shift to a higher gear for a burst of
speed.
      * At about 10 feet away pick a shoulder to go by
                        * Close enough so that the burst of speed will clear you
                        * Far enough away so that he cannot take the ball
      * Fake and explode at that shoulder
      * If he cuts off that move, get him off balance and make a crossover or
between the legs.
      * If there is body contact and he is riding you, you can spin dribble.
      * In practice make moves with either hand.
      * In games make your strongest moves. What is my go to move and my
counter move?
                        * Go to = Fake crossover
                        * Counter = Crossover
* Fastbreak situations
            * Two questions
      * What am I working with? Finishers, 3's, someone who can catch on the
move, foul trouble?
      * What am I working against? Aggressive vs. passive, fouI trouble, or
someone we want to get in foul trouble?
    * Make the highest percentage play
    * A quality point guard can
              * Turn any fastbreak into a 2 on 1 situation.
              * Be able to shoot a 3 point shot on the dribble. This puts tremendous
pressure on the defense.
    * Attacking a 2 on 1
      * Make the defender come out to guard you.
         * Your teammate is in great position to rebound a missed shot.
         * You must take a balanced shot landing 6" closer instead of
floating on the shot.
              * Dribble at the side of the lane with your inside hand. Your teammate
should run at the other side of the lane and ideally should be slightly
behind you.
              * You must be ready to finish yourself. Step through and Paxson layup
if he doesn't guard you.
              * If the defender commits to stop the ball, bounce pass by his feet
and against his momentum.
              * To avoid the charge, veer away when you make the pass.
              * On a 2 on I with a 3 point shooter, you can give it to him early for
the open 3 or if he is behind you, penetrate & European with an inadvertent
block on the defender.
   * Attacking a 3 on 1
      * Make it a 2 on 1
      * Who is my best finisher and who is my best 3?
      * Take it away from the finisher and toward the 3
      * You must be ready to finish yourself.
      * If the 3 point shooter is ahead you can pass early for the 3. If he
is even with you or trails you, you can European with      a block.
      * Make the play early. Most players make I or 2 dribbles too many
before passing.
   * Attacking a 3 on 2
      *         Make it a 2 on 1
      *         If the top player stays back, pull-up for the 3.
      *         If the top player comes out beat the top player using open court
techniques. Beat him away from your finisher and toward your 3.
      * When you beat the top player you can finish yourself, pass to your
finisher, or European with your 3.
      *         Balance hand pick-up of the dribble is important.
      *         If you can't beat the top defender, pass against the grain or hit
the 3 point shooter.