Swingman

Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward (3) and shooting guard (2) positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions. The "swingman" concept first came into vogue in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when star players such as George "The Iceman" Gervin defied traditional pigeonholing into the 2 or 3 position. The best swingmen use their "in-between" height and athlet... more

Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward (3) and shooting guard (2) positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions. The "swingman" concept first came into vogue in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when star players such as George "The Iceman" Gervin defied traditional pigeonholing into the 2 or 3 position. The best swingmen use their "in-between" height and athleticism to exploit defensive mismatches: they will use speed and quickness to run past bigger players, and they can post up using power and length against smaller players, or they can shoot over the top of smaller players with their jump shots. Some swingmen have been known to play both the small forward and shooting guard positions equally effectively, having the size and strength to play the small forward position, as well as the outside jump shot and quickness to play the shooting guard position. These swingmen prove to cause match-up... less