Post Position

Post position refers to the offensive positioning and strategic location where players establish themselves with their back to the basket in the area near the paint, utilizing their body to seal defenders and create scoring opportunities through a variety of post moves, positioning battles, and leverage advantages that have defined interior basketball for generations. This fundamental basketball concept encompasses both the physical location on the court, typically in the areas referred to as low post near the basket or high post around the free throw line, and the technique of establishing and maintaining advantageous position against defenders attempting to deny entry passes or front the post to prevent easy scoring opportunities. The low post position appears on both sides of the basket along the lane edges, approximately five to eight feet from the basket, creating the traditional power game locations where bigger, stronger players have historically dominated through size advantages, touch around the rim, and post move repertoires including drop steps, up-and-unders, and hook shots. The high post position near the free throw line extended serves as both a scoring location for players with mid-range shooting ability and a playmaking hub where skilled big men can facilitate offense through passing to cutters, setting screens, or initiating dribble handoffs that involve them in offensive actions beyond simple scoring. The establishment of post position represents a physical and mental battle between offensive and defensive players, with offensive players attempting to seal defenders on their back using lower body strength, wide base, and arm positioning that creates space for entry passes while maintaining legal positioning without pushing off or creating offensive fouls. The defensive counters to post position include fronting where defenders position themselves between the ball and the post player to deny entry passes completely, three-quarter fronting where defenders shade to the ball side while maintaining some ability to contest lobs over the top, and playing behind where defenders concede position but prepare to defend once entry passes arrive. The entry pass to the post represents a skill requiring proper timing, angle, and velocity to deliver the ball past reaching defenders into the post player's shooting pocket or target hand, with successful entry passes typically featuring bounce passes to avoid deflection or lob passes over fronting defenders when help defense cannot protect against them. The post-up offensive action begins once players receive entry passes in post position, featuring a diverse array of moves including face-up jumpers after turning to square to the basket, drop steps that use a quick first step toward the baseline or middle to get past defenders, hook shots that create distance through sweeping arm motions defenders cannot block, and up-and-unders that use shot fakes to get defenders airborne before driving past them. The positioning depth in the post affects shooting angles and move options, with deeper position closer to the basket providing easier finishes but more compressed space for moves, while higher positioning allows more operational space but requires finishing ability from greater distances. The post player's target hand indicates where they want to receive entry passes, typically the hand furthest from the defender or the hand that sets up specific moves they intend to execute, requiring discipline from passers to hit the requested target rather than forcing passes to covered areas. The post spacing on offense requires perimeter players to maintain proper distances that prevent their defenders from easily providing help on the post without fully committing and leaving open shooters, creating the inside-out dynamic where post play generates perimeter opportunities and vice versa. The post position versatility has evolved from being almost exclusively the domain of centers and power forwards to including guards and wings with post skills who can exploit size mismatches when smaller defenders guard them, creating the mismatch hunting approach that modern basketball increasingly emphasizes. The short roll position represents a modern post variation where players catch passes on the move rolling toward the basket from pick-and-roll actions, establishing brief post position in space before making quick decisions to score, pass, or continue their motion toward the rim. The post-up efficiency varies dramatically based on player skill, defender quality, and help defense proximity, with analytics revealing that post-ups generally produce lower efficiency than pick-and-rolls or spot-up threes unless executed by elite post players against favorable matchups. The double-team response from post position requires skilled passing to find open teammates when help defenders collapse, elite finishing ability to score through double teams, or the patience to hold the ball and allow teammates to relocate before delivering passes. The post position establishment in transition creates early offense advantages when big men sprint ahead of defenders to seal position near the basket, generating easy scoring opportunities before defense can organize and establish sound positioning. The offensive rebounding from post position places players in optimal locations to pursue missed shots, using established positioning near the basket to tip or secure rebounds before defensive players can box them out and clear the glass. The post moves repertoire for elite post players includes dozens of variations and counters, with signature moves like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook, Hakeem Olajuwon's Dream Shake, and Tim Duncan's bank shot becoming iconic examples of post position mastery. The footwork precision in post position determines move effectiveness, with proper pivot foot usage, quick first steps, and balance through contact separating effective post players from those who struggle to create separation or finish through defensive pressure. The physicality of post position creates frequent foul situations, both offensive fouls when post players push off or create contact illegally, and defensive fouls when defenders hack arms or body during shot attempts, making post play one of basketball's most physical battlegrounds. The post position teaching emphasizes establishing position before the ball arrives, maintaining strength through legs rather than arms to avoid offensive fouls, feeling where defenders position themselves without looking, and developing extensive move repertoires that provide multiple options regardless of defensive positioning. The post position decline in modern basketball results from analytical findings favoring threes and layups over mid-range post shots, increased defensive versatility that allows smaller players to front the post effectively, and rule changes including defensive three seconds that reduce rim protection when post players catch the ball. The post position value persists despite analytical skepticism when elite post players generate high-efficiency scoring, create defensive attention that benefits teammates, and provide late-game options when shot clock or game situation requires high-percentage looks. The psychological advantage of dominant post players affects opponent game planning and confidence, as teams facing elite post scorers must commit defensive resources and strategic attention to containing them, potentially compromising other defensive priorities. The post position versatility for modern players includes face-up game from post position, three-point shooting from high post, and playmaking skills that allow big men to operate as facilitators rather than merely scorers, expanding post position utility beyond traditional back-to-basket scoring.