What is Playmaking

Let's start off by stating the obvious; there is no set definition for the word Playmaking in basketball. It's almost up to the interpretation of the person watching the game. It's much more than just assists per game. In fact, some of the best playmakers in NBA History didn’t get many assists. It's also much more than just a player's ability to pass the ball. In a general sense, the way I would define playmaking is simple: Generating offense. This can be done by creating offense for yourself and using this to create for teammates, or simply generating offense with the pass. Allow me to elaborate further.

Now first up, one key branch of playmaking is simply creating offense for yourself. This can be done in a multitude of ways. And it’s been done in every way imaginable. Being able to create offense for yourself is a key way to playmake, because you are quite literally making a play happen. Having an elite ball handle, or even being great at attacking the rim are examples of generating offense for yourself. Typically, when a player has an elite handle, they can break down a defender off the dribble and create space for a jump shot. This is a simple form of playmaking. But a small part. Being only good at this and nothing else is usually a sign of a poor playmaker. Think of a Carmelo Anthony. He was supremely elite at creating space for mid range jumpshots but was a terrible playmaker for reasons I will get into later. Being great at driving to the basket is another way to generate offense, but is also a bit more valuable than simply creating space for jumpshots. And this is because the opposing team’s defense has to react a bit more to someone driving to the basket, given that scoring at the basket is the most efficient shot in basketball. Not just that, but also being a good shooter, or scorer in the low post, are also ways to create offense for yourself. These can all be key as a foundation for a good playmaker because these all add to something called gravity. But that depends entirely on the player. Which leads me into the next branch of Playmaking.

Moving on, as I said before, being able to generate offense for yourself, can be a great foundation to a player being an exceptional playmaker. This leads me to key number two; using your gravity as a scorer to create for your teammates. Now as I mentioned earlier, Carmelo Anthony was an elite iso scorer. He could score at all three levels at a high level, he could create shots for himself in the post or off the dribble, and was underrated at getting to the cup. But what Melo lacked, and what made him a bad playmaker, is that he almost never used the gravity he could create as a scorer, to create for his teammates. Too many times in his career, he would force tough shots as a result of drawing the defense instead of using the defensive attention he drew to create for the others. 

Conversely, on the other side of the spectrum, we have someone like a Steph Curry. Steph is a perfect example of a player who uses his gravity as a scorer to create opportunities for his teammates to score. As we know, he is the most lethal shooter by far in NBA history. As a result, from the moment he passes half court, the defense must come all the way out to stop him. And in doing this, this opens up the entire floor, giving tons of space to his teammates for open shots, or cutting opportunities. In this example, Steph uses the gravity he creates as a floor spacer to create for his teammates. Now Steph doesn’t average too many assists per game, but he is one of the best playmakers ever. In fact, a player like Rajon Rondo gets a lot more assists than Steph or Russell Westbrook, but he is not nearly the playmaker that they are. And that’s because he doesn’t have any gravity as a scorer in any capacity.

Another key way to leverage scoring gravity is to use something called rim pressure. Some of the most effective shots in basketball are created by the gravity of an elite attacker of the basket. This goes without saying but players like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook and Ja Morant are some of the best drivers in the sport. When they get into attack mode, these players specialize in getting to the cup. This creates numerous opportunities to create plays in many ways. Take LeBron for example. He is insanely strong and fast, and is one of the best finishers at the rim in NBA History. Because of this, when LeBron drives to the basket, the defense HAS to adjust to try to slow him down. But being the high IQ basketball player that he is, he can spot open shooters and cutters that were left open as a result of his drives. Being so great at this, is a big part of why players like LeBron and Magic are some of the very best playmakers in NBA History. Being a great driver/attacker of the basket, leverages your chances to create plays for teammates. And that’s the name of the game. 

Futhermore, another great way to playmake or generate offense is in the post. At the end of the day it's all about leveraging your threat to score at any spot or situation on the court. And even big men, or post players can be good playmakers. Players like a Shaq or Tim Duncan were excellent at scoring in the low post. Because they were such a threat to score downlow in the post, they drew double teams more times than not. Teammates could then get open with cuts and open shots from beyond the arc. 

Now moving on the other side of the spectrum, generating offense with the threat of the pass. Think Steve Nash, and CP3. When players like them take the court, the defense has to adjust and be very keen. These players are such threats because they can probe the defense, and penetrate and be looking to pass which keeps the defense on there toes at all time. Lob passes, bounce passes, backdoor, threading the needle, these types of playmakers are the most lethal. And they can score on top of that as well. Players like Nash and CP3 are two of the very best playmakers in NBA History because they are pass first players that combine elite passing with the ability to score if need be at a good level. 

When a player like Nash, Magic, or a CP3 drive the lane, they are the most lethal, because the defense doesn't know if they should collapse to stop a layup/floater, or to back off and cover the passing lanes. This is what makes them 3 of the very best in the history of the game. When you look at a player like CP3, he's a maestro in the pick and roll. Coming off a screen the defense is at his mercy because he can either drive and finish, step side into a mid range jump shot, fire off a crisp pass thru the defense to his rolling teammate or throw a lob. That's the epitome of playmaking. 

In conclusion, what is playmaking? Well as I mentioned previously, it's the art of generating offense. Being able to leverage your threat as a scorer to create for teammates, or using your threat as a passer to create offense and confuse the defense. Being able to do these makes for a great playmaker and it separates players like Melo from Kobe, or Rondo from a Steph Curry.