Tweener (basketball)
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A tweener in basketball is a term, sometimes used derisively, for a player who is able to play two positions, but is not ideally suited to play either position exclusively, so he/she is said to be in between. This term is most commonly used only at the highest level of basketball competition, where players must combine extreme physical talent with specialised basketball abilities. A tweener has a set of skills that doesn't match the traditional position of his physical stature.
NBA.com's definition of 'tweener is as follows:
- "This word is derived from the word "between", as in a player is between the height of a guard and a forward. "Tweeners" often have the skills of a big man, but the height of a guard. Though only six foot five, Charles Barkley was one of the NBA's greatest rebounding power forwards."
A player who is ideally suited to play two positions is often referred to as a swingman.
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[edit] Center / Power Forward
This tweener plays both the Center and Power Forward positions. Many C/PF tweeners are usually taller or stonger than traditional PFs and quicker than traditional Centers. Many times C/PF tweeners are used to create match-up problems. Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, Amaré Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Kurt Thomas, Emeka Okafor, Jermaine O'Neal and Kwame Brown are examples of PF/C tweeners.
[edit] Power Forward / Small Forward
Traditionally a PF/SF tweener refers to a basketball player whose physical attributes and skills render him/her unsuited to play either the power forward position or the small forward position. For example the player may be too short, or lack sufficient strength, to play power forward effectively; while being not quick or athletic enough to play the small forward position. Current examples of NBA players who may be derisively considered 'tweeners' are Keith Van Horn, Drew Gooden, Hakim Warrick, Al Harrington and Vladimir Radmanovic.
Many players have made successful careers out of being able to successfully interchange between the small forward and power forward positions in order to create matchup problems. Some of these include Kevin Garnett, Antawn Jamison, Andrei Kirilenko, Dirk Nowitzki, Charlie Villanueva, Antoine Walker, and Lamar Odom.
[edit] Small Forward / Shooting Guard
This tweener isn't suited to exclusively play either small forward or shooting guard. For example, he may be too short to play small forward, but lacks a guard's jumper or ball-handling skills to play the two-man. To counter this, this tweener could play as a Swingman.
Some swingmen have been known to play both the small forward and shooting guard position effectively, having the size and strength to play the small forward position, as well as the outside jumpshot and quickness to play the shooting guard position. These tweeners are known to cause matchup problems, and have proven to be very difficult to guard. Some swingmen who have successfully played this role are Vince Carter, Latrell Sprewell, Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant, Andre Iguodala, and Tracy McGrady.
[edit] Shooting Guard / Point Guard (combo guard)
A less common use of the word 'tweener' is to describe a player who combines shooting guard and point guard attributes in a manner unsuitable to play either position exclusively. Such players are also known as "combination (or combo) guards".
The most common occurrence of this phenomenon occurs in basketball players who considered too short to play shooting guard at an NBA level, having played this position previously in their basketball career. Conversely, they are unable to play point guard successfully at the highest level of professional basketball due to a lack of the mental specialization and understanding of the game that this position requires. These players are often referred to as being "a shooting guard trapped in a point guard's body."
Current examples of NBA players who may be derisively considered 'tweeners' in this context are Randy Foye, Bobby Jackson, Stephon Marbury, Eric Snow, Tony Delk, Mike James, Dajuan Wagner, J.R. Bremer, Marcus Banks, Monta Ellis, and Steve Francis. However many successful NBA players have overcome early criticism on the basis that they are point/shooting guards to forge successful careers. Some of these include Allen Iverson, Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Ben Gordon, Chauncey Billups, and Jason Terry.
