Forward-center

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Forward-center is a basketball position for players who play or have played both forward and center on a consistent basis. Typically, this means power forward and center, since these are usually the two biggest player positions on any basketball team, and therefore more often overlap.

Forward-center came into the basketball jargon as the game evolved and became more specialized in the 1960s. In fact, the 5 positions on court were originally known only as guard, forward and center, but now it is generally accepted that the 5 primary positions are point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center.

Typically, a forward-center is a talented forward who also came to play minutes at center on teams that needed help at that position. Or the player could be a somewhat floor-bound center, under seven-feet tall at the NBA level, whose skills also suit him to a power forward position, especially if that team does have a better center. One such player is Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets. At 6-11 he generally plays center for the Nuggets but when he played for the New York Knicks earlier in his career he mostly played power forward due to his team having one of the better pure centers in the league in Patrick Ewing. Ewing himself was used as a Foward-center early in his career to utilize his offensive game to complment incumbent Knicks center Bill Cartwright.

Center and forward typically have different skills sets. Common to both of them are scoring, passing and rebounding. A power forward who is a forward-center is also usually a strong inside defender, something a center also is usually expected to be.

Since a forward-center is not usually seven-feet or taller, perimeter shooting skills are usually needed to compensate for lack of height or size near the basket.

Tim Duncan and Rasheed Wallace are great examples of Forward-centers.

Basketball positions v • d • e
Guards		1. Point guard	Combo Guard (PG/SG)
		2. Shooting guard	Swingman (SG/SF)
Forwards		3. Small forward
		4. Power forward	Point forward (PG/PF)
Center		5. Center	Forward-center (PF/C)
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