Quarterbacks vs Playmakers

What’s the difference between the role of a quarterback and the role of a playmaker?

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a video on YouTube that talked about how the Minnesota Timberwolves are a top defensive team in the NBA.

It talked about how D’Angelo Russell has become their defensive quarterback, where he calls out defensive schemes and tells teammates where to be and what to do, and how this has improved the team’s defence significantly.

This caught my curiosity, so I delved into it. 

Luckily for me, this was around the time when Draymond went down with his calf injury and the Golden State Warriors were on their losing skid. 

It was lucky because there was a lot of talk about how the team needed Draymond’s quarterbacking on offence and on defence (not because he got injured…I’m not that terrible of a person).

Via Clutch Points:

“[Otto Porter Jr. and Jonathan Kuminga] both need good looks on offense provided for them rather than providing the offense for others. They also cannot replicate Green’s value on defense but that is no slight to them, as only a few players in the whole league, if any, could do so.”

From this, another question rose: What’s the difference between a quarterback and a playmaker?

I pondered and pondered… and Eureka!

In my opinion, a playmaker is someone who can run the coach’s plays and make the right passes. They tend to have a high passing I.Q.

An example would be Ricky Rubio.

A quarterback, on the other hand, is someone who directs the players.

This player is the floor general and tells his teammates where to be, what to do, and what to look for. They tend to study the tape a lot and generally have a high basketball I.Q.

An example would be Chris Paul (or Draymond or LeBron James or Kyle Lowry).

So, why are quarterbacks important?

Quarterbacks are important because they’re the central communication hub; they ensure that all players are on the same page.

They relay messages from one teammate to another and from the coaches to the players.

They’re the player that directs the plays and makes the necessary changes.

Without a quarterback, teams won’t have effective communication. 

This can cause players to play strictly off of the coach’s playbook or off of instinct without letting their teammates know what they’re doing. 

They’ll play as individuals rather than teammates.

And this is why having a good quarterback (or strong communicator) is crucial to a team’s success.

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