A Combo Guard is a basketball player who combines the attributes of a shooting guard and point guard, but does not fit the prototype of either position. Such guards usually play a shooting-guard-type game (looking more to score than to pass) but lack the height to guard opposing shooting guards effectively and some of the skills to direct an offense that a "pure" point would display. Such players are also known as "combination (or combo) guards". But after the success of Dwyane Wade during the 2004-05 NBA season, there has been less of a stigma attached to the term and many current elite prospects are combo guards, such as Randy Foye, Eric Gordon, O. J. Mayo, and Russell Westbrook. Most commonly, shooting guards are called "tweeners" when considered too short for NBA-level starting competition at the position. This generally is applied to shooting guards that are 6'4" and below in height. 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." Some good examples of this are Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Delonte West, Monta Ellis, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Terry, Ben Gordon, Jamal Crawford, Juan Dixon, Steve Francis, Eddie House, John Paxson, Steve Kerr, Danny Ainge, Aaron Brooks and Luther Head. This is in stark contrast to pass-first type point guards who traditionally play the position such as Jamaal Tinsley, Jason Kidd, Andre Miller, Derrick Rose, Deron Williams and Steve Nash, among others.

There are also the rarer type of combo guards that are able to play both back court positions almost interchangeably because of a unique ability to play each position equally well. Such players are generally a bit shorter than the average shooting guard but are equal to other players at the position in terms of strength and athletic ability. While they are also generally bigger and stronger than most point guards, yet still have the ball handling, passing and play making skills of points. They may be forced at times to play as a point guard on the defensive end if they have to guard a bigger than average shooting guard on defense in the low post. They also may be forced at times to play as a shooting guard on offense because of the nature of their offensive style of game lending itself to a propensity to commit turnovers.

They possess both good scoring and play making ability. They dominate the ball and often play as a primary ball handler, much like a point guard, but typically they prefer to attack on the offensive end to either score a bucket or break down the defense in order to pass. This is in contrast to a pure point guard that looks to run the set offense at all times. However, if need be they can also play in the mode of a pass first point guard. Dwyane Wade is an NBA combo guard of this type, being able to play as a pass first guard and also having the abilities of a pure shooting guard, because he can play both positions effectively. A great example of this particular type of combo guard in the Euroleague is Vasileios Spanoulis and Igor Rakočević.

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