Stretch Five

Stretch Five pertains to a center who can stretch the floor on offense and rebound and protect the rim from the other team at an acceptable level of defense.

Before, a stretch four or a stretch big pertains to a player at the power forward position. This player must be able to generate offense. The farther they are from the basket, the better. The stretch four must be better at doing this job than a conventional forward, who traditionally plays the game close to the ring or the basket.

A stretch four became an essential role in the basketball games because they have an obligation to stretch the opponent’s defense. A stretch four must have the ability to catch and shoot mostly three-point shots from a great distance because it will cause the other team’s power forward out of the low post area. Hence, the guards of the team that employed the stretch four can easily go to that area and use it to their advantage.

A player who has the same play or tactic as a stretch four but plays the center position is now coined as a Stretch Five.

Since a Stretch Five is a center, it is expected of them to be versatile, adaptable, and fast. They must also be able to assist and move the ball quickly. A Stretch Five must likewise have good lateral movement and run the floor when needed.

Many say that to be a Stretch Five, you must be smaller than the usual big men in the NBA. However, a lot of fans and spectators believe that is not the case. Many big men in the NBA are very mobile, and with their size, they can play the defense role pretty easily.