Generalists are players who may lack a distinct or specialized talent but are competent, if not great, at a wide variety of position related skills. Unlike other types that leverage highly specific strengths to their advantage (which may also cause a distinct disadvantage), a Generalist's value comes from their ability to consistently contribute in nearly any situation. While the lack of specific stylistic advantage may mean their ability to impose themselves on another player and take over a game is lessened, their "well-roundedness" and consistency gives them what is perhaps the highest impact floor of all types.

That trade-off of overt strengths results in the Generalist having very few weaknesses in return, allowing them to be an effective tool in just about any role and able to bolster every lineup they’re used in. This doesn't mean Generalists exist solely to be glue guys who just fill in the gaps for their team though. While many Generalists can be described as jack-of-all-trades, masters of none, the best of this type can surpass that label and become more of an ace-of-all-trades, as it were.

On account of their skill set, Generalists tend to favor a style of play that focuses on not deviating from their abilities or trying to do more than they should. Rarely will you see a General type taking big risks or trying to do “too much”, instead they will adhere to their team’s game plan, back out of something if it seems out of their comfort zone, and keep things moving as smoothly as possible.

On offense, Generalists will be able to find a spot in just about any scheme or lineup composition thanks to their average or above average shooting, finishing, and playmaking skills. While they create no overt mismatches for other types, their ability to provide a little bit of everything (or a lot of it) with no significant drawback allows General types to be effective against just about every matchup they'll encounter.

The exception to that effectiveness is when Generalists come into contact with potent defensive specialists like Stonewall and Switcher types. Since Generalists do not tend to have a clear advantage when scoring around the rim, hyper-specialized Stonewall types who excel at blocking off the hoop are very effective at deterring the Generalist. Since the Generalist can’t consistently get through an evenly matched Stonewall player, this turns them into rather one dimensional scorers as they’re locked out of the paint.

While Switcher types won't take away a specific skill from Generalists, they are able to be excellent on-ball defenders against them no matter where they go. Since Generalists are unlikely to possess the ability to break or burst through a defense with significant speed or strength, Switchers can slide with them and provide a steel blanket coverage that reduces the overall effectiveness of all of the Generalist's skills.

The biggest issue for offensive Generalists is when dealing with Tricky types.While Generalists do not tend to be able to be goaded into risky plays, a defensive Tricky type will be getting in their way, trying to take charges and trying to force Generalists into having to take on responsibilities that are out of their comfort zone. In trying their best to not be baited, Generalists will often just get the ball to another player as quickly as possible when guarded by a Tricky type, making them a relative non-factor on offense.

Oddly enough the opposite proves to be true on defense. Since offensive Tricky types excel in playing mind games and attempting to leverage a player's specialty against them, they run into an issue with Generalists who aren't thinking about how to use their own specific skill to defend them, but instead are sticking to well-measured fundamentals and their team’s game plan. While on offense the Generalist has to think and do more as an individual outside of a scheme, on defense they can focus on what their role is inside a more team-oriented aspect of the game, and allow that to guide their actions. Good coaching and scheming can reroute the General type around any nasty plots of a Tricky type and leads to Generalists being outright talented defenders against them. That unwillingness to play outside of their skill set while still being set up to excel in the defensive scheme makes them great against Tricky types while remaining neutrally effective on defense against all but one other offensive type.

The one exception to a Generalist’s defensive approach are Physical players, who leverage their aggression, strength, and high effort level to dislodge or disrupt the General type and cast them aside with little resistance. Since Generalists do not want to get in a game of needing to push back ot stand up to the Physical type, nor will they have the speed or style to disrupt them or pick at their shortcomings, the Generalist will opt to get out of the way and avoid the confrontation, leading to a Physical type with a head of steam charging down the lane and looking at a 2-on-1 opportunity.

Historical Offensive Generalist Types: Clyde Drexler, Paul Pierce, Mickey Johnson, Vlade Divac.

Historical Defensive Generalist Types: Dave DeBusschere, Paul Pressey, P.J. Brown, Trevor Ariza.