Normally a position-time graph is actually a distance-time graph
where the distance of an object is measured from a fixed point
called the origin.
The slope (gradient) of the graph is the radial velocity - or
the component of the velocity in the radial direction - of the
object. That is, the component of the object's velocity in the
direction towards or away from the origin.
Such a graph cannot be used to measure the component of the
velocity at right angles to the radial direction. In particular, an
object going around in a circle would appear t have no velocity
since its distance from the origin remains constant.