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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Basketball: Defensive Don'ts

"Basketball is a game of mistakes." - Coach Bob Knight

Coach Knight wrote the exceptional, The Power of Negative Thinking. Knowing what not to do has great meaning.

1. "Don't allow easy baskets." Winners don't give away hoops. Shorten it to "no easy baskets" or "hard twos." 

2. "Foul for profit." - Kevin Sivils   Don't put opponents on the line where the points per possession are most unfavorable for the defense. Note the exception for the "Hack-a-Shaq." 

3. "Don't foul perimeter shots." That's an extension of number two. Grayson Allen leads the NBA in three-point percentage at over 47 percent. That translates to just over 70 percentage at the free throw line. Why convert a harder shot into easier ones? 

4. Don't play "dead man's defense," six feet under the ball. Defense begins with ball pressure. Dead Man's Defense converts weak ball handlers into adequate ones. "Don't back down." 

5. Don't allow second shots, restating "ONE bad shot." Second shots are higher percentage shots. 

6. Don't be a head-turner. See both...the ball and your assignment.  

7. Don't be silent. Talk on defense. "Silent teams lose."

8. Don't "buddy run." Get back faster in transition and be fully alert and engaged. Bad transition defense shows both lack of concentration and/or lack of effort. 

9. "Don't just guard your man." The ball scores. Cover 1.5, your assignment and half of another.

10."Don't allow easy cuts." Fight for space. 

Lagniappe. Staying under control...from Coach Dags 

Lagniappe 2. Teach floaters better...not my area of expertise. 

Lagniappe 3. Think zipper away, pin-down near. 

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