The Help is a 2009 novel set in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s. Kathryn Stockett tells a fictional story of the struggles and triumphs of African-American maids.
In basketball, The Help often determines whether you succeed or fail. Without great help, defense surrenders easy baskets, buckets that good teams simply don't allow.
- "The help can never get beat." - Kevin Eastman The help sees plays develop. When they don't see or CARE (concentrate, anticipate, react, execute), bad things happen. Defense is always about the integrated play of five defenders.
- "Great defense is about multiple efforts." That often means multiple players, e.g. The Help.
- "You don't get beat on the help, you get beat on the recovery." My coach always used the terms, "help and recover" because helping isn't enough. You might TRAP and recover, SHOW and recover, STUNT and recover, DIG and recover. But all presume multiple efforts.
- Help across not up. When low help comes up, good players simply dump the ball into the post and an even easier scoring chance arises (see diagram below).
- Help the helper. 3 isn't in great initial position (closer to the split), but when she sees x1 get beat, she needs to recognize immediately where the help comes from and she needs to drop and help the helper. Excellent defensive teams help the helper.
