Winning defense denies easy baskets. That prioritizes defensive transition, rebounding, contesting shots without fouling, avoiding "bad fouls", and excessive fouling.
Key point 1. Don't "double down" on a mistake. Many players followup a bad shot or a turnover with an immediate foul.
The keys to transition defense are floor balance, effort (sprinting not running), and awareness.
Key point 2. Transition defense assigns responsibilities. Guards don't allow "sneakaways" or "cherry-picking."
Defensive rebounding is about positioning and toughness. Whether you excel at blocking out, "hit and get", or just get the ball...find a way.
Key point 3. Possession is not established until the ball is in the hands of a competent ball handler. A "rebound" never happened with an immediate held ball or a turnover.
Bad fouls usually involve poor hand discipline, fouling jump shots, fouling three point shots, and fouling shooters taking poor shots. Excessive fouling usually results from lack of proper defensive positioning, reaching instead of moving the feet, and situational unawareness.
Key point 4. Good players seldom commit bad fouls.
Good offenses have good possessions. They avoid turnovers, pass and cut well to get easier shots, take quality shots, and convert free throws. One of the most common problems we see is shooters taking "rushed" shots out of rhythm. They shoot before they have caught, controlled, and "loaded" the shot.
Key point 5. Disallow shot turnovers.
Lagniappe:
Celtics' BOB "Triangle Stagger" a variation of horns staggered screen action.
Double Bonus:
1. Generate "good ideas" in your idea book, which you can keep in your pocket or on your phone.
2. Have a "drill book".
3. I'm creating a living "video drill book" spreadsheet to share when it's more complete. Add your favorites and delete information irrelevant to your system or players.
4. Use "checklists" pregame to review key points.
5. Reread outstanding books. I'm rereading James Kerr's Legacy.
