Basketball- Defensive Delay Game

Good teams prepare for many situations, including a "comeback" game. 

We led by eight with three minutes left. Our opponent played a 2-3 zone for twenty-nine minutes. "Hold the ball out." The opposing coach screamed, "play basketball." Over a minute later, he instructed his team to play man. 1) Too late. 2) No comeback game. 

When? I've "heard" a rule of thumb to multiply the deficit by two minutes and start there. Enough? Too much? If we're down eight, how much time do we need to erase the lead. We scored about 42 points/game (eighth grade girls), ten points a quarter. If we're down eight, a quarter long may not be enough. College or the NBA are different animals. 

Who? We may not choose the "best five" as they may not be the best defensively or play well at a higher tempo (extend the game with extra possessions). Don't equate athleticism with defensive ability, but it helps. CARE - concentration, anticipation, reaction, execution. 

How? How much do we extend the defense? Do we pressure man, zone, trap, trap and go (run-and-jump)? Each coach decides what they teach well and what fits their personnel. "Stops make runs." I grew up playing "run-and-jump" and had zero success with it and young players. 

One advantage of full court man defense is easier accountability. 

Keys to comeback defense: 

• Maximal ball pressure (attack weaker players, be the cheetahs)
• Off ball denial 
• Strategic (not undisciplined) fouling
• Offensive efficiency (more possessions, more passes, more points/possession)
• You cannot erase a ten-point deficit in one play. Win this possession. 

To Foul or Not? Kevin Sivils' advice, "foul for profit," always applies. Obviously, fouls stop the clock. Don't foul jump shooters and foul poor shooters whenever possible. Taking some fouls to get into the bonus adds strategic value. 

Lagniappe: Good advice from Coach Mason Waters:

1) Be your fundamentally sound self.

2) Compete.

3) Invest your time don't spend it.

Mason Waters

3 tips to get better 💪🏀 1) Be the first player to practice and be the first one to break a sweat. Don’t fool around or waste time during the 15 minutes before practice. Use it for form shooting. Aim to make 100 shots before practice. Practice your role in the offense. Break a sweat. Use that pre-practice time to get better. 2) If you’re a competitor you are going to agitate average teammates. Bad players don’t like to be challenged or pushed. Great players love to compete. Part of being a competitor means you’re going to upset and anger your teammates at times. Not on purpose, but because being a competitor and high performer is going to reveal laziness and poor performance out of other teammates. When lazy people are exposed and challenged, they get annoyed. If you’re annoying your teammates for the reason that you are competing and challenging them, then you are a leader. 3) Don’t try to play like Harden, KD, Steph, or Kobe. It’s fun to look up to the pros and imitate their moves. But more importantly, if you want to be a better play, pour all your focus on getting better at the fundamentals. Build your skill set. Ball handling. Shooting. Footwork. Cutting. Moving without the ball. Master the basics and fundamentals. Prioritize building fundamentals and skills over trying to be like Harden or Kyrie. Drop a comment or “💪💪” below if you made it this far These tips will help you get better!