To do our job, know our job.
- "Get more and better shots than our opponent." - Pete Newell
- "No easy shots"
- "Hard 2s"
- Create (offense) and deny (defense) separation.
- "Make your teammates better."
Although defense requires five team players fully engaged, paradoxically it demands individual 'wins' to contain the ball, deny cuts, and limit penetration. Winning battles starts with determination to win them.
Be specific. Teach absolutes:
One 'bad' shot. The prime directive...
Pressure the ball. Attack, create chaos and discomfort.
Deny penetration, deny the lane.
Good defenses communicate. Silent teams lose. Talk intimidates.
Contest all shots without fouling. Never foul jump shots.
Own the glass. Rebounding finishes the defensive stop.
Defensive "right things" yield lower shot quality, fewer points in the paint, and drop effective field goal percentage. They result in more turnovers and steals, the latter of which bleed into offense with higher points/possession.
What techniques and concepts can help? Work on athleticism...especially quickness. Although not as effective as 'chicken chasing' jumping rope helps.
- "Show your hands." Don't give the officials reasons to call fouls.
- Don't swipe down on blocks (verticality)
- One-on-one practice (constrain number of dribbles, e.g. two)
- Two-on-two (emphasis on pick-and-roll to start)
- Three-on-three emphasize off ball screen defense (switch, through, or under)
- Live shell drill
- Fronting the post (a skill worth developing as part of team D)
Lagniappe. Making teammates better is job one.
Lagniappe 2. Bucks set up Grayson Allen for a 3.
