Friday, September 15, 2023

Basketball - Underrated: The Defensive Delay Game

A history lesson underpins the topic. We're playing in a preseason 'tournament' leading by eight with three minutes to go. We play man defense and our opponent sits in a passive 2-3 zone. I tell my team "4" which means delay offense. In this case, that means hold the ball out. 

The opposing coach loses it. He starts screaming, "play basketball." I am unmoved by his pleas. I neither told him to play soft zone for the prior 29 minutes, nor complained. After a minute, he tells his kids to pick up and they lose by eight. No defensive delay game, no victory. 

Serious players and teams embrace "defensive delay."

'Defensive delay' attacks the team leading. It's part of tempo management. Play faster to extend the game or slower to shorten it. When leading, run clock. With no shot clock, it's essential. We cannot let the opponent 'run out the clock' while playing their 'offensive delay'.

There's no set rule on when to start. Wooden's belief, "the game is meant to be played fast" works well with skill and athletic superiority. I've seen some coaches play slow (in my opinion) to lose by smaller margins. 

How do I think a team should or should not execute defensive delay? First, practice the situation. Scrimmage down six with four minutes to go with no fouls to give. 

  • Have the right personnel on the floor.
  • Maximum ball pressure. "Don't back down." 
  • Full denial one pass away.
  • Look to steal without fouling. "Show your hands." 
  • Maximize talk. On dead dribble, yell "pinch" to alert everyone. 
  • Switch everything outside. 
  • Selective doubling (on defined weak ballhandler). Do not automatically double the ball that creates an 'open man'.
  • Foul selectively if your opponents has a bricklayer on free throws. 
When it works, attitude drives the process. 

Lagniappe (something extra). Three minutes of gold from Mike Abrashoff 


Lagniappe 2. Values driven 

Lagniappe 3. The offense will attack your delay game. 

 

at