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Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Basketball: Defending the Star Player

Find a role to get on and stay on the court. Most players think score first. Defense comes farther down the list.

Once you've committed to defend the star, start your mental checklist.

1) Embrace the challenge and impact winning. How you defend depends on the assignment. If you defend the box-and-one guy, expect to get screened...a lot.

2) Condition. Elite defense demands great conditioning. "You can't skip steps." If you're not in shape, forget elite defense. 

3) Stay grounded. Excellent scorers score, even against strong defense. When they score, move on to the next play. Like cornerbacks, 'defense first' players need a short memory.  


4) Study your cover. Where are their 'sweet spots'? Are they heavily dominant-handed? What are their preferred moves - jab, hesi, crossover, something else? 

5) Do the work. They can't score without the ball. Make them work for it. Or make them catch it farther away from the basket. That might take away the catch-and-shoot option. 

6) Be the aggressor. "Nose on the chest" or "crawl up into them" or "don't back down." Fill your quiver with metaphorical arrows. I liked to go for the steal on the crossover. 

7) Fake and anticipate. If you know they jab and go or jab and rip, anticipate and get legal guarding position. That may frustrate them or they may commit a charge. 

8) Expect physicality. Excellent players aren't wallflowers. They're going to give as much contact as they get. That's the price. 

Deal out annoyance and you own rent-free space in their head. If you're really on your game, they'll start whining, shoving, or maybe even take a punch. They're more focused on you than on their job. 


Most of all, play hard and well to earn respect from your coach, teammates, and even opponents. And maybe you'll have the faded receipts. 

Lagniappe. Take care of your body. 

Lagniappe 2. We used to run stuff like this fifty years ago...because it worked. 

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