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Thursday, June 13, 2024

Basketball:Becoming an Impactful Defender

Get and stay on the floor with defense. Having at least two the three core elements help- size, athleticism, and skill.


Limit what offenses want to achieve. Study opponents to learn how, where, and what actions they emphasize. 

The Head Game. Commit to making life difficult for your opponent. If a team likes to pick-and-roll, attack the dribbler to make their job harder. Get into their chest. Disallow easy baskets. 

Defensive Mindset 2. Aggressiveness creates edges. Have an attack mentality. What does that mean?
  • Contain the ball. Poke at the ball when available. 
  • Deny cuts. 
  • Fakes create uncertainty for offense. 
  • Communicate.
  • Take charges when opportunity arises. 
Positioning. The ball scores. It's necesary but not sufficient to cover your assigned player. Shrink space, loading to the ball and cover 1.5 (your player and part of another). 
  
Study the game. Understand what offensive intent (spacing, player movement, ball movement, finishing higher probability 'scoring moments'). Some players have tells or 'always' go strong hand. 

Conditioning. Stay in elite condition to play 'harder for longer' and to decrease "drop off" under pressure. Hand dynamometers measure grip strength and its decline shows fatigue. 

Technique. Play out of balanced, low, active stance. Low man wins and "it's a shoulders game." Some players play "high" and are vulnerable to dribble and cut penetration. 

Toughness. Toughness is a skill. “Get on the floor” and dominate loose balls.  

Relentlessness. Adversity happens. Setbacks demand more. 

As coaches, reward solid defense with minutes as long as players don't "hurt" you at the other end. Unrewarded effort turns into diminished effort eventually. 

Lagniappe. Putting the pieces on the board where you want them. 

Lagniappe 2. Do work before you have the ball. Don Kelbick reminds players, "think shot first."  





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