Defensive Stereotypes:

Remember my Rule....? Your Head lower than Ballhandler's Shoulders....!

A) Players who can and want to.... Coaches love them .. Teammates admire them ... Fans adore them..

B) Players who want to but can't ... Coaches encourage them .. Teammates like them ... Fans appreciate them

C) Players who can but don't want to ... Coaches don't like them (although they sometimes tolerate them if they can really contribute with something else) ... Teammates are frustrated because of them ... Fans don't understand them (nobody really does)...

D) Players who can't and don't want to .. Nobody wants them .... LRI

P.S. I have never heard of a coach complaining because his players played too much defense....

 

"Pressuring the ballhandler makes passing and dribbling more difficult, and increases the chances of an offensive mistake."

CAUTION: You play defense before your opponent receives the ball not after. In forcing the opponent out of their normal operating areas, it creates offensive spacing problems which benefit the defense. Post passes are longer and more difficult, outside shots are longer, and it takes an extra dribble or two to reach the basket.

In guarding a player with the ball, defenders must attack, rather than react to offensive actions, and eliminate the "triple threat" (shot, pass, drive) by taking away the shot and pass options, and forcing the ball hander into dribbling. The reason being is that the offense can "put points on the scoreboardquot; off a shot or pass, but cannot score when dribbling.

The defender's feet should be in a "heel/toe/pushpoint" alignment influencing the ball handler towards a sideline or trap zone preventing any dribble penetration into the middle of the court.

Stay low in a bent knee, "nose on chest" upright position. Do not lean or reach Have both hands up to take away shot and post pass options. Keep fingers spread Have active feet. Keep feet moving with small chatter steps. Do not ever stand flat footed

Have Very Active Hands

When guarding the player with the ball, both hands should be held up in a shoulder high, martial arts position where they can strike out and recover with lighting speed. The defender should have very active hands and must be ambidextrous using both hands equally well.

One of the defender's hands should be held up close to the ball tracing (following) the ball movement. The other hand is held lower and slightly to the side waving to distract the passer and to cut off the passing lane into post. Stay on balance and do not reach.

Having both hands up where the officials can see them also eliminates fouls.