Defensive Thoughts

• It’s a “shoulders game." Defender should always make sure to keep his shoulders lower than the shoulders of the player he is guarding.

• Do you teach how to foul late in the game? Make sure to wrap both your arms above both arms of the offensive player so that he can never get into his shooting motion.

• Do you have rules in regard to late game fouling? Consider only fouling a man who has his back to the basket, making sure it will never be a shooting foul.

• Do you teach your players how to talk on defense? Consider teaching them that all talk should be (1) early (as play is developing or even before it develops); (2) loud (make sure your teammate hears your talk (3) continuous (make sure if they don’t hear it the first time that you always repeat it – good rule is 3 times, e.g., LEFT-LEFT-LEFT).

• Do you detail how to switch? Consider teaching 3 steps: (1) talk it (2) touch it and (3) switch it.

• Defender must make contact with his man before the screen makes contact with him or he will be screened and his man will be able to control the cut.

• Transition defense: do you teach your team that in transition they are guarding the open men on the other team, not their man?

• Focus on contesting shots early in the game so that you can take some of the shooter's confidence away early in that night’s game.

• Do you mandate that your players get to their help spots early, making sure that the offensive player sees no open seams as soon as he catches it.

• Have you gotten your best player to buy into the importance of your defense? When you get that you have a chance to be special defensively; we learned that last year with Kevin Garnett!