Defence

• Fundamentals
  • On the ball, Closeouts, Off the ball, Post defence
• Ballscreens, Off-ball screens
• Transition, Pressing

Fundamentals

• On-ball defence
  • ball-you-basket
  • stance
    • low and wide (low man wins)
  • slide
  • "dead", contest a shot ("shot"), box out
  • stay down on a shot fake (don't bite)
  • absorb a jab step, ball-up ball-down
  • straight-up or force (nose on a shoulder), e.g. force left
    • lock left - press in when the ball goes left, gap off when the ball goes right
    • forcing down (sideline, baseline) or middle
  • take away what they do best
  • active hands
  • trace the ball
  • slide, drop step or hip turn to change direction
  • slide-run-slide (recover)
  • keep a gap or cushion
  • chest stop to cut off a drive
  • contest a pass or shot
  • jump to the ball on a pass (give and go)
  • Blog post - Jump to the Ball
• Closeouts
  • Blog post - Closeouts
  • "high-school" close-outs
    • sprint, break down, high hands, touch distance
  • hot close-outs (on shooters)
    • arrive on the catch, one hand high, fly by if late
    • run off the line
    • sprint and stop (not high hands, choppy feet)
      • one-two stop, one hand up, hips down
    • closeout slightly to one side to avoid fouling, can dictate where they have to go
  • cold close-outs (on drivers)
• Off-ball defence
  • ball-you-man, see ball and man (point pistols), defensive triangle (below the ball)
  • one pass away
    • deny, gap (open stance)
  • two or more passes away
    • help position, e.g., split line
  • contesting passes
    • backcut, weakside flash, deny a lead (v-cut, blast cut)
  • help on penetration
    • stay at home
    • stunt and recover (e.g. corner shooter)
    • full help (stop the drive)
    • help across not up
    • help the helper
    • sink and fill (help the helper's help)
      • baseline drive
    • recover from help
      • recover to your own
      • help and jump switch
      • help and stay, beaten defender has second pass
    • high hands at the rim
  • taking a charge
• Post defence
  • no post feeds from the top
  • high side to full front to low side
  • half front, 3/4 front
  • behind
  • circle behind, side to side
  • on the line, up the line
  • ball pressure
  • jam early (hit first)
  • push out
  • steal a post entry pass
  • on a post entry
    • pop behind
    • gap off a small, quick post
    • wall up, take away middle
    • wall on wheels
    • perimeter players choke, dig on a dribble
  • post double-team
    • from the baseline
    • from the high side
      • other big defender
      • high split
      • ballside wing
      • off a cutter (snapback)
    • on a catch, or on the bounce
    • rotation on a pass out

Ballscreen Coverage

• Blog post - Ballscreen Coverage, Defence - Ballscreen coverage (diagrams)
• Get into the ball
  • harder to get screened
  • can wedge over top
  • force the ball into the screen (or weak, or ice)
• Gap
  • the on-ball defender goes under the screen and over the screen defender, who leaves a gap and "low shows"
  • meet on the other side
  • counters are roll into the on-ball defender, set lower screens
• Switch
  • right personnel, or end of the shot clock
  • the on-ball defender goes under the screen to switch, the screen defender hedges laterally or shows, a jump switch
  • switch under the screen to protect against a drive
  • triple switch
    • the other big switches with the guard who is covering the roller
• Squeeze (jam)
  • the screen defender gets close to the screen, the on-ball defender goes under both
  • take away a pick and pop
• Drop coverage
  • the screen defender zones up (6-10 feet behind the screen), keeps the ball and screener in front
  • the on-ball defender chases over the screen (or under) and has to rear-view contest
  • late switch (veer) - the big switches to the ball if the guard gets beat
    • can be used to take away pick and pop
    • may have to call a veer on a two-dribble throwback to the screener
• Weak
  • the on-ball defender doesn't let the ballhandler come off a high ballscreen with their strong hand (force a righty left)
  • weak into drop coverage
  • can prevent the on-ball defender from being screened (deny access)
  • the counter is readjust the screen, attack the sagging screen defender
• Force down (ice)
  • the on-ball defender doesn't let the ball come to the middle, the screen defender protects baseline (drops)
  • sidescreen or step-up screen
    • ice to switch
    • ice to blitz
• Feather
  • the on-ball defender goes over the screen, the screen defender soft or flat hedges laterally
  • footwork to go over a screen - front pivot or slide
  • up to touch
    • level of the screen, take away a 3
• Show and recover
  • the screen defender shows (attached to the screener) and recovers, the on-ball defender goes over the screen and over his teammate recovering
• Show and under
  • show and recover, the on-ball defender goes behind (Roy Williams)
  • Dave Smart - shock and under
• Shock high-low
  • the screen defender shows high, the on-ball defender goes over the screen and under the screen defender
    • the on-ball defender can go under the screen when the ballhandler is not in shooting range
• "Next" coverage
  • the next perimeter defender may have to switch with the on-ball defender
  • or peel switch by design
  • variation - trap (hot)
• Trap (blitz)
  • the on-ball defender goes over, the screen defender jumps out
  • cover the screener

See Defences > Screens, Defending > Ballscreens.

Off-Ball Screens

• Blog post - Defending off-ball screens
• Slip screens - don't get screened
• Switch, gap, chase over
• Top lock
• Squeeze (under)
• Staggered screen
  • over the first screen then under, through, over, switch or trap the second screen
  • go under both screens

Defensive Transition

• Blog post - Defensive Transition
• Basic
  • Sprint back, find checks
  • Level of the ball
  • 2 on 1, 3 on 2
• Intermediate
  • One or more safeties
  • Pick up the ball early, protect the basket
  • Jam the defensive rebounder
• Advanced
  • Cover the nail (plug)
    • take away a middle drive
  • Deny the outlet
  • Trap the rebounder and/or outlet
  • Cover a shooter early
  • Cross match-up (not their checks)

Pressing

• Blog post - Fullcourt Man Pressure
• Basic
  • Pick up checks fullcourt
  • Line of ball (below ball level)
  • Split the floor
• Intermediate
  • Quick trap (inbounds pass)
  • Back-tip
  • Channel the ball, turn the ball
  • Run and jump switch
  • Trap from the front, turn and trap from the side
  • Trappers, interceptors, goalie
• Advanced
  • Inbounder defender - on the ball, shortstop (face guard), rover
  • Contest reversal
  • Zone press