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Basketball Systems, Skills & Drills
 

Defending
Procopio 3 on 3 shrink


sketch
1
Mike Procopio

a) Pass and cut

X1 forces ballhandler 1 to his weak hand, X2 and X3 are on the elbows. 1 passes to 2, takes one step away and cuts, X1 drops to the elbow, bumps the cutter and rides him down, X2 closes out on 2 and forces baseline, X3 moves to the nail to help if 2 drives, 3 replaces 1.

Overall defensive philosophy

- keep the ball out of the paint (defensively, nothing good ever happens in the paint)
- stop and contain drives and still be in position to challenge shots
- shrink the floor
- defenders always want to be on an elbow, block, or the nail
- ball pressure
- give energy, communicate (e.g. "by yourself", "I got your help"), move hands and take away space
- force weak hand up top, force baseline on the wings
- force them to pass, force contested shots, bump cutters
- stunt and recover on dribble penetration
- no second shots, box out.

Lawrence Frank - the Celtics run 3 on 3 shrink every day in practice. They want to force one contested mid-range shot, they protect the paint first. X1 has a weak-hand no-paint stance (contain, don't invite a straight-line drive, no blow-by), X3 and X2 are in shrink, at the elbows. On the pass from 1 to 2, X2 closes out (no middle, no paint, influence to the corners outside the pro lane), X1 sprints to the elbow and has X2's back (as soon as a pass is made from top to wing or wing to top, it's a sprint to the elbow - sprint to the ball, you can never be wrong). 1 basket cuts, X3 has X1's back, comes into the middle of the paint, tags the cut, and talks to his teammate. X1 releases his help, X3 recovers out.
 
Hoop Tactics - 1 passes to 2 and makes a basket cut, weakside 3 flashes to the middle then pops out to the point (2 should pass if 1 or 3 is open), on ball reversal the point can pass to either wing. Progressions on a pass from the point, a) screen away, b) basket cut or screen away.

sketch
2
X3 closes out on a pass to 3 and forces weakhand, X2 and X1 cover the elbows.

Continue with a pass from 3 to 1, basket cut, etc.

Lawrence Frank - when 2 passes to 3 at the top, X2 sprints to the elbow. See Defending - Fratello 4-player close-outs.
 
Ben Jacobson - the three defenders start in the lane facing a coach on the baseline, who passes to any attacker. Start with 4-5 passes then rotate offence to defence, new attackers. Closing out from a gap position on a pass from the top to the wing, use a proper angle of approach, get underneath the ball (first step toward the baseline), then approach head on, square on the ball, but don't get beat baseline.
 
See Defending - Izzo close-outs.

sketch
3
b) Dribble penetration

1 takes one dribble, X3 stunts then recovers on a pass to 3.

sketch
4
3 pauses then drives middle (one dribble), X1 stunts then recovers on a kick-out to 1.

Continue with 1 taking a right-hand dribble, X2 stunts and recovers on a pass to 2, etc.

See Defending - Fratello 3 on 3 drive and kick.
 
Ben Jacobson - for 12 seconds, attackers try to drive and get both feet in the paint (then get back out).

sketch
5
c) Box out

Continue with drive-and-kick stunt-and-recover, the ballhandler shoots when coach calls "shot", defenders find their man (forget about the ball), put a body on him, and go in for the ball with hands up. No second-chance points.
 
Bill Self - 4 on 4 shell - attackers pass around, defenders jump to the ball, coach calls for the ball and shoots, everybody rebounds, play to a stop or score on an offensive rebound.

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