HoopTalk – Defense

Day 2 – As much as I love offense, there is nothing like good defense. Whether that be team or individual defense, there is nothing like locking another team up. My favorite type is run-and-jump, heavy ball pressure, jumping passing lanes, causing absolute chaos on the court at all times. Although unsustainable man, it is fun to watch.

IQ defense is my title. Picking your moments where pressure is necessary vs moments where setting the fort is required. Transition defense is of the utmost importance. Having guys SPRINT rather than jog will determine where you are as a program. Players contesting all shots is another indicator of how strong your defensive culture is.

There are all sorts of different fun coverages, and this is just the baseline introduction of where we are headed with this, but I want people to understand the coverages that work vs do not work. It is not to say certain coverages will never work, but certain teams/players cannot play certain styles, much like on offense.

The number one key is always to keep the ball in front of you, never gamble or create unnecessary advantages for the offense. Secondly, there needs to be a line of help with pre-set rotations put in place, in the event someone cannot stay in front of another player.

Defense becomes fun when you can start picking on opposing players. This is why installing the IQ defense is key, because why would you play in the gap on the best shooter in the gym, or likewise deny a non-shooter on the perimeter? There is no IQ to that, which is why we have to understand the scout of the other team, understanding strengths and weaknesses to take those away.

Mindset: Staying in front of someone and guarding the ball. There is nothing more to it, yeah, you can get faster feet, or a stronger chest to help guard better players, but locking someone up is not physical, but rather a mental message. Being mentally strong over physically strong (not to say we don’t lift) is something I crave in all my players. Toughness in basketball is not always about being stronger on paper, but rather about making tough plays.