Seven Rules on Defending the Dribble Drive – Coaches Insider
By: T.J. Otzelberger - South Dakota State University
Originally Published in: Time-Out Magazine
Provided by: National Association of Basketball Coaches
Being able to defend the dribble drive in today's game is critical for every team's success. Effectively containing the dribble will help eliminate your opponents' ability to penetrate gaps and reduce the amount of stress put on your defense.
In order to teach how to defend the dribble drive I have broken down my defensive philosophy into 7 Rules which I emphasize daily with my team. These rules allow myself and my coaching staff the ability to be very specific as to how we want our defense executed, but yet simple enough to teach efficiently. Notice I have a WHY with each of the rules. This gives a purpose for each rule being used/taught, which allows players to understand and grasp each concept in its entirety.
It is important to incorporate and practice each rule in every situation possible (drills, stations, and live play).
1. RULE: PICK UP THE BALL WHEN YOUR HEELS ARE ON 3PT LINE
Teaching Point: Maintain constant ball pressure and never let the offense get their hips square
Why? This minimizes transition opportunities and shrinks gaps early in possessions
2. RULE: LEVEL OFF THE BALL HANDLER
Teaching Point: Do not get beat to the outside of the defense (baseline or slot drives)
Why? There is less help, the defense is more vulnerable, and this will cause over rotation
3. RULE: ESTABLISH SHALLOW TRIANGLES
Teaching Point: When the ball is passed, players sprint to proper positioning/gaps during air time. The three points of every shallow triangle become your man, the defender in the gap, and the ball handler.
Why? This shrinks gaps and visually presents to offense that there are no driving angles
4. RULE: ATTACK THE CLOSEOUT
Teaching Point: Take a big first step, close out with two hands, and keep one hand up to contest
Why? Closing out with two hands enables defenders to keep their balance as they breakdown to their man, be quicker to react to the ball, and creates the ability to take away rhythm 3's or protect against the dribble drive.
5. RULE: BOUNCE ON TRIPLE THREAT
Teaching Point: Bounce, or give space, when the ball handler enters triple threat and keep hips in front. It is important to show your hands on the bounce. It is natural to put hands on a dribbler.
Why? You put yourself in position to guard the drive, or contest the shot
6. RULE: MAINTAIN ACTIVE HANDS
Teaching Point: Hands need to be above shoulders and kept there throughout each possession
Why? This activity level deters direct passes by giving a visual presence and will get defenses more deflections.
7. RULE: DO NOT OVER ROTATE TO THE BALL
Teaching Point: Maintain positioning and stay disciplined
Why? If the defense over rotates, maintaining proper rebounding position becomes extremely difficult and it creates long closeouts.
T.J. Otzelberger is in his second season as the head coach at South Dakota State University. A year ago, he guided the Jackrabbits to a Summit League championship, becoming the first team in the tournament's history to win three games in three days. SDSU lost to national runner-up Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Otzelberger was the recipient of the 2017 NABC Guardians of the Game Award for Education. At SDSU as well as during stints as an assistant coach at Iowa State and Washington, he has worked with local middle schools in the implementation of the Stay In To Win program, which focuses on student success and dropout prevention.
Get to the Hoop Quick – Backyard Sidekick
Getting to the hoop quick in basketball is both a necessary and difficult skill when it comes to driving to the basket. Watching the pro’s cut through traffic with immense power, and confidence is exciting. Easier said than done, so I pulled together the best advice on improving your drive to the basket.
To drive to the hoop effectively in basketball you will need to improve your ball handling and dribbling skills as well as be able to move quickly on the court with the ball. Your main goal is to get past the defenders and to the hoop, crossovers and dribbling technique can help get you there.
Things that also matter is which is your weaker side when driving to the hoop and knowing your defender’s best skills. Going over all the tips and tricks at first may seem overwhelming, but once you put it into practice, the steps make sense.
Basketball Driving Tips
It’s impossible to make long shots or hit the three-pointers every single time you shoot the ball, especially under pressure. When games are evenly matched, it does come down to who can get to the rim and make that drive happen a lot of the time.
Having said that, it’s also one of the more difficult things to do when several people are trying to stop you from completing that mission. Consider having to navigate your way around several defenders instead of one and not trying to foul anyone.
Ideally, you want someone to foul you to get the And-1. But it’s not just about how you drive; it’s also about when you drive.
Below are the most basic and important tips to understand when powering your way through the key and to the basket. It’s not enough to just read it though, you have to go out and practice it on your own.
Make sure you’re practicing with a decent basketball if you can. I like to use this Wilson Evolution Game Basketball (link to Amazon) because it’s the most widely used ball on basketball courts in the US.
Gain Respect
It might seem a little counterintuitive, but being respected in other areas of your game as an attacker is important when it comes to driving. For instance, if your range of shooting is only limited to around the key, then the defender doesn’t have to worry about you putting up a lot of three’s. But if you can put it in from just about anywhere in the court, then the defender has to worry about a lot of different ground to cover.
If I knew that my opponent could only drive, then I would spend all my efforts and energy, keeping him or her as close to the three-point line as possible.
If you’re the player that can’t shoot outside the paint, ask yourself, are you getting double-teamed a lot? Chances are the answer is yes, because it’s an easy way to turn the ball over.
Do the work and become a better shooter in general, and you will earn the respect of your opponent to not leave you too much room. With a tighter guard, you’ll find that you have more opportunities to go around and get to the rim quickly.
Check out the How To Shoot A Basketball Guide for tips on upping your shooting game.
Being Unreadable
Being unpredictable is no surprise in any sport, let alone basketball. Just like a tennis player doesn’t want their opponent to know where they are going to serve, a basketball player on offense doesn’t want their defender predicting their every move. Otherwise, chances are you aren’t getting to the rim often or scoring many points.
So how does one be unreadable on offense? Having more weapons in your tool belt and becoming a triple-threat is the answer to this question. A triple-threat is someone who can drive, shoot, and set up their teammate with ease.
Even if you are great at all three, it’s also important to make sure that you clean up your weaknesses within each one.
If you are always going to your strengths and your strong side, then your defender will guess right nine times out of ten. Even the best shooters, ball-handlers, and players, in general, have their go-to moves, but it’s always important to stay versatile in your game-play.
A Quick First Step
Explosive movement is also no stranger to sports. The faster you can react and move, the better off you’ll be in getting some room. Efficiency is a part of that explosive movement as usually, the first movement is one of the most important of the process.
It’s not unusual for the first movement to be slow because you are either starting a force from little to no movement or changing the direction, which takes a lot of energy. It’s like a car that needs to get up to speed.
If that car happens to be really nice and has a sport mode, it may take half the time than a car that doesn’t have that option. Refining your fast-twitch fibers are like upgrading to that nice sports car. The reason why it’s so important is even if you are quick in general, the first step is what your defender or defenders will first see in predicting your path to the hoop.
If your first movements are incredibly slow, then you become incredibly predictable, and we are back to the first tip of not being readable.
Take this example. You are going to drive to the hoop, and you hesitate a little too much, making a slower first move. The defender has you beat every time and steals the ball. But imagine having such a powerful first step that you can fake one direction and still have time to pass the defender on your strong side. It makes a difference.
Trick Steps
Sometimes trick steps can get a bad rep for being a little too flashy and inefficient. That can be true when executed poorly, but when done in the right fashion, it can certainly be nice to look at, and effective.
Getting space from your defender in order to open up a pathway to the hoop can be difficult. That is why developing a few trick-shot types of moves can be helpful in fooling your defender into giving you that opportunity.
Consider the Eurostep, which has become quite popular in the NBA.
Giannis Antetokounmpo did a whole article with ESPN about why a move like this is the deadliest in the game and has caused him to rethink his defensive skills. The move is a two-step fake where the first step is a large step to the right or left of the defender to make them believe that’s the direction the attacker is going. Before committing fully to that side, the other foot goes in the opposite direction, to go around the defender.
Here’s a quick video showing the Eurostep in action so you can see how useful this can be when driving to the hoop. (I could watch this stuff all day)
The reason the Eurostep is such a good move is that it forces the defender to possibly move out of position and increases the chances to foul the attacker as they are not as steady trying to also change direction with the attacker.
The Long Step
This can be a little misleading as some coaches may encourage a long first step when starting your drive. This actually isn’t the time to use the long step. What happens when you use the long step a little too soon is that you become off-balance. You also lose range of motion and power, making you slower.
A good rule of thumb is if your planting leg is less than a 90-degree angle, you probably can’t support that position to well. Maybe think of the phrase “nose over toes,” which means leaning all your body weight forward, so even if you are lunging, there is still a chance for good balance and strength.
The long step can happen when you are going to make a drive for the hoop but are already really close to the basket. Typically, the long step is the last one step or lunge to the basket in a layup when you are trying to cover ground and distance in a speedy fashion without having to dribble too much.
Here’s another quick video showing some layups made by professional players in the NBA. Watch their footwork as they’re making the layup.
We’ve all seen NBA players use this step as their long limbs spread to avoid traveling once they’ve scooped the ball up after dribbling. Following their lead and use the long step in this type of moment at the appropriate time.
Speed Dribbling
Speed is not only important when it comes to the first step but also when it comes to handling the ball. Have you ever noticed that a player will warm up and bounce the ball really quick and real low to the ground with many repetitions?
This is to get better at handling the speed and increase strength in the hand, wrist, and forearm.
This is because quick dribbling when driving to the basket is a lot safer and effective than big drawn-out dribbles. The first issue you come across when dribbling high is the ball is slow, and you can’t move as quickly. The second issue is that you leave room for the ball to be stolen by the defenders you’ll come across.
Quick, powerful dribbles offer a lot more control as you approach the rim quickly. Control is important in case you need to change your route as a counter to the defenders. Practice dribbling with force while maintaining ball control. You can use that skill to make your drive to the basket more successful.
Shoulder to Hip
Standing up tall continues to give you the lack of control, which is why assuming a position that allows you to attack the defenders hip gives you a way to protect the ball and make your way to the basket. Making your defender come down to your level is a lot better than trying to get past a defensive player spreading out as tall as they possibly can.
Shoulder to hip doesn’t mean actually bulldoze them down.
It just means that your shoulder that is not the ball-handling arm should be angled down to the player’s opposite hip. So if it’s your left shoulder, that’s the free arm, then you want to point it to the left hip of your opponent. Opposite in terms of how you are facing them and not opposite in terms of left or right.
Here’s a video breaking down this shoulder to hip move as used by Kobe and Michael Jordan.
Not to mention, when we talk about being predictable, this plays a major role.
Offense and defense is a game of cat and mouse. You go high, they go high, you go low, so do they. The more stamina and energy they have to use the easier driving will become as the clock dwindles down. Evenly matched skill to skill may come down to endurance and fitness, and this is where cat and mouse come into play.
Flexibility
Being flexible with your body has it’s advantages, but that isn’t the type of flexibility we are talking about right now. The type that helps your drive is being flexible with your mind, and in order to be flexible with your mind, you have to be able to have options in your tool belt.
Mentioned above, being a triple-threat is important for being a good driver. But when you have all these tools, you need to know how to interchange them at the last minute by being flexible with your plans.
Being flexible requires another thing. Being alert. The best players in the NBA aren’t just athletically gifted or skilled; they’re smart.
Anticipation and alertness are huge when driving to the hoop. Going back to the topic of cat and mouse, you can also be good at the game if you are aware of what you’re doing and what your opponent is doing. Otherwise, you’re a dead mouse.
An easy team or defender might allow you to zip right by them with your plan A every single time. But make no mistake because a good team will counter your plan A, B, and C. This forces you to continually come up with something new every time to keep yourself…yup, less predictable.
Practicing drills that force you out of a situation that you previously planned, by allowing your teammate who’s guarding you to know your first move, is a great option in training flexibility. If your coach doesn’t allow much time for you to think out several plans, it will force you to react quickly and respond to pressure situations.
Here’s a great video showing some moves you can use to get past defenders and get the ball to the hoop.
When to Drive?
So now that you have a handful of tips on how to drive successfully, knowing when to drive is just as important. Despite it being the shot closest to the hoop, it’s one of the hardest to pull off, given the number of defenders and limited space.
A poorly executed drive can result in an easy block or a steal resulting in a turnover. Or worse, instead of getting the foul your team so badly wants, you ended up being the one to foul and costing your team because of poor decision making.
So how do we know when to drive? Well, there are a number of situations that encourage the right moment to execute getting to the hoop, so let’s go over them.
Tight Defending
Briefly mentioned before, tight defending can lead to an opportunity to blow past your opponent. When a point-guard slowly walks up to the middle of the court, it’s not just to scan the court of his teammates and opponents; it’s also an attempt to draw out his specific defensive guard—drawing the defense out of the key leaves for major gaps and openings.
The way you get your defender to guard you tighter is to demonstrate you can shoot.
Another way to get your defender to come close is to have quick passes between your team. This will likely draw a defender out in an attempt to steal the ball. Take advantage once they fall for the bait.
Keep in mind that the first time you maneuver past your opponent because of drawing them out will likely send them back again until they feel like they can read you better as an offensive player or attacker. That’s where you must become unpredictable and flexible.
When You Are Confident
Driving to the net takes a certain level of confidence that not a lot of players have. The reason being, is that once you have chosen to drive, there’s no turning around. Yes, there is room to change your footwork and ball-handling in an effort to keep the ball safe and to the hoop. But the goal remains the same, which means going forward.
This also means that you are going to likely get fouled and knocked down.
If you aren’t confident and get jumpy at the sight of someone stopping, you then driving is not for you. The reason being is that you want to be the one fouled on, but if you are not careful, a bad drive is going to result in a foul. Driving in general is tough, but once mastered, is a deadly threat to your opponents.
Helpful Links:
10 Basketball Drills You Can Do At Home
Recommended Basketball Gear
How To Shoot A Basketball Guide
14 Fun Basketball Games For All Ages
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Girl game? Dirty protection? The NBA champion flew to Moscow
Three-time NBA champion and one of the toughest defenders in league history, Bruce Bowen, who visited Russia to open a basketball court in Nizhnevartovsk, spoke about how his career began, recalled his European adventures, as well as the conflict with Aizea Thomas.
- You would have had a very difficult childhood. The father left the family at an early age, the mother became addicted to hard drugs. How did this atmosphere in the family affect you as a person and did it affect your style of playing basketball?
— It took me a while to realize that life is not fair. It's not even that it's unfair, it's just that life is the way it is. She is what we make her. We can bow to circumstances or go against them and say, "I will be better and stronger than them." I always felt that there are people who have it even harder than me. Looking at what was happening in their lives, I clearly understood that we must not stop, we must move forward. So it was in elementary school, in high school, in college, where I played for not the most successful team.
As for the impact on my style, I think this whole situation has made me appreciate the time spent on the court more, appreciate every moment and the contribution that you can make to the game. Nobody guarantees that you will play for 20 years. Therefore, in order to prolong your career, you need to give all the best in every episode. As a child, I realized that you should not wait for inspiration from anyone. So you can wait a lifetime. You need to look for this drive and inspiration within yourself. I have always said that seeing and feeling myself on the floor is the greatest value that the game has given me.
- You did a great job getting into the NBA draft, but no team selected you. Then you decided to try your hand at Europe and left for France. Must have experienced culture shock?
Absolutely. What else, you can't even imagine! This trip helped me understand that basketball is an international language. After all, many players did not even speak French, but understanding the principles by which the game is built helped us interact on the court. And I must say, it's very funny. I ended up in the French team, which was coached by a Pole, who, as you understand, was also far from being a polyglot. There were plenty of times when I tried to learn a language but felt stuck because I was afraid of screwing up, mispronouncing a word, or getting the case mixed up. It is only children who have no problems with this, in childhood people are much more open, and therefore it is easier for them to learn the language. I, on the other hand, would go to a restaurant and have a huge problem ordering a sandwich. The waiter looked at me like I was crazy, and I poked at the menu in confusion. Over time, I learned to speak more or less tolerably, but when I returned to America, the need for constant practice disappeared, and I completely forgot French ... And I am glad for this circumstance.
— Do you follow the European Championship, which is now in France?
- Not closely, but of course, aware of Tony Parker's successes. Becoming the most productive player in the history of the European Championships is worth a lot. But I am by no means surprised. Tony has always been the kind of person who wanted to popularize basketball by all means, to leave a noticeable mark on it. Becoming the first Frenchman to become an NBA champion, president of Asvel, or winning a European championship. He always wanted his victories to be regarded as basketball victories, not his personal ones. Indeed, often there is no connection between some countries, and only a collision on a basketball court allows us to understand their attitude towards each other.
- You entered the NBA in 1997, but you were really noticed in the Heat in the 2000/01 season. You stood out for your tenacious defensive play, as they say, sometimes even on the edge. Did you play in such a tough manner before, or did the NBA of that time force you to adapt, because the 2000s were a tough time in the league?
- Even when I played in France, I had to keep the best scorers in the championship. The game from the mid-90s to the early 2000s was tough, but not rough. For example, any physical contact was excluded, you couldn't just grab a guy by the hand, it was considered a foul. But it was possible to actively interfere with him. I compensated for this with the work of my legs, keeping up with my opponent on my feet. A lot of people didn't like it, and then they started to complain: "Oh, this Bowen, this is just a dirty game."
At first I was surprised and even worried about such a reaction, but then I began to perceive it normally. If you lose, it's easy to complain and say that I play dirty, but you will never hear complaints and reproaches from the winners' locker room. Ray Allen once said of me, "It's just a girl game on Bowen's part." And you know, it sounded very strange. How can this be a girl's game if on the court you reproached me for playing too hard? Something doesn't fit here, do you agree?
- By joining San Antonio, you have earned a reputation for being willing to do anything to win, the kind of necessary evil that helped the team win championships. Is there at least part of the truth in this formulation? Every champion needs a villain like this to do all the dirty work?
- I would not say that there is a need for a villain. Rather, it is the media that creates such an image in order to label the players. Look at the Spurs, who were always said to be boring. What do you see there? Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are three future NBA Hall of Famers. And then your eyes fall on Bruce Bowen. How to draw attention to him? Our star player played badly against him, why? Because Bruce defended himself against him in a special way, too hard, too dirty. Voila, you have a story to sell.
It's kind of like characters in comics. Why would the press say that Bowen can still shoot 3-pointers when Manu and Tony can do it better? But it's better to say that Bruce is a great defender, but in addition, he is also a real crazy man, ready to cripple the players. There is nothing terrible in this. Reporters get paid to speak their mind. And I respect this, I have no problems with this, but do not ask me to agree with this point of view if I think otherwise.
- I'm sure there were plenty of times when you played dirty against you. Maybe you can name a couple of such basketball players?
- First of all, I have never deliberately tried to injure players by getting under them during a throw or by putting my foot out so that they land on it. Yes, this happened, but I never had such intentions in advance. However, this has been talked about constantly throughout my entire NBA career. I myself have also landed on the feet of players defending against me, but you will not find any mention of this anywhere. I got into a situation where Byron Davis was playing against me.
An even more remarkable incident occurred when we played against the Knicks on the road. Steve Francis landed on my foot, I helped him up, asked if everything was fine. He replied: "Yes, Bruce, I'm fine, it happens." We hosted New York the following week and head coach Isaiah Thomas told Jamal Crawford to shoot from afar, and this guy shouldn't be allowed to do that. And as soon as I started playing against Jamal, Thomas literally took off. He began to cover me with the last words, saying that I was a dirty player. Isaiah received a technical, but still continued to put pressure on the judges. The last thing I heard from him was: "If we met during the time when I played for the Pistons, rest assured, we would find a way to take care of you." It was strange to hear that. You are not a player, but a coach, so behave accordingly.
- When you retired and bought out the contract from Milwaukee, did you hope that the Spurs would sign an agreement with you?
- This is part of the game, and you need to be ready for it. I left basketball on my own terms, and this is not given to many. Not because of injury or anything. I wanted to spend more time with the children. Many people say that I need to train, but I don't want to. I don't want my life to be as close as possible to the schedule I had when I was a player. Get up early, go to a workout, watch educational films. I never liked watching these films, but I had to do it because it was part of my duties. Now I train my children, that's enough for me. I work as an expert on sports television. I am quite satisfied with the current routine and do not regret anything.
- Your number "12" has been retired, and yet it will be under it that Spurs star rookie LaMarcus Aldridge will play. How did it happen?
- I know Lamarcus very well. I helped recruit him from the university where he studied. First of all, I was struck by the fact that during the whole conversation he looked into my eyes. Guys don't do that anymore. They say hello and then shake their heads and don't look at you. Lamarcus is a great guy. Besides, I don’t play anymore, so I don’t see any reason to refuse him.
- Aren't you afraid that this will become an additional burden of responsibility for him?
- No, besides, everyone knows who the real number 12 in the San Antonio Spurs is.
- You came to Russia thanks to the SIBUR corporation, which is doing a lot to popularize basketball in Russia. What does it mean to you to be part of this global campaign?
— First of all, I am grateful to SIBUR for the opportunity to be here. Don't be fooled by players who say that basketball allows you to travel a lot. Most often, you come to the country, train, and then, wallowing in fatigue, go to the hotel. Now I have arrived in a country where I have never been. I visited Red Square, visited St. Basil's Cathedral, attended a ballet, got acquainted with the richest history of this country. In addition, the SIBUR program is important for children, who, thanks to it, will have the opportunity to realize themselves in sports. They don't have to become new Bruce Bowens, they can become even better, grow into players with their own original style. Children learn to make decisions at an early age and decide for themselves whether to become professionals or just make sports a significant part of their lives. This is a very important and useful movement, and I am glad that SIBUR made me a part of it.
* A social network recognized as extremist in Russia
Playing defense in basketball
Hello, dear visitors of the website basketball-training.org.ua ! Today I want to share with you my observations and conclusions, which I received as a result of 's desire to improve his game in 's defense.
It so happened that the first few years of playing basketball (mostly on the street courts) my defense game consisted of constantly trying to cover the opponent's shot. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t work very well (I ended up either on the opponent’s back or on his head). It's a hell of a defense. A couple of years ago, I reconsidered my vision of playing defense, which I want to share with you.
Defensive Tips for
Basketball Players The first video that showed any hint of developing a basketball player's defensive skills was Bruce Bowen's 3-minute performance of on the TNT Fundamentals series. Then there was a short article on how to play defense against A. Gomelsky. Well, the last, but probably the most important training video was the company's products Better Basketball - Better 1 on 1 Defense . Even after skipping over half of what was said (some because of the language barrier, something because of banal restlessness) and putting even less into practice, I became much better at defending myself.
By the way, in this article everything will be exclusively about personal defense (and not a word about zone defense, although it is also worth writing about). So, I highlight the following stages of defense in basketball:
Stage 1: Defense against a player without the ball.
The essence of defense is to prevent the opponent from getting the ball . This is probably one of the most difficult stages, but also one of the most effective. Agree, it is difficult to attack without having the ball. So, this stage of defense is incredibly difficult, because you have to give a lot of strength, not to be fooled by movements of the body, head and legs. A good result of such a defense is that the player does not receive the ball throughout the attack. Also a good result if the ball is received, but: in an awkward position (far from the ring; in the corner of the court) or in the last seconds of the attack. Shitty result - the ball is received quickly and conveniently.
Stage 2: Defense against the player who received the ball.
When a player receives the ball, he is in the classic "triple threat position". This means that he can shoot the ring, pass or start the dribble. This means that we will have to confront all three threats at the same time. So, the best option is to take a position that will minimize the range of movement of the enemy. First of all, close its strong side from the passage by sitting a little to the side of it. As an option - from the side of his supporting leg; those. You will know the direction of his movement (he will not step with his supporting foot).
Let's conditionally divide the opponent's body into 2 levels: the first zone - to the waist; the second zone is above the belt. So, in order to start dribbling, the ball must be in the first zone. Both zones are suitable for a pass, and for a throw, the ball must go from the first zone to the second. I hope it's clear for now. So, one hand is playing with the bottom zone (preventing dribbling and low passing), the second is defending against a shot and a pass from the upper zone. Remember about the legs: with bent legs it is much easier and faster to make a jerk. If the legs are straight, then for a jerk they must first be bent.
And one more piece of advice: pull the player all the time with your movements. Let the probability that these "ritual dances" help to knock out the ball will be small, but you will be able to knock the opponent out of his usual rhythm. And it's worth a lot!
Excellent defense: the ball is knocked out. Good defense - loss on pass, inaccurate pass, throw from an uncomfortable position.
Stage 3: Defending against the dribbler.
Assume that previous attempts to get possession of the ball failed and the opponent began to dribble. How to defend yourself then?
Let's not consider those situations in which the opponent is obviously weaker than you. It's just not interesting. The opponent is stronger, faster and jumpier than you - that's a good situation. Like I said, close his strong side. But if you don't know its strengths and weaknesses; you don’t know how to hold: from a throw or from a pass - that is, a good solution. We are trying to make sure that you are the leader. One side is obviously closed - and the player is deliberately skipped to the other. So you can not lose in the starting jerk and not guess the direction of movement: it can only go in one direction. Try to push the opponent with the ball to the end line, from where he can no longer comfortably attack the basket. Clamp into a corner, press to the line.
Again: Close one side tightly. Better - if it will be his forte; if you don’t know which one is strong, close your weak side and let defenses under your strong side. And a safety net: sometimes it's better not to let a player throw from an average distance. Allowing him to get under the ring. After all, there will be a safety net in the form of a “big”, which cannot be thrown so easily.
Stage 4: Maintenance completed.
It can be a double step and a throw, a simple throw after a stop, a jump, a pivot (turn), a series of displays, etc. Let's take a closer look at this.
Double step. Remember: he has 2 steps to complete the attack, and you have 2 steps to hit the ball down, and then another full step to block. I recommend doing this:
A series of small touches to the ball during a double step (as if you were playing a drum). Thus, you will not knock out the ball, but you will disorientate it accurately. Yes, and in order to keep the ball, you have to make more.
Trying to hit the ball from below! When hitting from above, there is a very high chance that you will hit your fingers - this is a foul. But from below: few people expect such a blow, few people close the ball from below. And taking the ball up for a throw, he will receive an additional impulse, the push of the ball - throwing it as it was previously thought would not be so easy.
A little tip: after picking up the ball by the opponent, very often the ball goes down, and this is done strongly and abruptly. Just substitute okay from below at the level of the opponent's lower back: he himself will knock the ball against your hand. This is a very cool and often unexpected trick for the opponent.
If it was a jump stop, or just a stop, then you need to get as close as possible and raise both hands vertically up. Now you can not be afraid of a foul.
Stage 5: Jump Shot.
It's good if you jump high and sharp - then try to block at the moment when the ball leaves the thrower's hand. You can just try to brush it off at the moment when the supporting hand is no longer involved in the throw, and the ball is on the wrist. I will not talk about how to block-shot, this is a topic for a separate article.
Remember that you can block the thrower's view with your hand: just don't poke it in the eyes, just bring it closer to the thrower's face. A good way (if you have not already jumped out for a block shot, and the throw is being made) is to simulate contact with various organs of the opponent (guys, you understand what I mean). Belly, solar plexus, groin - all this interferes with concentration at the time of the throw. Well, and often on street sites there is a clap of hands: at games they can give a foul, but on the street it can bring down that very concentration.
And finally, I suggest watching the old film , about the individual protection of basketball players, filmed in the USSR.
Watching the pro’s cut through traffic with immense power, and confidence is exciting. Easier said than done, so I pulled together the best advice on improving your drive to the basket.
For instance, if your range of shooting is only limited to around the key, then the defender doesn’t have to worry about you putting up a lot of three’s. But if you can put it in from just about anywhere in the court, then the defender has to worry about a lot of different ground to cover. 
The move is a two-step fake where the first step is a large step to the right or left of the defender to make them believe that’s the direction the attacker is going. Before committing fully to that side, the other foot goes in the opposite direction, to go around the defender.
This actually isn’t the time to use the long step. What happens when you use the long step a little too soon is that you become off-balance. You also lose range of motion and power, making you slower. 
The second issue is that you leave room for the ball to be stolen by the defenders you’ll come across.
So if it’s your left shoulder, that’s the free arm, then you want to point it to the left hip of your opponent. Opposite in terms of how you are facing them and not opposite in terms of left or right. 
But make no mistake because a good team will counter your plan A, B, and C. This forces you to continually come up with something new every time to keep yourself…yup, less predictable. 
Despite it being the shot closest to the hoop, it’s one of the hardest to pull off, given the number of defenders and limited space.
The reason being is that you want to be the one fouled on, but if you are not careful, a bad drive is going to result in a foul. Driving in general is tough, but once mastered, is a deadly threat to your opponents.
The father left the family at an early age, the mother became addicted to hard drugs. How did this atmosphere in the family affect you as a person and did it affect your style of playing basketball? 
Therefore, in order to prolong your career, you need to give all the best in every episode. As a child, I realized that you should not wait for inspiration from anyone. So you can wait a lifetime. You need to look for this drive and inspiration within yourself. I have always said that seeing and feeling myself on the floor is the greatest value that the game has given me. 
Becoming the first Frenchman to become an NBA champion, president of Asvel, or winning a European championship. He always wanted his victories to be regarded as basketball victories, not his personal ones. Indeed, often there is no connection between some countries, and only a collision on a basketball court allows us to understand their attitude towards each other. 
I compensated for this with the work of my legs, keeping up with my opponent on my feet. A lot of people didn't like it, and then they started to complain: "Oh, this Bowen, this is just a dirty game." 
Rather, it is the media that creates such an image in order to label the players. Look at the Spurs, who were always said to be boring. What do you see there? Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are three future NBA Hall of Famers. And then your eyes fall on Bruce Bowen. How to draw attention to him? Our star player played badly against him, why? Because Bruce defended himself against him in a special way, too hard, too dirty. Voila, you have a story to sell. 
Maybe you can name a couple of such basketball players? 
He began to cover me with the last words, saying that I was a dirty player. Isaiah received a technical, but still continued to put pressure on the judges. The last thing I heard from him was: "If we met during the time when I played for the Pistons, rest assured, we would find a way to take care of you." It was strange to hear that. You are not a player, but a coach, so behave accordingly. 
Now I train my children, that's enough for me. I work as an expert on sports television. I am quite satisfied with the current routine and do not regret anything. 
What does it mean to you to be part of this global campaign? 
Then there was a short article on how to play defense against A. Gomelsky. Well, the last, but probably the most important training video was the company's products Better Basketball - Better 1 on 1 Defense . Even after skipping over half of what was said (some because of the language barrier, something because of banal restlessness) and putting even less into practice, I became much better at defending myself. 
So, this stage of defense is incredibly difficult, because you have to give a lot of strength, not to be fooled by movements of the body, head and legs. A good result of such a defense is that the player does not receive the ball throughout the attack. Also a good result if the ball is received, but: in an awkward position (far from the ring; in the corner of the court) or in the last seconds of the attack. Shitty result - the ball is received quickly and conveniently. 
You will know the direction of his movement (he will not step with his supporting foot). 
Good defense - loss on pass, inaccurate pass, throw from an uncomfortable position. 
Clamp into a corner, press to the line. 
Yes, and in order to keep the ball, you have to make more. 
