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How to guard someone faster than you in basketball
How to guard someone faster than you in basketball
7 Tips For Stopping An Elite Guard
- By Joe Haefner
Home > Coaching > Basketball Defensive Strategy > 7 Tips For Stopping An Elite Guard
Swish! Another jump shot hits nothing but net. A couple of plays later the same player drives the ball down the lane at will and nails a tough shot in the lane.
A couple of plays later, the same thing happens except the same player now throws the perfect pass at the perfect time to a wide open player underneath the
basket for a dunk. And each and every time this happens, it seems like a dagger is being driven into your team's heart. We've all probably played against this
type of guard throughout our career at least once.
Well, I know it drives me crazy when it seems like if all I could do is contain this elite player, it would give me a chance to win.
Because of this, I've given you seven tips that have helped me in the past.![]()
And I hope these tips will help
you for the next time you face that elite guard.
- Play Underneath - If he's a great dribble penetrator, but his outside shot is fairly weak, you may
want to sag off of him and play underneath screens.
- Pressure - If he's a great shooter, but ball-handling is not his expertise, you will want to pressure
him and stay very close, so that he can't receive any easy passes or get any room to get off a shot.
- Sag Off Until 1st Pass - If you run into an elite player who can do everything, he will be much more difficult to stop. One thing you can do is
sag off until the first pass. When the elite player has the ball, you make that first pass
really easy for him and as soon as that first pass is thrown, you deny the pass back to him all the time.
- Deny the Player - You can also deny the player the ball from the start. The player
guarding the inbounder completely denies the star player while the defensive player assigned to the
star player is on the opposite side.
If he were to catch the ball, you could have the player denying
the pass sprint back to the person he was initially guarding. You could also use the player guarding
the inbounder to instantly form a double team to try to force the star player to get rid of the ball. - Double Team - If this player is still destroying you, you could flash a double-team at him whenever he touches the ball. Different tactics
include double team from the person closest to the ball, from the weakest offensive player, and from the offensive player's back are few that you could try.
- Take Charges - If you are also playing great help defense, you can take a couple of charges. This
will make the player think twice before penetrating, and he'll start settling for the tough, outside shots.
- Study Tendencies - As you go up in the levels of basketball, it's important to study the player's tendencies. You should know what
shots they make at a high percentage and what shots they miss at a high percentage.
If the player
is very good at driving right and scoring the ball, shade them to their left. If the player always hits the corner jump shot, make sure to stay close
to them when they're near the corner. If they catch the ball with space, close out hard and force them to put it on the ground.
When Shane Battier guards
Kobe Bryant, he knows he can't stop him, but he tries to force him to take low-percentage shots. By studying game-film and statistics, Battier
knows that if he can force Kobe to take certain type of shots, it increases his team's chances of winning.
Overall, the biggest thing is to make sure that the defender is focused, staying in front of
him, and keeping his feet. For the most part, if you've got a marginally quick defensive player, he
can stay in front of the elite player, cause him to take tough shots, and contain his penetration.
What are your thoughts on this? Please add your comments below.
How to Guard Taller People in Basketball | Live Healthy
By Dan Howard
Matching up with a player who is taller than you has some pros when defending far from the basket, but presents a matchup problem in the low post. You can use your quickness to crowd and take away your opponent's perimeter shot and steal the ball away if they try to dribble at you. Dealing with a taller player close to the basket is a tougher proposition, so do your best to establish proper defending position and play passing lanes to keep your opponent from catching a clean entry pass.
Perimeter Defense
Beat your opponent down the court and be prepared to defend by the time he reaches the three-point line.
Stay as close as possible to a tall, skilled shooter when you guard him near the three-point line. Actively slide your feet from side to side to stay near your opponent and minimize shot opportunities.
Chop your hand downward at the ball to slap it loose as your opponent starts a shooting motion.
Stripping the ball before it reaches shoulder height is more effective than trying to block a taller player's shot.
Raise your hands straight up and position your body as close as possible to your opponent's without fouling them during a shot attempt.
Wave your hand in front of your opponent's face to disrupt his view of the basket as the shot is released. Take care not to hit your opponent in the face.
Lunge forward to slap the ball away if a taller opponent faces you and dribbles. Aim your arm swipe for the airspace a few feet above where the ball hits the court, and time your steal attempt so that you begin reaching at the moment the ball leaves his hand for the floor.
Fronting the Post
To front the post, stand between your opponent and the player with the ball. Only front the post when you have a teammate positioned to help on a pass over your head.
Turn your torso so that it's at a 45-degree angle to your opponent.
Extend your near arm into your opponent's waist and extended your other arm up into the passing lane.
Look over your shoulder at the ballhandler.
Rotate around your opponent to stay between him and the ball as it is passed or dribbled around the perimeter.
Spin back to a normal post defense stance if the ball swings to the other side of the court or if your help defender becomes busy and can't help guard against a pass over the top.
Post Defense
Make contact with your opponent as far from the basket as possible.
Lean a bent forearm into your opponent's lower back to maintain your current position.
Bend your knees and crouch down if your opponent tries to push you out of position. Pushing back at a point below your opponent's center of gravity improves your chances of maintaining defensive position.
Call for a teammate to help if your opponent gets the ball in a good position that you can't defend alone.
Rotate your body toward the basket the moment a shot goes up. Spread your arms out and thrust your bottom into your opponent to box him out.
Push backward with a low center of gravity to move your opponent away from the rebound.
References
- Layups Coaching Blog: Guarding a Taller Player
- The Coach's Clipboard: Basketball Rebounding
Writer Bio
Dan Howard is a sports and fitness aficionado who holds a master's degree in psychology. Howard's postgraduate research on the brain and learning has appeared in several academic books and peer-reviewed psychology journals.
Basketball defense | Educational and methodological material on physical education on the topic:
Defense preparation
Defense preparation begins from the first day of training. Fundamentals of defensive play are of paramount importance in the early stages of a team's training and should be constantly addressed by coaches throughout the season. (When five players play the team's main offensive interactions, the coach should indicate which of them stays behind on safety net. After the throw, the team quickly switches from attack to defense.
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The coach must improve group tackling in personal, zone defense, or zone pressing defense. He is obliged to include in the lessons exercises to improve the technique of defensive actions at the baseline and against a player without the ball. In order for the defense to be aggressive, it is necessary to show the players how to mark the ward from the side of the ball. They also need to explain the principles of free or delayed defense. The coach teaches the players to never let an attacker get on the ball in front, especially a corner player who breaks into the three second zone.
Players need to know how to push their players out of their favorite shooting positions (this is especially important when defending against a fast break).
It is essential for players to understand the importance of team defense.
The greatest burden on a team is a weak or lethargic defender, and the coach always prefers an aggressive defender who plays poorly on offense over a shooter who does not want to play defense.
To emphasize the importance of a good defense, the coach should adhere to the following points:
1. To convince the team of the need for a coordinated, well-played team defense.
2. Break down the defense into its component parts.
3. Improve group defense interactions at each training session and establish rules for each phase of defense.
4. Allocate as much time to defense in a training session as to offense.
5. Spread out defensive exercises during training. Those involved get tired during the game, and this cannot be ignored in training.
6. Fix security bugs immediately.
7. Encourage good defensive play. The stability and reliability of a good team defense can help out with a weak game in attack.
General basics of attack and defense
In basketball, two teams meet on the field trying to defeat each other.
This struggle can be very sharp and requires a lot of mental and physical effort from the players.
The game of any team in basketball consists of offensive actions (attack), the purpose of which is to throw the ball into the opponent's basket, and defensive actions (defense), the purpose of which is to prevent the offensive actions of the enemy.
The offensive and defensive actions of each team must be varied and correspond to the characteristics of the opponent and the conditions in which the game takes place.
In order to play successfully in attack and defense, you need to master the technique of the game and be able to apply it in a timely manner against a specific opponent in a specific situation.
Technique is the foundation of mastery.
You cannot play basketball successfully if a player cannot catch and dribble the ball, pass it to a partner, stop abruptly or change direction in simple or difficult situations. There are many different techniques in basketball.
Passing the ball, for example, can be done with one and two hands, from behind the back and on the court, for short and long distances, etc. Throwing the ball around the basket, dribbling the ball and catching it are just as varied.
All of them are equally important for playing the game and must be carefully studied and mastered during training sessions. You can not give preference to any one technique. The more techniques the players have learned, the higher their technique, the better the team is armed. And the better the team is armed, the easier it is to fight the enemy and achieve victory.
Any, the most successful tactical idea cannot be implemented without a good mastery of the technique of the game. The actions of the entire team, all the efforts spent on taking the ball away from the opponent, may be useless due to inaccurate passes or inept catching of the ball. Every basketball player should strive to perfect his ball handling and movement technique. A technically trained and versatile player is the most dangerous for the opponent.
The coach must ensure that the players use the simplest and most rational techniques. Depending on the situation, more complex techniques can be applied, but it is not necessary to artificially complicate the technique and use a more complex and “beautiful” technique when the situation does not require it.
Simplicity, rationality of the technical methods necessary to achieve the team's result is a characteristic feature of the Soviet school of basketball.
Pretentiousness and artificial complication of technique to show the player's personal capabilities always goes to the detriment of the team's results and is a feature of the players of bourgeois teams.
In addition, the unjustified complication of techniques requires a greater expenditure of the player's strength.
The art of economical use of energy and the desire to simplify various complex techniques as much as possible should be educated in players from the first steps of their training.
It is better to spend more time studying and instilling in the player a sense of the appropriateness of the techniques than to correct ingrained errors later. Striving for ease of application of techniques, players should not avoid difficult positions, they should use techniques and expend no more energy than the situation requires.
The main goal of tactics is victory.
The main tactical task is to determine (select) means (techniques) and methods of playing against a specific opponent. This choice should be made taking into account the conditions of the game. First of all, it is necessary to take into account the qualities of one's own team and the opposing team, as well as weather conditions, lighting, the size of the site, the quality of the soil, the characteristics of the field, etc.
i.e. determine the tactics of the team.
Otherwise, the team will play "blind", its tactics will not be able to ensure success and will benefit the enemy.
It is possible to correctly determine and choose tactics provided that the players and the team as a whole are well aware of the various means and methods of play and the various forms of their application.
Players must learn this through systematic practice.
A detailed study of tactics, testing it in practice also makes it possible to improve old and find new ways of playing the game. Knowledge of various tactical methods of defense and attack, the ability to apply them in practice testify to the tactical maturity of the players and the team.
Tactics training provides basic guidelines for the actions of players and teams under different conditions.
At the same time, tactics cannot contain recipes for all sorts of situations that may occur in the game.
Advanced tactics are incompatible with conservatism and the habit of acting according to a pattern.
Poor knowledge of tactics forces players and the team to use the same methods of fighting against any opponent, and this often leads to defeat. Template tactics become helpless as soon as the game environment changes or becomes more complicated. Standard tactics eliminate the maneuverability of actions, the creative initiative of the players and the team.
The actions of the team players on the field are determined by whether the team is attacking or defending. The team is in the offensive position when it has the ball.
Players of the attacking team, with the help of movements and various techniques, try to overcome the resistance of the defending opponent and bring the ball closer to his backboard at such a distance and in such a position from which it is possible to successfully throw the ball into the basket. The defending team seeks by all means permitted
the rules of basketball, take the ball away from the attacking team or make it difficult for them to get to the backboard and prevent them from shooting the ball into the basket.
The success of the team in defense and attack will be achieved if all five players participate in the struggle.
Therefore, the main condition for a successful game is the active and skillful actions of all team players in defense and attack.
According to the rules of the game, the ball goes to the other team if it takes the ball directly in the game, in case of technical errors of the opponent (jog, double dribble, etc.
) and after the ball hits the basket. Each team during the game many times is in the position of the attacker and defender.
The frequent change of these positions requires all players to be able to quickly change their game from attack to defense and vice versa.
Successful offensive actions produce results directly, while successful defensive actions reinforce them. They complement each other, and the imperfection of one of them negatively affects the overall result of the team. If the attacking team skillfully threw many balls into the opponent's basket and, poorly defending, conceded the same number of balls into their own basket, the result of the whole game is reduced to zero.
All actions of attack and defense are divided by their nature into collective and individual. Individual actions include independent actions of individual players without the help of partners. Collective actions, depending on whether all or several team players participate in them, are divided into team and group actions.
All five players participate in team actions, while only a part of the team players participate in group actions. Command actions are carried out by using attack systems. Group actions - by applying combinations. The success of these systems and combinations depends on the timeliness and correctness of individual actions.
For individual actions, the player can be given various tactical tasks aimed at the full use of the individual characteristics of his technique, tactics, physical characteristics against the weaknesses of the enemy. Such tasks are given before the game, if there is an idea about the enemy, and during the game as a result of information obtained by reconnaissance during the game.
From this we can conclude that the main tasks of the team in the game are as follows:
Collective and individual actions of all team players to overcome the resistance of the enemy and throw the maximum number of balls into his ring.
By collective and individual actions of all team players, eliminate the actions of the attacking team and let the balls into your basket as little as possible.
Personal protection
Individual requirements. The effectiveness of a team's defensive plans is determined by the individual abilities of each player. These include speed, quickness and alertness of mind, aggressiveness, desire, pride, foresight and adaptability.
Speed and quickness. High running speed allows the defender to move from one position to another faster than other players. This allows him to correct errors in defense and take a new defensive position, eliminating dangerous situations. The speed, mainly of the legs, arms and hands, allows the defender to keep the attacker on his toes and neutralize his superiority in speed. Since defensive action usually starts 5-6m from the basket being defended, quick reaction may be more valuable than speed, but either way, both are the foundation of a good defense.
Vitality and aggressiveness. A player who reacts instantly when switching from attack to defense will always be ready to cover the free player of the enemy, prevent an unexpected maneuver of the attackers and disrupt the attack.
Alertness of mind, combined with aggressiveness, i.e. the ability to attack defensively and feint, can force the attacker to think more about defending the ball he has.
Desire and pride. No matter how technical a defender is, he will not be able to defend well without desire and pride, as defense requires hard work and determination that are rarely supported by approval and praise. Assertiveness comes from desire, which includes the determination to play your best defense, full focus on the attached opposing player, and work tirelessly. Overcoming fatigue with extra effort leads to success.
Pride is the feeling of satisfaction that you have done your best part of the work, despite the fact that it is not very noticeable.
Foresight and adaptability. Foresight is the ability to predict the actions of attackers, which allows you to decide whether to go for the interception of the transfer, whether to exchange wards, etc. The ability to act in accordance with a changed situation characterizes adaptability.
These abilities are based not so much on instinct, but on a careful study of the individual and team features of the opponent's game from the very beginning of the meeting.
Protective stance and balance. There are two defensive stances when holding the ball carrier. The first stance is with the leg extended forward, or a ledge (boxing), the other is parallel (wrestling stance).
Stance with forward leg. In this stance, the legs are located approximately shoulder-width apart, one of them is set forward. Players with a strong right hand seem to be more comfortable with the left foot forward stance, left-handers prefer to put their right foot forward. The distance between the feet varies slightly among different players. Tall players are more comfortable standing in a wider stance. But a very narrow or excessively wide stance is dangerous for a defender. The more placed the feet, the more difficult it is for the player to maintain balance. The wider the stance, the more difficult it is to start the first movement.
Body weight should be evenly distributed on the balls of the feet, not on the toes. With a stable position, the center of gravity shifts back, not forward. The legs are slightly bent at the knees, the pelvis is lowered to lower the center of gravity of the body, the torso is slightly tilted forward, the head is raised up. Head, shoulders and back form a straight line. Any movement of the head or shoulders will throw the defender off balance and give the attacker an advantage.
Arms and hands should be kept in a comfortable position and their movements should help in maintaining balance. The arm above the front leg should be raised and it should be swung from side to side. The other hand should be set aside. The movements of the arms and hands are a deterrent defensive tool, as they unbalance the opponent and impede his movement.
Players perform a different number of movements in defense. Many of them expend a lot of energy, but every defensive move must be executed deliberately.
Parallel stand. In a wide, or parallel, stance, the feet are parallel and spaced, as a rule, wider than the shoulders, the weight is evenly distributed on both legs, the legs are bent at the knees, the pelvis is lowered, the torso is more tense than in the stance with the leg extended forward, and the arms and the brushes are down. This stance is usually used to actively attack a player who has finished the dribble. In addition, it is taken by defenders attacking a dribbler who is moving towards the basket and a player making a pass from the side farthest from the ball.
Use of sight, hearing and voice. Three important additions to the fundamentals of defensive play are vision, hearing, and voice. The player must see everything around him, both directly and on the periphery.
Do not focus only on the player when he is not in possession of the ball, unless the coach gives a special task. Usually, when guarding an attacker without the ball, the defender sees where the ball is and monitors the possible setting of side screens.
The defender guarding the ball carrier must be alert at all times to voice warnings from teammates. When playing defense, the voice is constantly used to warn partners about screening, to signal to switch, to encourage, and finally, to unnerve the enemy and raise team spirit.
Footwork and defensive movement. The four types of footwork form the basis of good personal defense. The first is running backwards; the second is moving with side steps, or a boxing step; the third is running and stopping at full speed and the fourth is turning around to regain a defensive position.
In defense, one must be able to move backwards as easily and freely as in normal running. Running backwards is unnatural and therefore requires constant training and good balance. In this case, the weight of the body is slightly shifted in the direction opposite to the movement. If you shift your body weight back, the defender will fall on his back. 9; board. The other leg is quickly attached to a distance of 15 -! 20 cm from the first.
The player repeats fast, sliding steps, maintaining balance and position in relation to the ball carrier and forcing the latter to move towards the touchline or in the direction of a teammate. In this case, the legs should never cross.
When guarding a dribbler who is moving towards the basket, the defensive player starts stepping on the foot closest to the passing direction, pushing the dribbler towards the endline or in the direction of his partner. In this case, if the attacker managed to get around the defender, the latter takes a cross step and runs at full speed to restore the defensive position.
While running at full speed, the player must stop with the pivot foot firmly planted and strongly bend the legs to lower the center of gravity, regain balance and immediately assume the main defensive stance.
A good defender is usually prepared mentally and physically for quick starts and constant changes of direction. The starting movement begins with a short step with the nearest foot in the desired direction and a push with the far foot.
Simultaneously, the arm and shoulder swing in that direction. The change in direction of movement begins with a stop in the equilibrium position, without loss of time, and a repeated starting procedure.
Circling to restore defensive position is used when an attacker dribbles past a defender. The defender must make a 360° turn. To do this, he pushes off with the foot closest to the attacker, turns on his back foot 180° outward from the dribbler, pushes off with his other foot, and completes a full turn, regaining a defensive position.
Team defense
The main purpose of the team defense is to limit basket attack opportunities, prevent fast break situations and counter positional attack interactions. The coach decides on one of the types of defense based on several factors, the most important of which is an assessment of the individual abilities of the players.
The correct defense will be the one that best limits the offensive capabilities of the attackers.-Step-5.jpg/aid43486-v4-728px-Play-21-(Basketball)-Step-5.jpg)
A good team defense combines the strengths of both personal and zone defense. For personal defense, the main reference point is first of all the player, and then the ball. But teams that use mostly personal defense do not exclude the advantages of zone defense. We mean loosely holding players without the ball, as well as pulling the defenders on the far side of the court from the ball under the basket to prevent the attackers from entering this area and grouping the defenders under the basket and in the middle. On the other hand, zone defenders who focus on the ball and then the opposing player must be prepared to apply the principles of personal defense against the ball carrier. The zone today not only covers the free throw area. Players use the principles of personal defense, attacking the attacker with the ball and preventing passes to the post player's position.
Basic defensive tasks
A team's offensive actions can only be successful if they are backed up by skillful defensive actions.
A strong and durable defense reinforces the result achieved by the team and, conversely, if the defense is poor, the team easily loses the superiority achieved.
Indicative, from this point of view, was the performance of the Egyptian men's team at the 1953 European Basketball Championship. her final result: she placed eighth.
The value of protection cannot be overestimated. A solid defense not only consolidates the success achieved by the team, but also leaves its mark on the nature of the actions in the attack.
A team that is confident in its defense plays more boldly in attack, is not afraid to aggravate the game, and more confidently makes shots to the basket not only from close, but also from medium and long distances.
The game is completely different if the team has poor defense.
Such a team usually loses its offensive activity. The actions of the team become overly cautious, there is a fear of losing the ball, the decisiveness disappears when throwing into the basket.
This forces the players to patiently wait for the opponent's mistakes, passing the ball to each other endlessly without risking a shot to the basket from medium or long distance.
Some teams go to the other extreme: they easily exchange shots and try to get more balls into the basket than the opponent can do. The game of such teams is always characterized by a very large score.
From what has been said, it can be seen that the content of the game in defense and attack are mutually related, and the imperfection of one of these actions negatively affects the growth of the team's sportsmanship, and the further development of the game. Skillful defense forces the team to improve and look for new forms of attack, and, in turn, a technically and tactically strong offense encourages the search for more advanced forms of defense.
Observations made at the major All-Union competitions of 1953-1954 give reason to conclude that the skill of the players in attack has increased immeasurably higher than in defense.
In the USSR championship in 1954, the men's team "Dinamo" (Tbilisi), which won first place, scored an average of 60 points in the opponent's basket and at the same time missed an average of 46 points in their own basket.
The meeting of the teams CDSA (Moscow) - "Nauka" (Kyiv) ended with a score of 95: 75. The teams CDSA (Moscow) and "Zalgiris" (Kaunas), who took 19th in the championship54, the second and third places, scored on average 71 and 72 points into the opponent's basket, respectively, and at the same time missed CDSA - 60 and Zalgiris - 61 points into their basket.
The following fact can also serve as confirmation: the men's teams participating in the 1953 USSR championship made an average of 43 personal errors per game in defense. In the meeting of the men's teams CDSA - "Zalgiris" both teams hit each other with a total of 100 free throws.
The main tasks of protection are as follows:
1) Protect your basket from being thrown.
2) "Keep" the opponent, i.
e. prevent him from performing any game actions - catch, pass, dribble, go to an empty place, etc.
3) - Fight for possession of the ball.
Players can perform fully on defense only if the team is able to perform all these tasks equally.
A team that builds its defense solely on the protection of its basket acts passively and is doomed, as a rule, to defeat. On the contrary, a team that can fully combine the protection of its basket with a tight hold on the opponent and an active fight for the ball is active and usually seizes the initiative in the game and achieves victory.
During a competition, however, there may be cases when, depending on the specific game situation, it is advisable to focus on solving one of the above tasks.
Here is an example. The team loses 2-3 points. There is less than one minute left in the game. The ball is with the opponent. In such an environment, it is advisable to focus on the struggle for possession of the ball.
Another example.
The opponent has seized the initiative and scores one goal after another. The team in this case needs to focus on defending their basket and thereby restrain the offensive impulse of the enemy.
Defense must first of all be resistant. To play defense, you need high moral and strong-willed qualities of the players. A mistake made by a player in defense is fraught with more serious consequences than a mistake in attack. If a player commits a blunder in attack (with the exception of a personal error), then as a result the team will only lose the ball. A gross mistake in defense entails a throw into the basket and changes the score of the game in favor of the opponent.
The game of defense requires above all that the players act independently. If in attack the most important thing is the ability of a player to interact with partners, then the main thing for defense is the ability of each player to independently and fully cope with defensive functions without requiring the help of a partner.
Victory in the fight against the enemy, other things being equal, is won by the one who has more will to win. Teams whose players do not have high-willed qualities play unevenly in defense.
In cases where the team has the initiative in the game, it plays better in defense, but as soon as it loses the initiative and lets a few goals into its basket, the players in defense are lost, the team loses confidence in its abilities even in these minutes she can concede more balls into her basket than in the entire game.
Players must be instilled with a sense of responsibility for defensive play. The loss of a sense of responsibility in at least one player breaks the strength of the defense and gives an advantage to the attacking side.
It is also extremely important that the player reacts correctly to the opponent's temporary success, to his own failure.
A player who has made this or that mistake must consciously relate to failure, be aware of the causes of the mistake, mobilize in order to eliminate the mistake and prevent it again.
The defender must not lose his temper and show vehemence. A player who loses his temper or shows excessive vehemence cannot be a full-fledged defender and usually makes blunders.
In order to timely mobilize the efforts of the team to play defensively and bring calmness and confidence to it, players need to support each other during temporary setbacks. It is also necessary that the captain and coach lead the team correctly.
Protection must be flexible and maneuverable; it does not tolerate a standard and a pattern. Actions in defense should be built depending on the characteristics of the opponent's game. Defensive failures are often due to incorrect placement of players, or an erroneous preliminary defensive plan, or a change in the nature of the attacking team. Each team needs to be able to detect these errors in a timely manner and quickly rebuild the game in defense. The higher and more diverse the individual training of the players, the better the team masters various defense systems and their options, the higher its maneuverability and flexibility of defensive actions.
It is equally important that the protection is active.
The team, while defending, must also take care of the attack. The team must not only defend, but also strive to actively fight for the ball.
An active defense, constantly threatening to turn into an attack, must be characteristic of each team.
It is appropriate here to recall the words of the great Russian commander Suvorov: "retreating strike, but do not fight back."
Active defensive play helps the team to seize the initiative. In order to confidently seize the initiative, it is very important to force the opponent to change his usual manner of playing and impose on him the most unfavorable form of play for him.
It is very important to move from attack to defense in a timely manner.
The attacking team must not forget about the defense, it must always be ready for a sudden loss of the ball. The timely transition from attack to defense depends primarily on the players' sense of responsibility for playing defense.
In addition, the players must be able to quickly switch from attack to defense, as well as correctly insure each other in case the ball is lost.
The team must always strive to outnumber the enemy in defense and return to the defense as quickly as it does when moving into the attack.
Defending against fast breaks
Defending against teams successfully using fast breaks must be organized well in advance, i.e. while the team is still attacking.
For this purpose, players in the frontcourt must move in such a way that two or three players are in the center line in case the ball is lost.
Indicative in this respect was the game at the 1953 European Championship for men's teams between the USSR and Israel. The Israeli team, trying to fight against the rapid breakthrough successfully carried out by the USSR team, was forced to build its attack in such a way as to leave three or four people in the back row of the forward zone for safety net. In addition, at the time of the shot on the basket, the players did not fight for the ball that bounced off the backboard, but immediately retreated to their backcourt.
The same technique was also used when performing a free throw, when the players of the Israeli team did not even try to take a place near the free throw area, but retreated to their backcourt.
Such actions of the Israeli team cannot be considered correct. The fight against a fast break should go in two directions: the part of the players closer to the middle line must immediately retreat to their backcourt when the ball is lost to fight the first attacking players of the opponent, while the second part of the players located closer to the backboard enters the fight for the ball after it bounces off the backboard. If the fight at the shield was won by the opponent, then the player with the ball should not be left alone, but you should immediately close it and prevent him from making the first pass. The struggle against the first transfer is carried out in parallel by another player. Teams that use a fast break usually have a predetermined position for the player who receives the first pass.
Therefore, the second defender needs to quickly cover this player as well. To more successfully complete this task, the team must scout and determine the player's place to receive the first pass.
Delaying the first transmission deprives the enemy team of the main weapon - speed, and this gives the defending team the necessary time to organize a defense.
Summarizing all of the above, we can formulate the following three main methods of fighting against a fast break: a) strengthening the safety net for a timely fight against the attacking players of the enemy; b) battling for the ball bouncing off the backboard, and c) battling against the first pass.
Technique and tactics of defense
The success of the game in defense depends on the skill of the defensive actions of all team players.
A team can achieve high defensive skills only if it pays serious attention to the individual preparation of the players.
Actions in defense are extremely complex, multifaceted and require persistent, persistent and painstaking work.
Defensive actions require players to have a tactically fine understanding of the game and possess excellent technical skills, high physical qualities, quickness, endurance, strength and agility, quick motor reaction, well-trained attention, and also be persistent and cool-headed.
In the available literature, when describing the technique of the game, in most cases they are limited only to the analysis of the attack technique, while very little attention is paid to defense.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why coaches pay very little attention and time in the training work on the special technical preparation of players for actions in defense.
In this book an attempt has been made to reveal more fully the technique and tactics of defense.
Each player must master the following basic defensive techniques:
a) - defensive stance,
b) - movement, the so-called "boxing step", stops, turns,
c) - methods of fighting for possession of the ball (interception, knocking out, pulling out, taking the ball after rebounding from the backboard).
Technical training must be combined with the tactical training of the player, which includes: a) choosing a place, b) orienting and observing the player and the environment, c) reconnaissance of the enemy, d) fighting with screens, e) fighting with a numerically superior enemy .
Let's take a closer look at the main technical and tactical methods of playing defense.
Assembled the puzzle of the perfect basketball player in 2020: reliable long-range shot, universal defense and friendship with the stars - openers - Blogs
Brains are also needed.
Basketball is constantly changing. There are new coaching ideas, players with a range of skills never seen before, and the very idea of how basketball should be played is changing.
Naturally, each such "update" comes with its own set of requirements for the players. Each new turn in the development of the NBA brings with it a list of preferences. What used to be considered mandatory becomes not very important (for example, the dimensions in the protection on the "four").
And what historically managed to do without, today turns into a mandatory requirement (for example, a long-range shot for most of the same "fourths").
Accordingly, the demand for players is also changing: you can seriously improve your chances of success if you just be born and come to the NBA at the right time, when your data is most in demand.
So, tweeners, who used to be rejected because of their unformattedness, today would have more chances to gain a foothold in the league. Lou Williams actually got his second career start when the league decided that a clear distinction between first and second numbers was unnecessary .
With the centers, the situation is reversed: once it was believed that without a cool "fifth" one could not be a serious team, but now no one is sure that a team can be built around the center that really claims the title. As a result, many teams have such a formally starting “fifth” at the base, who gets a penny, knows little, but does not fail, because the opponent has a center of the same format at the base.
The game just went in that direction.
Of course, there are some eternal values. Athleticism, anthropometry, game intelligence, leadership qualities - these things have always been valued, and it's hard to say for which era of basketball they are more important. Today's players are more athletic than their predecessors, but that doesn't mean that athleticism is more important today than it was in another era.
Some things have always been important, and listing them all is boring. There is no point in listing the full list of basketball skills or assembling a basketball monster by stacking Chris Paul's brains, Steph Curry's throw, Giannis Antetokounmpo's athleticism, Kawhi Leonard's claws, and Kyle Lauri's ass.
What is interesting is what characteristics make basketball players the most successful in the current NBA? What qualities are more important today than ever?
What Makes an Ideal 2020 Basketball Player?
Reliable long-range shooting
Some people like it, some people find it annoying, but three-pointers are the basis of the current era in basketball.
Teams continue to increase the number of shooters on the court, the share of long-range shots does not stop growing, and three-point records are broken so often that everyone has already stopped paying attention to it. Some Trae Young throws more three-pointers in January than the entire NBA from 82 to 89th, but we resigned ourselves. We just decided it wasn't fair to the past to compare current long-range shots to what it was before the three-point revolution. Too much has changed too drastically.
Until a few years ago, it was considered normal to open up for a shot at a long middle distance (power forwards especially often did this). A few years ago, it was considered normal to release a squad on the floor, where three people do not pose any threat from behind the arc.
Things are different now. Teams have realized how powerful a three-point shot can be. It is effective on its own, and it allows you to create space for even more efficient passes to the ring.
Each non-thrower is now a space attack on offense, undermining the full power of the attack. And now, most teams are trying to release combinations on the floor, where 4 people have a long-range shot, and the role of the non-thrower is usually given to the center, setting up screens and scoring from under the basket (this is partly why the centers have depreciated somewhat, this is a simple set of skills).
But if you already have a player without a shot in your roster and it's not a center, then problems arise. Either you have to give up the center, like the Houstons did, or look for a fifth with a three, like the Bucks did, or play with a lack of space in the attack, hoping to pick something up with brute force, like the Philadelphia ". In general, the lack of a shot now is a bigger problem than ever.
On the other hand, the presence of an advanced shooter on the contrary opens up more opportunities. Steph Curry with his long dribble threes is able to pull two opponents a few meters from the arc This creates not only a numerical advantage for his partners, but also increases the territory in which this numerical advantage will be played out.
All this allows you to compensate for the lack of throwing potential of partners.
Therefore, despite the fact that Igudala and Green often refused to take even open threes (which the opponent readily gave them), they both went out to close matches as part of the super-successful Death Line. And at the start, the Warriors usually had some kind of budget center without a throw and the same Draymond, but again there was no lack of space, although the number of shooters from the “warriors” was not enough.
And this magic also works by revising the significance of a long-range throw. Everyone knows that a three dribbling two meters from the arc is an effective shot when Curry throws it. It's not trickery, it's his basketball, and if you give Steph those throws, he'll take them over and over and he'll finish you off with them.
So the profit from cool shooters and the damage from non-throwing players is stronger than ever today.
Integration into pick-and-roll basketball
The idea of how to initiate an offense has changed many times in the NBA.
There were eras of dominant centers when the attack went through the post. There was a "triangle" and variations on the theme of the active movement of the ball and players. Today's attack is a high screen on the ball. In the space created by shooters, pick-and-roll has become the basis of the attack.
The number of people who are able and not afraid to throw three from the dribble has grown. Therefore, pick-and-rolls are often played not just on the arc, but 1-2 meters from it, pulling the defense up. And an increase in the number of throwing players around stretches the defense along the edges, preventing painless hedging.
Of course, there are exceptions. Someone is still attacking through the post or trying to move without the ball, and it's not just the teams that don't have a decent point guard who do this. The same Warriors were actively moving without the ball and often loaded Draymond on the middle so that he would find an open one. But when the big moments of key matches come, they just pick-and-roll the opponent to death with a Curry-Green two.
And during the quarantine there were many different memory projects where they told how Stockton and Malone tore the league with their pick-and-rolls back then in the middle. Or how Nash, Amare and D'Antoni took those ball screenings to the next level with pre-eminent spacing, Stoudemire's wild athleticism and the Canadian point guard's incredible passing culture. But right now, high pick-and-roll has become as effective and popular as possible. And, of course, the ideal modern basketball player should be able to drive pick-and-roll.
Basically, the skill doesn't seem tricky. For the big ones, it basically comes down to screening, running fast, and trying not to drop the ball. But sometimes the opponent can force you to give the next pass, you need to be ready for this. And now not everyone can do it, for example, Capela could not cope with such tasks. However, a skill once honed to perfection by Draymond has been copied by many. These rollman discounts were performed by Nurkic, and Davis, and Sabonis, and many others, including those who are immensely far from allstar status.
The main burden falls on the person with the ball: you need to fit the opponent into the screen and be able to throw, otherwise no one will come out on your pick-and-roll. And then you need to quickly respond to the actions of the defense, understand what exactly they are giving you and make a decision. The set is quite formulaic - a throw, a pass, a discount for a rollman or a discount for a corner, everything that is so easy to click, for example, Doncic or Harden.
But everything happens quickly. The corners are not always convenient: if you can’t pass from the right hand to the left corner, then they will drive you under this. And the ballhandler is often surrounded by taller opponents, behind whom you can’t see a damn thing.
This is such a blitz: the tasks seem not too difficult, but you answer at speed, and someone else is screaming next to you. And that's something to work with in today's NBA, as the ability to be a pick-and-roll operator has become a key skill.
Universalism in defense
A logical consequence of the growth of shooting potential and more frequent pick-and-rolls was the demand for universalism. The fact is that it is not always possible to play a safety net in an increased space, especially against good teams. The distance between the players becomes too large, the ball moves much faster than the players, and it is no longer possible to rotate. At the same time, the opponent puts barriers on the ball again and again, freeing the ballhandler from his guardian. In such a situation, the defense has only one option - to exchange.
Historically, trading was considered a weakness in basketball, like you're too lazy to climb over the barrier and work on your feet, so you trade. But now this is often the only way not to give the opponent an open throw. As a result, in the later stages of the playoffs (or just in every Rockets game), matchups are very arbitrary. Opponents force exchanges and simply attack through whoever they want.
And this is the problem: after the exchange, the opponent gets a profitable match-up. Someone small defends against the center, or someone slow defends against the guard, but rather both at once. It is already difficult to defend one-on-one in this situation. Therefore, it is very cool if you have a center that can switch to the first numbers, or your defender can trade for someone big.
Now the ability to practice defense against players of different sizes is more in demand than ever.
Draymond Green was called the best defensive player in the NBA, not for his brains and insurance, but for the fact that he switched between all 5 rivals in one possession, and no one could do a damn thing with him. Capela won his contract not for screening Harden, but for his ability to switch to a ball handler in every possession.
Not being a weak point is the key skill in defense today. Be the one whom none of the rivals can trample one on one.
And, given that today's centers rarely attack on their own, and today's powerful forwards are not very powerful, then the spread in size of potential rivals is not so breathtaking.
As a result, a decent shot and the ability to defend in 2-2.5 positions is already enough to firmly sit down in the NBA with a good salary.
Desire to run into an early attack
Early attack is damn effective. Dallas has the best offensive rating this season with just under 116 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. At the same time, in the early attack, the best teams in the NBA are gaining 119 points per 100 possessions. And the best attack is right there - in fast attacks, when the team is on the move, and the defense has not yet built up. It's a sea of open throws, fouls and dunks.
And so it has always been. But, firstly, now people in the NBA have learned to count and see a real statistical difference in efficiency between static and transition.
Until recently, few people recorded these things. Secondly, running around was considered bad form for a long time: according to legend, you can’t defend yourself with it, and therefore you can’t win. But this season, the Milwaukee Bucks are first in the NBA in terms of pace (and second in early offense), and they also have the best defense in the NBA. Because running on the attack at the first opportunity does not mean spitting on defense (surprise).
And thirdly, running is now easier. Because it's easier to win defensive rebounds and break through. The fact is that teams in recent years have simply stopped fighting for offensive rebounds. Previously, the percentage of rebounds in defense was at the level of 66-68%, but at the junction of zero and tenths it rose to 73%, and now it has reached 77%.
It can be said that the attacking teams just do not fight for offensive rebounds in order to have more chances to return to the defense and not miss a highly effective counterattack.
But everything is not so clear. For if no one goes to rebound in the attack, then the defending team may not send people to the shield, but send them into the breakthrough right at the moment of the throw, which simplifies the early attack. In general, the earlier you run to the defense, the earlier the opponent can run to the attack.
Now, if a defensive player approaches a shooter at the top of the arc and jumps in an attempt to catch a shot, then that defender just keeps running forward. He knows that the partners will most likely take the selection, and there will be a great opportunity to be the first at someone else's ring.
AD with the touchdown pass for LeBron dunk!
Lakers up on the Knicks#LakeShow #washedking pic.twitter.com/2gCzekCI7n
— LakeShow Highlights (@LA_HighLights24) January 23, 2020
Every opportunity to make a quick attack is used. Therefore, now the guys who create these chances are very relevant.
Giannis and Siakam are running faster than any opponent capable of defending against them. Westbrook carries the ball from ring to ring. Curry and Simmons are great with the ball and space in the early game. Jokic and Love throw touchdown passes across the court. LeBron is a complex threat in tragedy, he is so good here that he excelled not only in early offense, but also in defense against such attacks. These people add to their value by creating early offensive opportunities.
Of course, the NBA is still not 2K, where fast attacks are half of the team's points. But the share of transition in the game is constantly growing. Three years ago, it did not exceed 19% for the most running teams, and today, early offense makes up almost 22% of all Toronto attacks. The leaders in this regard may not make much progress in the near future, but the lower classes should catch up, so the transition in the NBA will only be greater and the demand for overclockers will not go anywhere.
Ability to make friends with other superstars
Okay, it's not exactly a basketball skill, but it's important. And he's definitely more important than ever.
In recent years, players have changed teams quite often in search of a better life, and viewers are constantly watching the free agent market and eagerly waiting to see which star will require the next trade.
The result of this movement of talent was the formation of several tandems. And while super teams like the Warriors and the Heat may never be seen again, there are plenty of clubs with star duos in the NBA now.
In this regard, lone stars are in a losing position. Who will drag the game if you have a bad evening? Who will keep the team afloat when you're on the bench? Jokic ran 65 minutes in last year's playoff game simply because Denver couldn't do anything without him. Did you see Jokic before quarantine? For him, 65 is one minute for every kilogram of excess weight.
But there was no way out, there was no one else to rely on.
Therefore, the formation of a star duo is already becoming the norm. Miami is signing Butler, and we're wondering who the Heat will take on as their second star. Toronto's Siakam is progressing wildly, and we're starting to count how much free money they'll have in the Summer of Giannis. Would we be discussing The Summer of Giannis itself if its second star was someone brighter than Middleton?
Free agents ready to leave candidate teams, players demand trade 3 years before the end of the contract. Almost anyone is available. At the same time, personal connections are often more important than team management, and some gentlemen simply decide to move together to some club, not much interested in the opinion of this very club. And in such a situation, the willingness and ability to form alliances and negotiate becomes a very important skill for players. Negotiating the transition of the second star, finding a couple of role players who are ready to play brotherly in your team, today all this is possible with the right connections.
