Defense is just as important as offense. Any basketball player who only thinks about scoring points is only half a basketball player. Likewise, any basketball team that only emphasizes offensive plays without being equally committed to playing defense is only half a team. The reasoning behind this is simple: there is no use scoring 20 points in the first five minutes of a basketball game, if your opponent scores 35. To win a basketball game, you must get ahead in scoring and stay forward. You can only do this by consistently emphasizing defense as much as offense. The purpose of this article is to highlight some fundamental principles of basketball defense that every basketball player, regardless of level, should know.
You need to have the “right attitude”.
When you play defense in basketball, you can’t sit back and let the team with the ball do as they please. You have to be very aggressive, fight the offense. At every opportunity, take the initiative away from the offense, break and interrupt your offensive attack. As you know, to score in basketball, you have to have the ball. To get the ball, you have to fight for it. Some ways you can prevent the opposing team from running their offense is to steal the ball, intercept passes, control the backboards, fight through screens, force held balls, and put constant pressure on the offense. Without pressure, the offense will easily run play after play. Under pressure, he’ll make bad passes, commit walking violations, miss easy shots and lose confidence. This forcing of the offense is at the heart of a good defensive game. And that goes for any basketball team or any individual basketball player.
Establish the correct posture in defense.
When on defense, your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed forward, and heels slightly off the ground. The knees should be bent and the trunk bent forward. To move to the side, you must never Cross your legs. At the end of the movement, your feet should be the original width.
If an opposing player fakes a shot, they must Never never leave your feet If you fake an impulse, just take a step back until you’re sure what you’re going to do. If the offensive man, and we still assume he has the ball, is a faster player than you, play him looser than usual. If he’s slower than you, move a little closer. An outside shooter wants to play closer than a player whose best weapon is a driving layup.
study your opponent
When assigned to guard an opposing player, study them carefully. Find out where you are strong, where you are weak. Take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses. Force him out of the strong part of his game. This is not as difficult as it seems. For example, you will find that many players can only dribble or shoot with one hand (right or left).
If you’re playing a guy who does everything right-handed, favor that side with your defensive stance. In other words, if he dribbles with his right hand, force him to go to the left. When you constantly force this player to go to his weak side, you are hindering his game considerably; and as a result, you will probably cause him to lose his composure.
When playing an attacking man who doesn’t have the ball, try to be in position to intercept passes, but don’t be close enough to give him a chance to get behind you.
Protecting the dribbler
As a defensive player, you should try not to slap the dribbler when passing. You should turn and go with the dribbler, step forward and deflect or steal the ball by reaching inside hand under the dribbler’s hands. If this tactic fails, you must wait for the dribbler to shoot or stop before making another defensive move. If the offensive player attempts a jump shot, approach him while keeping both hands on the ball; stop the shot before it starts.
On a layup, reach out with your outside hand and try to block the shot at the top of the offensive player’s jump. Do this without making contact. If he makes contact, the shooter can get the field goal and a free throw. If he doesn’t make contact, he only gets a chance for two points. The other alternative, of course, would be to block the shot.
stop the give and take
A pass and immediate cut to the basket is the oldest maneuver in offensive basketball. Called the “give-and-go,” it sometimes causes problems for a defensive player.
The difficulty usually comes from two faults:
o The point guard turns his head to look at the ball. When he does, the offensive man cuts behind him and easily takes a return pass.
o The guard remains flat-footed while passing the cutter.
In the give and take, you as the defensive man should take a quick step back and keep your eyes glued to the cutter’s stomach. Stepping back will give you a chance to figure out which way the cutter will go: the ball side or the far side. By watching the cutter’s stomach, you can’t fool the guard out of position. Despite the complicated movements of the head, shoulders, and hands, a cutter’s stomach will indicate his direction.
If the cutter goes to the side of the ball, it should turn and go. with the cutter If you can step forward, you will have the opportunity to intercept the pass or receive a held ball.
If the cutter goes the other way, you must turn to that side, stay half a step ahead of the cutter, and look for the pass. He is now inside and can be easily intercepted.
Block after a shot
Defending after the shot is similar to defending against the pass and run. If you’re guarding the shooter, you need to anticipate a drive for the rebound.
As with the tug of war, you should step back and watch the shooter’s diaphragm. As the shooter begins to come in for the rebound, you should turn directly in front of him. Does not physically stop the shooter until approximately 10′ from the basket. Then you stand your ground and wait for the ball to bounce your way. Naturally, if all five defensive men “block” shots from long or midrange, they will have the best chance of rebounding because they will each occupy an inside position.
The block should be attempted whether a man is playing with or without the ball. However, if your man doesn’t drive to the basket, don’t hang out too long. Come in and help. Since he will outnumber the opposing team, he will have a good chance of getting the ball.
Defense after a free kick
There is a positive rule about trying to recover a free kick from the defensive basket. someone must always cover the shooter. If this rule is not followed, the ball may hit the outside edge, bounce back into the shooter’s hands, and present him with an easy field goal attempt. Instead of losing one point, you’ll likely gain two.
So while lining up with your teammates, make sure someone, usually the last man in line, stands directly in front of the shooter as he hits the ball. If the ball bounces back, your team will have it.
When you line up at the foul line at either basket, make sure the man next to you, especially if he’s taller, doesn’t hook his arms over yours. If he does, you’ll never have a chance to get the ball.
And remember, when you’re at the defensive basket, don’t touch the ball on the rebound, catch it. And, don’t cross the lane to start the offense on the court. Go straight forward, or toward the sideline.
Activating the defense
Switching is one way to avoid cross locks. In man-for-man defense, it’s smart to point to the man he’s guarding, since the trade is a possibility. When there is an easy and obvious opportunity to change assignments, players should yell “change” and point to the man who is lifting. Remember, the change can only be effective against side movement. It will not work against direct cuts to the basket.
There is an obvious danger in the switch tactic: if one of the two defensive players involved fails to switch, two men will be guarding the same offensive player, while one offensive man will run free. Don’t yell “change” unless you’re sure your teammate can and willpower make the change with you
Defensive Tips to Take Home
o Never stop pressing the offense. In other words, don’t give up!
o Never tilt the ball when it leaves the defensive basket. Always catch it.
o Never pass the ball in the back lane. take it far from lane First, for a quick pass to a breaking teammate. Second, haggling.
o When playing man-for-man defense, always stay between your opponent and the basket.
o If you think you are being tested, go up to your man and fight back. If you’re being used to rule out a teammate, relax and let your teammate slide in and be alert to the possibility of a trade.
o If your man gets a shot and misses, don’t let him take a second shot.
o When playing two men, remember that the man closest to the basket is the most dangerous.
At all times, “help” the rest of your teammates in defense.
If the man who is guarding has the ball, he should reach up with one hand (fingers spread) to block a potential shot. The other hand should be stretched out to the side. (Usually, the side hand is the hand that is “in” the court. In other words, if he is positioned to the right of the court, his right hand is up, his left hand to the side ).
The position of your head as a defensive player when guarding an opponent is extremely important. You want to see the ball and as many offensive players and the basketball court as possible. To do this, you must make full use of your peripheral vision (sometimes called “split” vision).
How important it is for you to learn the fundamentals of defense as a basketball player cannot be stressed enough. Remember, offense wins games but defense wins championships.