Defense: A Basic Guide

By: JL

Defending is not just a reactionary task. To play great D, you have to start before you get in the gym. Playing great D starts way before you step in the gym. You must embed footwork, positioning, the proper defensive stance and defensive IQ in your brain so that it is always automatic. Study your opponent before AND during the game so you learn strengths and weaknesses, their tendencies, how they move, what they like and dont like to do. You need to understand your opponents body language, angles, your position on the court. You need to know how your teammates defend; you must understand their tendencies, along with your teams defensive game plan. Becoming a better defender is a never-ending process. I have never met a defender who holds every single player he guards to zero points every time they play.

Posture, Footwork, Stance
The core of everything you do defensively starts with your defensive stance and footwork. A defender needs to be in a stance that allows them to quickly react to the offensive players movement.

Stance and posture
Your feet need to be slightly wider than shoulder width: If the feet are too close together it very difficult to react while keeping your balance. But you also do not want to have your feet so wide that it makes it hard for you to move quick in one direction or the other. A stance with the feet slightly wider than shoulder width is best.

Knees bent, heels slightly off the ground: Bend the knees to get into a squatting position (about 2/3 of a full parallel squat). Your back should be kept straight as possible and you should be off the heels so resting on the midfoot and balls of the feet. Stay balanced and low.

Arms up and out: The arms should be bent at the elbow and beslightly in front of you around chest height OR wide at your sides around waist level. The Arms arent just used as a deterrent to prevent the offesnse from going by youThey are also your feelers; use them to feel for ball screens, keep your balance, and more. When playing against great shooters you want to have your hands up ready to contest a shot. Against a great ball handler who isnt necessarily a good shooter, it is probably better to stay low, keep your arms low, and challenge their dribble moves a little.

About the Author:
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