How to Play Basketball Blog – Sometimes You Gotta Fight Part 2
Everybody gets in a situation in their life where they have to fight. Well on defense you get that chance every time your opponent tries to set a screen on you. You have to fight to get past that screen so your player does not get an open shot. Fighting does not mean that you will be literally running through screens like you are tackling somebody. It is still basketball not football. But you have to be willing to fight for position. The position you are fighting for will depend on who you are guarding and where they are trying to go.
In Sometimes You Gotta Fight Part 1 we looked at how to play ball screens. Now let’s look at the 2nd of the 3 situations: ball screens, off the ball screens and guarding a shooter.
If there is a screen being set on you and your player does not have the ball then you want to shoot the gap. This means that your teammate who is guarding the person setting the screen should give you enough room to get around the screen. Good team defenders who are on the midline (like we talked about here: The Midline) will create space between them and the screener. You can run through that space to either deny the pass or steal the pass. Either way you put yourself in great position to never get screened.
This concept can turn you into a lock down defender. If you watch any great defender you will notice that they make it hard for their player to catch the ball. In How to Play Basketball: A Guide to Getting Better By Playing Pick-up Games I talk about becoming a stopper. How hard is it to score if you never have the ball? I will wait for you to think of a way to score without the ball….Nope it is not happening. All you are really doing is beating your opponent to the spot. I use this concept to get my off the ball steals that lead to fast breaks. This is how you use your head to really make a difference in the game. This is how you turn into a Hooper!
Over the next few days we will get into how to play a shooter. While you wait check out the other 4 areas of defense you can improve by ordering a copy of the book here How to Play Basketball: A Guide to Getting Better By Playing Pick-up Games
You are your only opponent
Coach Wilkins
Coach/Owner of Hoops Education
Former D1 Player/Former AAU Coach/Former HS Coach
Author of How to Play Basketball: A Guide to Getting Better By Playing Pick-up Games
P.S. Make sure you follow us on twitter @HoopsEducation
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