Lawrence Frank Defensive Concepts

Your every day habits will determine your execution."
To play on a good defensive team you must:
a. be a good individual defender.
b. be a good team defender.
c. be both a & b.
** If neither, you won't play! **
Defensive non-negotiables:
1. Sprinting back on defense.
2. Protecting our paint.
3. Closing out hard and contesting the shot.
4. Playing aggressively without unnecessary fouls.
5. All five players blocking out and rebounding.
** No Layups
** No Freethrows
** No corner 3's
If the ball gets into the paint, what are the consequences for the offense?
1. Charge
2. Steal
3. Deflection
4. Blocked shot
5. Hard "NBA" foul
** Never mention anything about scoring!
Transition Defense:
1 back = Dunk
2 back = Layup
3 back = Jumper
4 back = Got a chance
5 back = GAME ON!
- Win the first 3 steps!
- Stop the ball above the 3-point line
- Get the ball out of the middle 1/3
- Think "help"
- Open shots beat you in transition, but mismatches rarely will.] accept who
they are. You job is to make them better than they were."

Sean Miller on Defensive Checks

5 stats that Miller feels are good indicators of the defense
1. Opponent Field Goal Percentage
2. Opponent 3 Point Field Goal Percentage (just as important: how many have they
taken? Are they attempting a lot because we’re not pressuring the ball enough?)
3. Fouls (fouling negates a lot of good things we do defensively)
4. Turnovers (we don’t want them to be able to pass, pass, pass. We will create some
turnovers, but that is not the objective of the defense.
5. Defensive Rebounding Percentage (be weary of the Total Rebounds stat—can be very
misleading. What percentage of missed shots are they rebounding?)

Defensive Thoughts--Thad Matta

11 Defensive Musts

1. Transition D 
2. Guarding the ball
3. Awareness
4. defending screens away from the ball
5. defending Screen the screener actions
6. Defending on ball screens
7. defending the post up
8. rebounding & Boxing out
9. Defending shooters w/ Great Range
10. Defending O.B. Actions
11. Defending Late Game 3's

Tips:

• Play the hands on a great shooter.  Break the plain between the ball and the shooting pocket.
• Get your hands in the passing lanes of a passer
• Use mixed pressure vs a driver.  Jab & Retreat
• Always "Squeak the feet" on a close out.
• Don't get screened.  Use an "armbar" and trail in the offenses pocket
• Always front the post.

8 Must Haves of Defense- Kevin Eastman

From Kevin Eastmans newsletter.

1. Communication:...Intimidates opponent.
...Gives defense a head start.
...Gives man on ball more confidence.
...Wakes up a disengaged defender.
...Catches a mistake before it happens.
...Energizes team.

2. Trust:Teams that don’t trust, foul more. Teams that foul more, lose more!

3. Position:...Where are you supposed to be in relation to the ball.

4. Awareness:
...Ability to sniff things out.
...Gain awareness by repetition in practice or experience.

5. Alertness:
...Need to be ready the instant we need you.

6. Multiple weapons.
7. Rotation and scramble:
...Rotations are rehearsed and practiced everyday.
...Scrambles are not.

8. Resolve:
...Watch San Antonio Spurs (when they get scored on, they don’t let it affect their egos).