Hoops

Advice: Defending a team that loves to run and gun?

Have a look at the video example below:

http://linky.com.au/nbeh7

To stop the fast break, its important to have 3 key people undertaking 3 crucial roles.

- You must have someone plugging the inbounder. Generally this will be your 5 man as he has the height and length to cause the opposition to throw lob passes that can be intercepted. The plugger must have active hands.

-Long Rebounder. The long rebounder essentially has 2 roles; He must control any 'long rebounds'. In defensive trans. his role is to take the guy who receives the outlet pass, and contain him in the half court, using the sideline to his advantage. He doesn't want to go for the steal (unless he is absoluetly confident he can get it--He must get it), but instead play nose-to-chest containment defence. He has to bit time and slow the 'O' trans down, so that the other 2 men who crashed the boards have time to get back and release for your safety. The Long rebounder is generally your athlete and your best defender/quickest latterally.

-Safety; The safety has a primary role to protect the basket; He is generally your 1/2 guard, because they can use their speed to their advantage when sprinting to intercept lob passes or high-arching passes. Because the safety can see the entire court, he must communicate with his teammates (Mutually, the 2 men who crashed the boards must tell the safety to release when they get back). The safety is crucial--However, the other players must sprint back past the line of the ball, otherwise the Safety will find himself in an isolated 3 against 1 disadvantage.

Those are the basic concepts of transition defence that I teach. The Long rebounder's role is perhaps the most important..If their transition offense is dictated by the speed/play of their Point Guard (which it most often is), then the long rebounder has a crucial role to contain him. The opposition might have their guards running the lanes, their 4 man establishing early post and their 5 man trailing, but if their primary ball-handler is been hounded defensively and he can't advance the ball up court with speed, then their O Trans will break down.

Don't miss shots and have a couple of guys in position to get back!

What age are we talking about here?

There are a couple of stratagies

1) Run faster and harder

2) Stop the ball in the backcourt, it the reason your junior coach had you do all that full court 1 on 1

3) Protect the basket, gat a player back quickly

4) think about a zone defense

If you are a new coach good luck, check with your club's development officer, if you are a player RUN HARDER :-)