1) Give the offense ONE BAD shot- Think of those possessions where the offensive team gets 3 consecutive offensive rebounds and finally scores a basket. Statistics prove that the more opportunities a team gets to make a basket the higher their chances are of actually making that basket. If the defense can limit their opponents to one shot per possession think of how much that squashes an offense's opportunity. Now, consider what your opponent's chances would be like if you limit their offense to one bad shot a possession. There are a couple of easy focus points that can help your team to force one bad shot per possession: (a) make sure that every shot is an outside shot taken over a defender's hand, and (b) box out. Emphasize defensive rebounding by making defensive rebounds one of the most important stats you keep.
2) Get the Offense Out of Their Routine- At a typical practice a team fleshes out their offense completely. They explore every option and even show counter options in case the defense has an alternative reaction. Have your defense use this consistency to your advantage. Make your opponent's offense rely on options they are uncomfortable with. Simply: Don't allow the offense to do what they do in practice every day. Forcing teams to run other options and rely on other players can cause their entire set to collapse. Frustration on the offensive end can lead to a lot of frustration elsewhere. Taking a team out of their routine doesn't always mean you have to scout the life out of your opponent. Instead prepare your team for the possibilities by considering the next point...
3) Control the Tempo- When a team's offensive game feels out of control coaches usually instruct their guards to "control the tempo" or "slow down the game" or even "play our game, don't rush". If your defense can force your opponent to play at a faster speed than they are used to, you can probably win the game easily. Turnovers will be created by the offense trying to keep with the pace, shot selection will be poor, and teams will get frustrated. Simple things, like adding pressure to the guards or clogging the middle when the post players get the ball, can really mess with a team's approach to your defense. Controlling the speed and pace of the game is one of the best ways to rattle an offense.
Consider the positive things that will come out of training your team's defense with these ideas in mind. Your own offense will get comfortable playing uncomfortably. They will learn how to adjust to a different pace and play under pressure. Also, your players will be forced to learn what a quality shot looks like, feels like, and how it can be prevented. This will hopefully transcend into how productive your own offense is. Finally, your players will hopefully learn the value of the ball and not just in terms of turnovers. Rebounding is something that this type of defensive strategy encourages, on both ends of the floor. Just a little food for thought.
be good
thirteen.
