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 Defensive Play |
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DEFENSIVE PLAY
AN OVERVIEW
Knowing the Importance of Defence
Offence wins games; defence wins championships. A team can often be successful on offence with one or two 'star' players. Success on defence, however, requires a team effort; every player on the court needs to play hard and smart.
The Benefits of Effective Defence
An effective defence will deny high-percentage shots; open shots, shots close to basket, and shots which opponents prefer taking.
It also usually increases the number ball possessions which, in turn, provide more scoring opportunities. When an opposing player commits a rule violation, such as travelling, or throws a pass out of bounds, the team on defence gets possession of the ball. Live-ball transition from defensive rebounds, loose balls, and intercepted passes not only increases the number of possessions, but also provides an excellent spring board for easy fast-break baskets.
Finally, it is not unusual for a very good shooting team or a player suddenly to go cold during a game, occasionally for an entire game. Consistent effective defence can carry a team through those times when its offence is struggling.
Qualities Needed to Play Effective Defence
Players need to play defence with heart and intelligence. From the moment they lose possession of the ball to the moment they regain it, they must be tenacious, aggressive, and persistent in their efforts to interfere with the play of their opponents.
However, their tenacity, aggression, and persistence must be disciplined; they must use their powers of perception and intellect to direct and control this high level of emotional intensity. The rheostat that releases, directs, and controls the intensity levels is the knowledge of when, where, and how to attack the offence. The relationship between defence and offence is like the relationship between the mongoose and the cobra.
The mongoose knows how to kill snakes, but not in a hysterical or frenzied manner that drains great quantities of energy unnecessarily. The mongoose strikes at the precise moment at which the snake is most vulnerable. Like the mongoose, players on defence should always be ready and waiting to strike anywhere on the court grid, whenever chance or their opponents provide an opportunity.
THE COMPONENTS OF EFFECTIVE DEFENCE
Appearance and Reality
There are only two kinds of defence: effective and ineffective. Whether a team plays man-to-man, zone, match-up, or combination defence is of little importance. What is important that they perform those tasks which are an integral part of effective defence. For example, at the moment players anticipate loss of ball possession, someone should be responsible for the player with the ball. Someone should be responsible for protecting the basket, and with the remaining three teammates be responsible for the players without the ball.
As a result, the differences between one defensive set and another are more a matter of form than substance. For example, regardless of the defensive set a team uses in its back court, it must be able to defend against penetrating drives and cuts.
A number of these components have been identified in the section Defensive Sets under the heading Defensive Principles of Play. Following are other components.
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