Basketball drill: defend triple threat

Goal: Defending the forward in triple threat position

Organization:

• attacker makes an agreed number of different feints before shooting or dribbling to the basket
• defender must anticipate with a drop step when the attacker threatens to go over the front foot
• with a two-footed backward hop when the attacker threatens to go over the back foot
• when the attacker brings up the ball, the defender should quickly step towards the attacker, stand against him, feet wider than the attacker,
• Trace the ball with your hands
• When the attacker brings the ball back down, the defender returns to his/her original position with a slide step or a hop backwards (arm's length distance)

Teaching points:

• react quickly on the feet, before the attacker does
• Distance from the attacker: match the threat he poses.
• Shorten the distance to the attacker with mini-slides, so that you can react immediately

Variations:

attacker gives a pass to himself from the bucket edge

Starting exercise:

• defender starts at arm's length
• Square up = feet next to each other, chest perpendicular to the line of the ball-basket when the attacker is standing on the axis of the field.
• Left foot forward when the attacker is standing on the right half of the field and vice versa.
• Attacker fakes the shot
• Defender steps forward, hand on ball
• Attacker brings the ball down
• defender recovers arm-length distance
• attacker makes max 2 dribbles, left or right
• after the stop, the defender steps forward again, hand on the ball

Form of play:

• as above, but with shot + boxing out (= wall and rebound)
• 2 scores in a row (also from the rebound!!) OR 2 stops in a row = loser presses and change