LEVEL 2Small Sided3v3
Fake the Help, Keep Your Man
Sometimes the worst thing you can do on defense is actually help. If your man is a good shooter and you run at the driver, the driver just passes to your man for an open shot. The answer is the stunt: take one hard step at the ball with your hands active, loud enough to make the driver hesitate — then get right back to your man. You never really left. The driver slows down, your teammate recovers, and nobody got an open shot. It's acting, and good defenders are good actors.
READ THIS
Watch the driver's eyes as you jab at the ball — a stunt has worked when their eyes lift or their second dribble hesitates.
DO THIS
Jab two feet toward the driving lane with loud hands, sell it for a beat, then sprint back to your man before the pass can release.
COACHING LINEAGE
Tom Thibodeau
Help defense positioning: one pass away, always. Be early, not late.
Chuck Daly
Physical defensive positioning: make the offense feel every possession.
IN THE SITUATION ROTATION
In 3x3 you are guarding a knockdown shooter on the right side of the arc. A driver beats your teammate and attacks the middle. If you fully help, your shooter gets a two; if you do nothing, the driver scores.
Appears as a Situation of the Day · 3v3