[HaleParticipant]

Do you guys have any tips on being a better defender? I’ve never really been taught how to play proper defense and I haven’t really cared to improve it until now. So can anyone help me out?

[JimmeredYaWabafetParticipant]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGUfNUv6llI

[delfamParticipant]

 the first step to playing good defense is wanting to, you don’t have to be super athletic to play defense, you just have to work hard. Tactic wise:

keep yourself between the basket and the offensive player

box out, even on long shots

always stay on the balls of your feet

play defense with your feet and body, not your hands

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

Defense is pretty much based on commitment, effort, and anticipation. You have to find some way of enjoying/like playing defense, it’s really more than effort than it is technical.

[HaleParticipant]

I’m asking because normally when I play with my friends, I end up covering my 6’5 friend and I’m 5’9. He is way too quick for my taller friends and I put forth the effort when we play but it doesn’t matter most of the time. I’m quicker and stronger but he has 8 inches on me plus a long wingspan.

[JimmeredYaWabafetParticipant]

 tap him in the nuts when he shoots, heck Kobe and Richard Jefferson do it

[Colaa_2Participant]

Defense is not about blocking everyone of hit shots. If you are quicker and stronger than him, stay in front and use your body to block his penetration. Try to contest his jumpers, put your arms up. Make every shot he takes the toughest one possible during that possession and you are playing good defense. It will be hard to stop him sometimes because he has the height and length on you – but if you make him shoot a 15ft jumper instead of a layup, you did well.

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

Well if your 5’9 and you want to stop a 6’5 guy, that’s pretty steep task. Rondo is a great defender but even he can’t contain a taller player such as Danny Granger.

[M-DYMESParticipant]

Get low and keep leverage.

Keep your hands up at all times.  By up i mean, keep them active.  Out to the side to swipe the ball or up to contest shots.

Watch the hips.  The hips don’t lie but watching feet or the ball can get you in trouble at times.

Stay on your toes.  Don’t rest on the balls of your feet.

Get into their chest when you need a big stop. 

[HaleParticipant]

I’m ultracompetitive. I can’t stand everytime he does his turnaround and nails it in my face, especially since I usually keep him out of the paint. I compete every possession against him. He’s just too damn long.

[delfamParticipant]

 do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jMWsnws48I

[JoeWolf1]

 When I played in high school, I had to guard guys 6’7” and 6’8” sometimes (I’m 6’2”). I often fronted the post that way I could use my leaping ability to prevent him from getting the ball in the post, but my teammates were also informed of that strategy so they were more aware of the importance to play help side defense if they were able to throw one over me.  

If you’re just playing pickup ball, probably not the best strategy, but if its a rec league or an organized basketball game you’re playing i’d suggest this.

Also, Ball – you – man is very important when playing defense always stay in between the ball handler and your man.  This discourages passes to your man and allows you to play the passing lanes.

[HaleParticipant]

He isn’t really a post player and when he does try to post up I can push him back a couple feet. But he is a great shooter and he brings the ball up a lot. He gets to the elbow and just does his turnaround jumper which always falls.

[The lake show2]

effort and studying the guy you are defending. If he cant shoot and drives all the time then you dont play all up on him. If he is a shooter but can’t drive then you play closer to him. If he can do both watch his waist and just give max effort. Also deny the baller the ball, if he cant get the ball he can’t score

[billykParticipant]

Try to wear him out by being active on offense.. When he doesn’t have the ball try to deny him from catching the ball in his sweet spots and since you are smaller slapping down at the ball before he can rise for his mid range shot can be effective.. Get physical with him and don’t give him no easy buckets, foul if you have to…

[eric palmerParticipant]

I’m also a 5’9" guy who has had to guard my fair share of 6’4"+ guys through HS and college, most of playing D is just effort and tenacity, but a big portion is also technique.

• With the turnaround he hits on you…when you feel him about to go for it, get as close to him as you can as he is going up, and really get underneath him when he leaves the ground. A lot of times, being that close that a player when he is shooting will kind of fluster them, and their concentration on the shot will be a little off.
• Have extremely active hands, but don’t be so concerned with slapping at the ball that you lose focus on moving your feet.
• Focus on the opponent’s midsection. Don’t bother looking at his feet, the ball, or his face. He can fake with those, but you can’t move your midsection in the opposite way of where you are going.
• Since you are quicker and stronger than him, try to force him as far away from the basket to catch the ball. 90% of being a good on-ball defender is doing the work to force the offensive player into as poor of a position as possible when they catch the ball.
• Don’t be caught flat-footed/always be on your toes…doing that will allow you to react quicker when he makes his move.
• If your man does get by you on the bounce, don’t be afraid to give him a good, hard foul on his drive…doing that may make him think twice and hesitate before he drives on you again (although if you’re playing with friends, you may not want to really do that because nobody wants to be THAT guy)
• Position your feet to force him to have to use his weaker hand to drive on you.
• Stay low in your stance, and bend at the knees, not the hips to make you quicker laterally.

There are also some things you could do to make him a less effective offensive player by really wearing him out on the other end of the court…

• If he is guarding you, stay really active on offense, wear him out by not staying still on O. Cut through the lane, body him up before trying to get open, call for as many screens as possible to beat him up. Nothing wears a body out faster than physical contact.
• If he isn’t guarding you, then try to find him and screen him often..same basic rules as if he were guarding you, try to wear him out when he’s playing D..

[HaleParticipant]

Wow that’s perfect, thanks man.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

I think people summed it up incredibly well here, and that Bruce Bowen makes great points. Defense is about desire, you have to want to play it and focus on doing so, conditioning is vital as well. Do not be afraid of contact (especially when playing pick-up, when worse comes to worse you usually just check it up top on a foul) and while you definitely play defense with your feet, make sure your hands are up and active. Definitely want to get a hand in his face (which means near his face or eye level, not literally in his face) whenever he is about to shoot it, preferably nearest to his shooting arm. Even if the opponent has a height advantage, this is the best way to bother another persons shot. While I think the saying "hand down, man down" sounds ridiculous when it comes from Mark Jackson (or anyone for that matter), it is true. As long as you gave your opponent as little space as possible for a comfortable shot, you did a good job, even if they make it. Playing both sides of the court takes a lot of energy, but ultimately, it makes you the best all-around basketball player you can be if you play hard on both ends. When I play against bigger players, I try to kind of push them off balance, but fronting them and using your quickness is also a good strategy. I think it is always a fun challenge guarding taller players (I am 5’9 as well, so it tends to happen), so good luck.

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