Solid defense isn't as dazzling as offense, and not many defensive plays make the highlight reels. However, defense is just as important to the game as offense. A good defense can keep your opponent from making baskets, and it's very hard to win if you don't get any points. Defense is a state of mind and attitude. The amount of hustle and sound fundamentals are the most important thing, even more important than natural talent.

Defense Matters

Coaches are known to say that offense wins games, but defense wins championships. There is nothing more important in the game of basketball than being able to keep an opposing team from scoring points. Many players through the years have made their whole career on playing great defense. Some of the greatest defenders don't score a lot, but they have long careers because they are able to keep the other team from scoring.

Being a great rebounder is a way to develop into being a solid defensive player. Being able to steal passes is another way to defend well. Another way is to be able to cover a player who is trying to pass a ball and either prevent him from passing it or force him to throw the ball away.

Defensive Strategies

There are all kinds of defenses that coaches use. The two main ones are the zone defense and man-to-man defense.

In zone defense, the court is divided into zones and each player is responsible for a particular area. For example, a guard might be responsible for an area on the perimeter or out around the free throw line. If an opponent comes into that area, the guard covers him until he moves out of that particular zone. The same thing goes for near the basket, where forwards and centers will have particular zones.

Man-to-man defense is much simpler, yet much more constant work for defenders. In man-to-man defense, each player is responsible for guarding a specific player on the other team. So wherever that player goes, the defensive player goes, too.

Be a Good Defender!

If you want to play good defense in general, you need to have or develop good footwork. It's important that you know which way to face and when and where to turn. A good defender needs to become a little bit of a psychic. You have to think about what you know about basketball and use that to guess when another player might make a pass or take a shot. If you can do this, you can put pressure on your opponent and try to block the shot or pass. Good defenders are so good at pressuring their opponents that sometimes they can force another player to make a bad shot or turn over the ball. You can become a good defender by learning how to position yourself between the basket and an offensive player. That way, when your opponent misses a shot, you get the inside track toward a rebound. Practice this by having someone shoot baskets and stand near the hoop so you can see how and where the ball comes off the rim.

Basketball Position and Defense

You want to be in the basketball position at all times on defense. You must stay lower than the player you are guarding. If you are standing upright, the player will go around you. You always want your head to be lower than the head of the player you are guarding.

Keep your weight balanced so that you're not leaning too far forward at any time. If your head is lower, your opponent will not be able to charge past you because he will have to lower his head to start that move. This gives you the advantage because you can react before he even thinks of getting past you, and you can continue to remain in front of him.

You should have one foot forward. Your front foot should be on the ball handler's weakest side. If he is right handed, your left foot should be forward to force him to put the ball in his left hand.

Always position yourself between the ball handler and the basket. If the ball handler gets past you, get your body back in front of him and between him and the basket. Since you don't have the basketball, you should be able to run faster than the player who is dribbling the ball.

When he stops dribbling, attack the player with good basketball stance and keep your hands moving to make it harder for the player to pass. Hopefully, you can create a turnover.

Stand By Your Man

You also want to stay close to your man, in what is commonly called the player's “bubble,” an area two or three feet around the player. This will make him work to get around you. However, if you are too close and bump into him, you will be called for a foul. If you are right on top of him, it makes it easier for him to go past you on your left or right. You want to be in an area close enough to your opponent that you can knock the ball away or deflect a pass attempt, but not so close that you are in danger of bumping into him.

Keeping your hands up while you defend is important. It gives you a chance to knock away a pass or steal the ball off the dribble. Having your hands up also blocks part of your opponent's field of vision. If you are good with your feet and see a pass coming off a dribble, you can shuffle over and reach out with your hands to prevent a pass.

You want to force the ball handler to go in a direction he doesn't want to go by positioning yourself in his path and steering him off course, forcing him to make an unplanned decision or pass.

Even if you are not guarding the ball handler, your job is still important. You want to position yourself to keep the player you are guarding from getting the ball. Keep your hand and arm in the passing lane so you can knock away a pass or force the ball handler to choose someone else to try to pass the ball to.

TIP - IN

When you are guarding a player taller than you, it's more important than ever to be in the right position. You might be faster than the taller player, so when he moves you might be able to stay one step ahead of him and prevent him from receiving a pass.