How to Improve Team Defense in Basketball

In basketball, defense wins games. While offense is based largely on sill, an effective defense revolves around hustle, effort and determination. Not every player has the same amount of skill, but any player can (and should) lay it all on the floor, especially on defense. There are many team defensive schemes that require all five players and a high level of teamwork. But there are things you can do individually, aside from locking down your own man, that will raise the overall level of your team's defense.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A basketball
• A basket
• Nine friends.

Defense.

1. 
   Not the best matchup.

   Match up. Try to guard a player on the other team that you match up with evenly in terms of height, strength, quickness, and skill. If you guard a player who has no chance of scoring against you, your defensive prowess will likely be better used on a better offensive player. Likewise, you do your team no good if you try to match up against a superior player and are constantly getting burned. Don't be afraid to switch in the middle of a game if it becomes clear that you or someone on your team can't handle their man.

2. Help defense by design. This is different from rotating to help a beaten teammate because you are focusing on your teammate's man before your teammate is even beaten. This is often necessary when the other team has a superior offensive player, when your team has a sub par defender, or both. When one of these situations occurs, always keep one eye on the superior offensive, and give him most of your attention when he has the ball. Stare directly into his eyes. Let him know that you will be right there to help your teammate whenever he makes a move. Not only will you be able to react quickly in the event that player does make a move, the offensive player will be reluctant to do anything with the ball since he will feel like he is being double teamed at all times. The last situation that calls for help defense by design is when you are matched up against a sup par offensive player. If your player is unlikely to be a part of the other team's offense, you can do a lot more good playing all help defense, even if it means leaving your man open every once in awhile. Stare down whoever has the ball, and jump on anyone who brings the ball close to either you or the rim.

3. Trap or show on a pick. Trapping on a pick is when the player who is run off the pick and the player whose man set the pick both aggressively try to steal the ball once a pick is set. Showing is when, if your man is setting the pick, you fake a trap for a moment to give your teammate a chance to fight through the pick before returning to guard your man. You should show most of the time -- exceptions are if your teammate is either too strong or too quick to be slowed down by the opposing team's pick. Trapping works extremely well on slow and inexperienced players, but both teammates must work together to contain and strip the ball from the opposing player.

4. Communicate. Always call out picks, regardless of whether or not your player sees it coming. Call out whenever an opponent shoots the ball to let your team know to rebound. Work out with your teammates whether you want to show, trap or fight through picks before the game.

5. Rotate. If one of your teammates gets beat, the closest man should rotate off his man to help. If you happen to be the closest, forget about your man - it is now your job to stop the ball. Your man might be left completely open, but stopping the ball is always the first priority. The only thing you can do is trust your teammates to rotate and help on your man.

6. Clog passing lanes. Sticking close to your man and keeping between him and the basket are important. But there is a third part of the equation. Passing lanes are the angles that the man with the ball can use to pass the ball to one of his teammates. By shying off your own man just a little bit, you can often crowd two or even three of these passing lanes. Doing so will lead to stolen passes and make it harder for the offensive team to pass the ball, which will cause stagnation in their attack.

Tips & Warnings

• Defense is all about hustle and effort. With that in mind, one of the biggest things you can do to help your team is to hustle!
• Be extremely careful about rotating off a good long range shooter. Even if a player on the other team is wide open and you are the closest person that can cover him, stay at home on your man if your man is a better jump shooter. Make the less efficient player beat you.

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