(Rental)-Essential Drills For Building A Championship Defense

Basketball Defense Drills for Building a Championship Defense

Transition and half-court defenses can make a big difference in the win-loss column. In this video from Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey, you will learn how to build the type of defense that is feared among opponents. As an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, it was Casey who designed the defense that helped the Mavericks win an NBA title. Casey’s teams in Toronto were always among the best defenses in the league.

In this clinic session, you have the opportunity to learn the defensive system that turned the Raptors franchise around. Casey takes you through the intimate details of his transition and half-court defense, which includes a look at many of the practice drills he uses to train players.

Warm Up Basketball Defense Drills

The close out is fundamental to excelling in Casey’s system. With a philosophy of “flooding the lane,” it is imperative players master the close out. Casey will present two drills that he uses as a defensive warm up that help develop closing out. The idea of using defensive actions as warm-up drills also emphasizes the importance of defense and helps to develop a team’s defensive mindset.

Transition Defense Philosophy

 Great defense begins in transition. Coach Casey breaks down how his transition defense shuts down opponents’ fast break opportunities. It begins at the moment the shot is in the air. Players must understand their roles, how to communicate, how to load up to the basketball, and where to influence the ball in transition.

Practice Drills

Coach Casey then uses a number of on-court demonstrations to break down a series of drills that simulate game situations and teach the critical aspects of the his defensive system. The Closeout Drill progresses from the simple technique to boxing out on rebounds, running shooters off the 3-point line, and how to “X-Rotate” out to shooters on high ball screens.

In the Shell Drill, players learn to cut off the baseline drive while helping the helper with the crack down player. This drill helps to eliminate easy scoring opportunities that are created when defenders help on dribble penetration.

Players learn to defend the high post, shut down cutters in the paint, and beat dribble hand-offs in the Flash Drill. The Flooding the Lane Drill teaches players the mentality of sending off-ball defenders into the paint for help. The final drill is 5-on-5 Defense which reviews low post defense, denying post feeds, and how to defend cutters when the ball is in the post.

There is also a Q&A session where Coach Casey addresses a number of other defensive concepts like moving on the flight of the ball, defending the corner shooter, and how to defend middle ball screens. The 72-minute video is outstanding look inside the mind of one of the NBA’s brightest defensive gurus. Rent this basketball defense drills DVD today.