These are some notes from Shaka Smart, on their pressure defense.
5 Core Values:
Appreciation
Enthusiasm
Competitiveness
Unselfishness
Accountability
Havoc style of play
Want to force turnovers through pressure – want live ball turnovers
Do your players know what you want out of defense? Team stops not individual stops, force quick bad shots is what we want
Create easy offensive opportunities
Force the opposing team to play different than they practice every day
Take players out of their comfort zone
Be in better shape than opposition to fatigue them
Who wins the battle when you’re tired?
“Fatigue makes a coward of us all”
Pressure D has become their Brand – their Identity
Energy: must have 5 guys flying around at all times
Fouling: have to be careful, play smart not stupid
Communication: talking makes your reaction quicker
Transition: have to transition quickly from offense into your press
Deflections: must measure
Trapping Fundamentals – 3 things that make a good trap
o Ball handlers level of control – better trap = less control
o Element of surprise
o Where you are on the floor – corners, sideline
Who do we trap?
o Do not trap good defensive matchups
o Trap the smaller guards
o Never trap the 5 man
How do we trap?
o Closeout to the trap – short choppy steps, high hands
o Be elastic –as the offensive player moves, defense moves
o Force an obvious pass by making them pivot
o Foul with lower body, never with hands
Other 3 players have to think like a trapper
Back player has to be deep as the deepest
If your trappers force the obvious pass by making them pivot:
o Interceptors must read the obvious pass
o If the ball is passed ahead of you tip from behind
Against 2 on 1 stunt the ball handler
Learn how to play when they are outnumbered
Ability to defend multiple positions
Must be close enough to touch
The video below is a segment of Coach Smart teaching a portion of his pressure defense. You can see more information about the DVD that the sample video came from by clicking this link: Shaka Smart: Havoc Pressure Defense
