Playing Basketball- A Game Of Defense

Defense in the arena is one of the most vital responsibilities of every teammate in the field of basketball. It is as important as an offensive move. On the contrary, defense can make a team win a specific game even if the winning score is 1-0. It proves that with proper defensive work, a team could pick it off till the championships. Playing basketball is not just a game of shooting some hoops but also of guarding the ring.

Sure they teach offensive techniques that require rigorous training and resistance. But that’s just the beginning. The real technique in winning a game is how to prevent an opponent from making that shot.

This is one area that some of the coaches and players poorly rely on. They just don’t seem to realize how important defense is to their strategies. This should be their top priority. Even though defense in the court was proven many times, still, majority of the playing teams doesn’t seem to recognize this and fail to put extra effort to train on this one.

Playing defense is as important as playing offense. That is the second time it was reiterated in this article. Because it is true. No matter how hard you try to get through, you still can’t make the perfect shot because of the extreme defense your opponent is showing. If teams would realize that pursuing for the ball is just a part of the whole game, probably they’ll include defense practice more often than offense. And dedicate their time in it.

A team and its coach must have to attend to all aspects in ball playing. In other words, they have to be well-rounded. Players who think so much of their career doesn’t want to play as blockers. Why? How could you end up as MVP if all you do is block and prevent shots without giving yourself the opportunity to shoot? Think about that.

No offense but, if this one popular player who calls the shots never had good teammates who defended every opponent from nagging him, how in the world can he prove himself to make that ball go inside the basket?

Coaches who tend to recognize this would assign respective players to play defense. But that would only prove a 50-50 chance of winning the game. Coaches must train in their players the ability to defend every angle of the court…all of them.

Then again, not all players can play defense. Only some are proven worthy. But still, it is good to be prepared than be caught off guard.

Either way, teams must have the spirit in them to guard their base. And in order to do this, each player must have in them these certain qualities:

1. Instincts. A player must know how to react with every situation that may occur inside the court, and fast!

2. Has the knowledge to play numerous kinds of defenses like half-court traps, man-to-man, etc.

3. Infinite stamina to follow his guarded opponent wherever he goes.

4. Supporting number 3, he should also have quick feet and hands to be able to run and move as fast as his opponent can.

5. Quick reflexes. He should know how to detect an incoming shot and be able to block it. He must have the ability to jump as fast as he can repetitively.