50 QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR DEFENSE

Whether you are a coach that plays a man-to-man or zone defense, or both, there is much more to coaching defense than knowing the basics.  There are the nuts and bolts of the defense you are playing that are extremely important.  These are the little things your players need to be taught.

The following 50 questions are asked to make you think about how you teach your defense.

1. Are you a man-to-man defensive team?
2. How do your players guard the ball at the top of the key?
3. How do your players guard the ball on the wing?
4. Will you front the post?
5. Will you half-front the post?
6. Will you three-quarter front the post?
7. Will you play behind in the post?
8. Do you have a plan to double team the post?
9. How do you want your players to defend a cutter across the lane?
10. How do you want your players to defend one pass away on the perimeter?
11. How do you teach your players to get in a proper defensive stance?
12. Do you teach your players 'how' to take a charge?
13. Where on the court do you want to start guarding the ball?
14. How do you want your players to rotate on dribble penetration?
15. How do you teach your players to block out?
16. Do you have a plan to defend a great shooter?
17. Do you have a plan to defend a great point guard?
18. Will you teach your players a half-court trap?
19. Do you believe in playing a junk defense (box and 1, triangle and 2)?
20. Will your defense look to be aggressive and dictate the action?
21. Will your defense be more controlled and play it safe?
22. How do your players guard the ball in the corner?
23. How much practice time do you dedicate to team defense?
24. How much practice time do you dedicate to breaking down your team defense?
25. How do you want your players to slide defensively when guarding the ball?
26. Do you trap ball screens?
27. Do you hedge on ball screens?
28. Do you switch ball screens?
29. How will you defend the screener in a ball screen?
30. Are you a zone defensive team?
31. Which type of zone will you play?
32. Why do you play zone?
33. Will your zone defense be aggressive and attempt to dictate what the offense does?
34. Will your zone defense be a more controlling defense?
35. Will you trap out of your zone defense?
36. Where will you trap in your zone defense?
37. How do you teach your team the slides in your zone defense?
38. What breakdown drills will you use to teach your zone defense?
39. Do you want to extend your zone defense?
40. How do you teach your players rebounding responsibility in your zone defense?
41. How will you guard the ball in your zone defense?
42. How will you defend cutters through the lane in your zone defense?
43. Regardless of what defense you play how will you get your defenders to communicate?
44. How do you defend ball screens in your zone defense?
45. How do you defend the post in your zone defense?
46. Who will cover the high post area in your zone defense?
47. What type of full court pressure will you use?
48. Do you have an aggressive full court press to use when you are behind late in games?
49. What is your plan for transition defense?
50. How do you teach your plan for transition defense?