The first defender over commits to the forehand side to make the player in possession turn away. The second defender closes down the space so that the player in possession runs the ball onto the defenders stick when turned
Important that the 2nd defender does not get to close or to far away from the 1st defender as if they are the attacker will be able to beat them both with one move.
Good spacing is only the start. The best modern offences teach players to attack the defence's rotations and play in a permanent 4-on-3 - here is how to coach that read.
The ball screen produces almost half of all professional offensive possessions, yet most teams still teach it as a memorised play. The modern approach trains the read - giving players a framework to decide based on what the defence does, not what the coach called.
The closeout is the most repeated defensive action in modern basketball. With fouls per game climbing in the 2025-26 season, coaches must teach defenders to contest the three without surrendering the drive or putting shooters on the line.
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