There are many reasons why basketball is so interesting, but the fact that some small things and details can determine the outcome of the game is definitely the most important. So, to help you understand better the importance of defensive plays and also how to predict the outcome of some games and win some cash, let’s go through some of the best basketball defense strategies.
Why Is It Important to Have a Strategy?
Basketball players and enthusiasts are aware of how important it is to have great defensive strategies, but we will explain it further, so even beginners can understand. We all know that if we want to win a basketball game, we need to score more points than our opponent, but many people do not realize how important it is to have a good defense and prevent the opponent from scoring.
The old saying goes that offense wins games, but defense wins titles, which best describes the importance of defensive player movement. Yes, it often gets overlooked how some player played the game if he didn’t score 20, but just like there are natural scorers, there are also many roles in one team. Remember that this is a group sport and that every player needs to give all he has on both ends of the court.
Now, the logic and magic behind the defense is simple, and the better the defense, the more chances we have to take advantage and probably win the game. That is why paying enough attention to this game segment is extremely important, as it can eventually determine the winning team. Of course, we all know that in some teams, there are certain players who are not interested in playing defense, but that is where some great defenders step in, as their role is to cover that player so that the opposite team wouldn’t exploit that.
If you are interested in improving your basketball skills, you may want to see the most iconic basketball games of all time and “steal” some of their tactics.
The Variety of Defense Strategies.
Every coach has his own basketball philosophy, how he wants players to behave on and off the court, how they should move, and how to make players work towards the end goal – winning games. Of course, the thing that separates good coaches from the best in the business is their approach and mentality, as the best ones always seek ways how to get the most out of a group of players he has on the roster. Just like players, coaches have to adapt and evolve as well.
That is why there is a huge difference between coaches and organizations in general in the NBA and Europe. In Europe, coaches are much more active and even seem aggressive during games, while in NBA, it is an entirely different situation. It is impossible to win a game, tournament, or league by using only one defensive strategy, which is why we have a variety of them to choose from.
Deciding which tactics should be used is based on the opponent’s playing style and the certain moment when something must be changed in-game. We will focus more on some of the most popular tactics that can usually be seen in a basketball game in the text below and try to explain them in simple words so that even people new to this world can understand.
Man-on-Man
Sometimes you might hear “man-to-man” or “one-man” defense instead of “man-on-man,” but do not let it confuse you, as it all refers to the same tactics, which is also not complicated to understand, and one of the most common on the basketball court. In this strategy, each player has the opponent player to focus on and prevent him from getting the ball or scoring.
It is a great strategy, as each player knows what to do exactly, and focusing on only one player gives them more chances of doing it properly, as there is no need to think about various other things, just to take care of that one player. When played properly, this is one of the best tactics, as even if one player makes a mistake, their teammates are there to fix it.
On the other hand, there are variations coaches use, as they often tell players to mark their players but only if the first couple of seconds, and then they switch and play a different defense. Mixing things up is the best way to confuse the opposite team, as they never know what type of defense your team will play, which makes it much harder to organize a quality offense.
Of course, things are much easier today as scouting the opponent is on the highest level, meaning that every team knows pretty well what to expect, what player and from which position represents a threat, etc.
Zone
Another popular tactic that many teams use when they need to prevent their opponents from scoring and potentially steal the ball and score is zone defense. It is quite different than the first strategy we have explained, as in this one, players are not focusing on the opponent players but on the zone or the area on the court, they need to protect.
It means that whichever opponent players enter the area they protect, they must try to block them or steal the ball from them. If they fail and the opponent leaves the area, there is no need for a player to chase them, as their teammates are in charge of other areas, and it is their job to try to succeed in blocking them.
Switching
Okay, this one is a bit different, and like with other defensive tactics, there are also many variations to this type of defense. In general, switching is used to protect the basket once there is a screen by some player in the offense. Setting a screen or pick is the most used thing in basketball, as it allows your team to do various things, and it’s also nothing uncommon for players to set a screen for players that don’t have the ball in order to allow them to receive the ball from a certain position.
So, one of the ways to fight this tactic, and almost every type of pick and roll or pick and pop action, is by switching. Namely, when the screen is set for the player in the offense, the player in defense who guards the one that sets the pick will go higher and stop the player with the ball. By doing so, it makes it easier to cover the basket. Besides that, this is also great if you want to play press, as once the screen is set, both players can press the player with the ball and try to steal the ball.
When it comes to basketball, scoring as many points as possible is the goal, but it’s essential not to overlook the importance of defense. This is why betting on basketball on renowned sites like https://onlinebettingnz.co.nz/ can be a bit tricky.