Todd Zasadil and Jon Palicki have done it again in their After the Timeout Podcast. In their latest episode, they talked with Mike Jagacki about developing individual and team defense.
At this time of year, coaches have a checklist of things they want to study before the start of the season. Just as we want the players to “up their game,” coaches need to “up their game” as well.
As a coach, if you want to make your players better defenders, and you want to make your team better defensively— this is a MUST listen podcast for you.
Mike Jagacki is the author of the books- Locked On Defense, and The Locked On Program.
My suggestion is that you make sure that you have a notepad as you listen to the podcast. He has great nuggets to offer. And I will be shocked after listening to the podcast if you don’t order his books to continue a dive into defense.
Here are some of the nuggets from Coach Jagacki….
1- Heart and effort are important to defense but there is so much more.
2- Are you still teaching defensive stance the way it was taught when you played 20 years ago? Jagacki explains a different approach to stance…
- Forward Stance- more like a football defensive back, like Michael Jordan
- Upward Stance- more a containment stance, positioned to use chest to cut off, like Scottie Pippen.
3- Foundation of his defense…
- Impact the ball with real or fake pressure
- Low man in helpside position
- Contain the ball, involves the ball defender and help defense.
4- You need synergy in your defense, pieces need to fit together. It starts with how you are going to defend the post fits with whether you are no middle or no baseline time. Everything must fit together- how you guard the post, how you guard the ball, how you handle screens, etc.
5- Defensively you cannot allow the ball handler to be a “comfy QB” who can then pick the defense apart. If you have a “forward stance” you are applying pressure whether real or fake. If you have a “upward stance”, you must have active hands and apply fake pressure.
6- Defensive coaches traditionally say fouls are bad. Jagacki says that fouls at the basket are bad, but fouls on the perimeter are not necessarily bad. Fouls on perimeter show defense is applying ball pressure.
7- Defense needs to be smart, tough, and vocal. Players need to be given concise things to say that are focused on where you are, what you see, and what you are doing.
8- With good defense, players need to talk but also listen. When defense yells just to yell, like “D-Up” on the bench, it prevents the players and the coach to hear the important things.
9- When a good defense is talking, it needs to involve celebrating too. Good defenses celebrate great plays and stops.
10- Traditionally we think of a good defensive coach as being tough and no nonsense. In this model, players learn thru constantly having their errors pointed out. While correction is needed, the most effective model is to point out the details or “little things” that are crucial for success, and praising them.
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