by Nick Bartlett, on Feb 1, 2017 6:27:09 PM
Dr. Dish Basketball proudly presents another great Drill of the Week! This week we focus on stunting the offensive drive and closing out to the shooter on the kick out.
Playing defense takes discipline and effort. You have to understand where you are supposed to be so that you do your part in your team's defensive schemes. The great thing about this drill is that it also works on ball movement and also requires effort and energy.
Some of the best defenders in the NBA and WNBA are not the most athletic or physically gifted players. Those tools definitely help but they don't necessarily mean you will be a great defender. The players that decide to buckle down and work on the fundamentals will be the players that excel and succeed when it's crunch time. The video below is a great team drill that can help coaches and players work on successfully stopping the drive and closing out to shooters.
Drill of the Week: Team Closeouts
In this drill, you will need a minimum of 4 players. You'll have 3 offensive players and one defender going each time. Two offensive players will start on the wings and one in the corner. The defender will start in the middle of the paint. The Dr. Dish All-Star will make a pass to the opposite side wing player every time. That player will straight line drive to the paint before kicking it out to the other wing. The defender will stop the drive and then closeout to the wing player receiving the kick out pass. The offensive wing player will then make another pass to the last player in the corner for the shot. The defender will follow the ball for their last closeout.
The players will rotate clockwise each time the Dish makes a pass. The first wing player that drives will become the defensive player. The second offensive wing player will become the driver, the corner shooter will become the second wing player and lastly the defensive player will become the next corner shooter.
It's important that each player hustles to their next spot especially if there is only 4 players. The defensive player should focus on staying low the entire time and closing out with either the left or right hand held high. That will will deter the shooter and give them time to close the space defensively. Offensively the players want to quickly fire the pass around to make the closeouts game-like and make the defender work. The corner shooter needs to have their hands ready to pull the trigger and take the shot.
We will continue to create and push out great content that covers all aspects of the game here at Dr. Dish Basketball. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest drills and workouts. And as usual, always remember to train hard, train smart, and train with a purpose!
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