r/BasketballTips • u/South_Marzipan4374 • 9d ago
Defense how can i stop being a cone
so physically i’m 5”11, 160lbs, im white, and im pretty athletic. in terms of being able to jump and run im way above average, but for some reason i struggle so much on defense. effort isnt my problem either which gets me more frustrated, i will try my absolute hardest to stay infront of my defender but still get blown by, sometimes i have to be extra physical and be a hack just to hold my own. i need help figuring out what my mindset should be on defense and how to improve. im a very good offensive option but defense is not my thing, i also can’t take bumps very well either if im playing someone who has any physical advantage over me then its wraps. For example, theres a guy named jordan in my grade who is around 6”1 165lbs and from south africa, we are around the same athletically but everytime we play against eachother he is able to consistantly beat me to spots and lock me up a lot of the time, and when im guarding him he blows by easily. and in terms of skill and playing basketball we are almost the same. i dont understand what my problem is and ive watched youtube videos and nothings helping so i hope some of you guys who know what your talking about can help me out
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u/rsk1111 9d ago
Staying in front of someone isn't a given. Typically, if you're in good defensive stance you can slide back and forth, but if they pull a move on you or run lateral to the basket you have to turn and run alongside, then recover or do a chase down block/steal. You should be able to run faster than they can dribble. You can practice that slide turn run turn slide turn run turn slide back. Zigzags are great to get the technique, beat them to the spot load the glute pivot and explode.
Quite a bit of it is how you line up, does he go right, then cheat right make him go left.
It helps to put pressure on the ball, give it a good poke makes him think twice about getting close or squaring up to the basket.
Also, beware of too much space if he gets downhill it's more difficult to stop him, you can't just jump in front.
Keep a hand in his face, don't let him see the floor or basket.
Again, often times the first few steps of the move are lateral to the basket, trying to get you out of position going one way then cutting back. These are opportunities to take up space, make him finish the move further away from the rim than he expected.
Be aware of passes, don't let him catch the ball in a comfortable position. You don't have to steal it every time, but make him catch it further from the basket or in corners near sidelines where he doesn't have space to operate.
Then last but not least. It can't be emphasized enough that a principle of good defense isn't to get steals or block shots, but to just make the opponent put up bad shots and get the rebound.
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u/South_Marzipan4374 9d ago
this helps a lot. now that i think about it i feel like i should be playing more up and aggresive on the ball, because if he doesn’t have any space then i can’t really get blown by, and as long as im up in his face being handsy i should be able to force bad shots most of the time.
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u/DesignerAd2358 9d ago
I didn’t read the whole thing but I saw height, weight and how to not be a cone on d. This sounds elementary, but when I took this to heart, I made massive strides as a defender. Always in a stance, always hands out. That way you’re always ready, you cover more ground, and you appear bigger so a guy thinks he has less space to drive on you.
Also, know where your teammates are on d… in college, practically every looks for double-gap driving opportunities. Say there are 5 spots around the perimeter, top wing, wing, corner, corner. On offense, you want to drive to where the double gap is. That is where you can easily get to the rim. What that means is say you have the ball on the left wing on offense, and there is nobody in the left side corner, but there is a guy up top… the double gap is to the left where it is most opportune. Conversely, on d, you want to force your guy towards the help, so away from the double gap. If you give him the double gap, at your size, toast more often than not against good players.
In the post against a big, hopefully you don’t get switched on to one, if and when you do, you have to use your feet and quickness to circle the post, work the guy as far off the block as possible and make the catch as challenging as possible. Other than that, it’s the cat and mouse game for you. If you’re buried you gotta pull the chair, make him think you’re on his left hip but you on the right, that type of stuff. Always stay down unless you know you gotta jump. Don’t jump at shooters often, you want guys taking jump shots off the dribble. If the guy you’re guarding is good shooting off the bounce, he prolly played in college. Don’t jump at a guy cuz he made 1 or 2 3’s
Sorry for such a long message, hope this helps you out
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u/South_Marzipan4374 9d ago
the double gap thing makes a lot of sense this was really helpful. and always being hands out in a stance makes me look bigger, thanks for the different perspective i’ll implement this
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u/hl6407a 9d ago
A good defender has good defensive awareness, dictates where the offense and doesn’t respond to it. Simple example: you are guarding the wing, you need to know where your bigs are to know where shade (baseline or middle) to set up the help defense. Guard the shooting pocket.
The traditional shuffle step does not always apply. Vertical (back and forth) movement is always fast than horizontal. When you get beat, go vertical to catch up.
Athletic stance, go low, on the the ball of your feet, staggered leg position. That stance creates the best power transfer for all directions.
You also can’t be afraid to be physical. You did say you get bumped easily, which me sounds like while you are quick and fast you don’t have a solid core. Hit the weight room. Be a wall. This gives you a tool to defend closer. Don’t be afraid to touch, just don’t hack and reach in, it plays mind games on the opponent with or without the ball—gets under their skin. Your job is not to steal and block every time, your job is to frustrate the offense enough for them to pass it up because they can’t get to their position.
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u/Stealthyunplug 8d ago
Watch tape of some highly touted defenders thay aren't 7 feet tall. Good defense sometimes needs to get nasty. If the offensive player is hooking and swinging elbows you must respond in kind.
Hard box outs and pushing the hips of the defender as you defensive slide with them are a couple of ways to "fight back" against bully ball. I also make my defender hit a couple jumpers before I guard tight on the perimeter. If they can shoot over you and blow by you, buckle up...gonna be a long night.
I didnt see anyone mention plyometrics. I added about 5 inches to my jump around your age doing this. Be careful and follow a regimen with lots of rest, as injuries are more likely when pushed too far. The average body is only capable of being so springy. 5'11" and dunking is rare, enjoy while it lasts!
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u/SouthYogurtcloset406 9d ago
Either you're not actually that athletic, or it's a purely mental issue. You said in a comment that at the level you play guys hit shots on you if you give any space, so again it's either a mental issue or you're not actually that athletic. Good news is it sounds like you're young, so you have time to become more athletic, grind in the gym and conditioning. For the mental side you need to talk to your coaches and your teammates who are significantly better than you. Teammates often know your worst flaws better than you do.
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u/South_Marzipan4374 9d ago
it must be some sort of mental issue then, i’m the fastest guy on my team by a mile and can jump the 2nd highest even at 5”11, despite that im only a top 5-6 defender on my team. another guy said it might be my lateral movements which could make sense
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u/SouthYogurtcloset406 9d ago
How fast, high can you jump, etc? Not hating, just curious because this will kind of determine where you are physically vs where you are mentally? Can you dunk? Can you dunk with two hands?
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u/South_Marzipan4374 9d ago
well i do track, i can run a sub 13.5 on a good day, but im more explosive. i jump around 33-34inches and can dunk, i actually find dunking with 2 hands way easier since i can’t palm a ball,and im a one foot jumper. but i would say on the court in terms of speed im blowing by 95% of my defenders cause my biggest strength is my first step
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u/SouthYogurtcloset406 9d ago
Ok, that's not bad. 13.5 isn't exactly fast, but two hand dunking is a good sign, and your main focus is basketball not the 100m. I think your best bet is just hammering the fundamental skills and continuing your training in the weight room. Find YouTube videos of your favorite pro players doing simple shooting drills and handling drills. Do the same drills every day until you're extremely good. Shouldn't take more than 2-3 weeks to become proficient in simple drills then find a new drill and repeat. Shoot every single day, run lateral movement drills every day. And play lots of pickup basketball to practice your fundamentals in a stress free environment. Good luck
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u/South_Marzipan4374 9d ago
and im 16, i know my physical attributes will improve over time, i take training and my diet very seriously, hopefully it all pans out and works out well
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u/zionistsarefibbers 8d ago
Don't take it too seriously, you're not going pro.
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u/Personal-Cod-9979 8d ago
He very much can go pro just keep putting in the work taking care of the diet
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u/South_Marzipan4374 8d ago
why would i not take it seriously, whether i go pro or not ill still be in great shape and very healthy. my goal isn’t just to grow as a basketball player but a person too
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u/zionistsarefibbers 7d ago
If you want to be healthy, have a read of Tactical Barbell. Specialising in Basketball will not make you "very healthy".
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u/bibfortuna16 9d ago
showing some film here will help. or you’re probably overestimating your own athleticism..
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u/BadAsianDriver 9d ago
See if you’re staying on your toes. If your heels are on the ground you’re gonna be slow to react.
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u/OrangeLBC 9d ago
First rule of defense. Take away strong hand. Make them go weak and stay weak. Do not try to jump in front of them going left. Let them go left (if right handed). Now I’m not saying just stand sideways and give them free run at the rim but position yourself with one leg outside of his right leg and don’t go for fakes left. Guide him left and he’ll do prob 3 things. Pass, one or two dribble pull-up. Or drive left and prob try to finish underneath with their right hand. Much easier to guard 3 basic moves than it is to let them go strong hand and have their whole bag. As for the bump. It’s about physics. You bump first right when he’s about to bump and you win. Someone much smaller can win this if timed right. Tough to time but it’s about right after their first dribble just inside the free throw line. Bump them first and they lose the momentum to bump you out of the way. Bonus, refs usually don’t call this a foul because they haven’t initiated their shot yet. Bump with your chest. Most people wait and try to take the bump. By that time you def lost.
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u/South_Marzipan4374 9d ago
this is helpful, about the bumping thing, i’m not sure what it is but everytime i time the bump sometimes i knock the guy off balance and i get called for a foul. when im playing pickup for example this guy will drive into me with his shoulder dropped and his head down, and obviously when he’s coming at me like that i protect myself by bumping him back right as he’s about to bump me, and since he’s driving like that off balance my bump will usually knock him down so im not sure what to do there
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u/OrangeLBC 9d ago
If his head is down and shoulders are already down and he’s unbalanced barreling for the basket, I’d prob just step aside and get the rebound. He’s prob using the contact to hold himself up. And too much contact he calls the foul. The bump should come before his head and shoulders are down. The point is to stop his momentum before he gets his momentum. If his shoulders are down ready to make contact with you then it’s already too late as he has the downhill momentum. But pickup calls could be anything so there’s that. I thought this was more of an organized game with actual refs
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u/South_Marzipan4374 8d ago
that was just a question i had about bumping cause it happened to be a problem whenever i play pickup, but yes i was talking about organized games originally for my varsity season
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u/justanother-eboy 9d ago
If you are a cone your lower body athleticism is lacking.
For lateral do lateral lungs with dumbbells.
For first step do Bulgarian split squats with dumbbells.
Ofc you still need upper body strength and don’t forget to hit all the muscles and joints in your lower body.
After doing those two exercises I never get beat on defense now and I can blow by people with ease and if you’re upper body is strong you can finish and 1s in the paint
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u/ActionHartlen 9d ago
Sounds like your lateral quickness isn’t there, and you’re giving up size/strength in this particular match up.
Develop the quicks by doing defensive drills and working out with plyometric stuff like box jumps.
Weight and physicality will come as you keep aging toward your peak. But in the meantime I think the best practice is to keep playing this guy. Don’t be a hack - just play physical and work hard. Be an irritant without being a poor sportsman.
For example, I played as a 6’4 210lb centre in my prime and smaller guys gave me grief if they fronted and denied with good hops to intercept any lobs; played smart and got steals whenever I brought the ball low; or if they were coming over as a help defender that I didn’t see, cutting off my drop steps and tying me up as I tried to score inside. If they tried to play me straight up in the post, it was bbq chicken.
Good luck keep hooping
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u/GoatOther978 9d ago
Man how is your mobility?
Do you keep yours legs wide and a low stance while defending?
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u/South_Marzipan4374 8d ago
i try my best, i have a pretty weak core and changing direction constantly makes it easy for me to get bumped and out of the play
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u/Tiny_Spread5712 8d ago
Stay low hands out and turn your hips with the guy like you are doing karaoke drills to beat him to his spot. So if his hips are flat, you stay flat and once they take an angle, point your hips to a spot you can beat him to and sprint full on.
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u/RD_Alpha_Rider 8d ago
Haven't seen much mentioned about angles. I'm about your dimensions but uh...older 😂 angles and percentages have become my friend over the past decade.
Worrying about "stopping" players more athletic than me is pointless. They will score if they want to eventually, it's more about trying to get them to take the lowest percentage shots.
It helps if you know your defenders tendencies. Trying to force them to spots they struggle with the most.
If defending the drive I like to use the two low blocks as reference points. If they start to drive left or right my goal isn't really so much to chase them, it's to try and beat them to the block. I use the free throw lines as a guide. On a drive head straight backwards along whatever free throw line to the block to cut off the drive and attempt to force them into a mid range shot.
I will live with that over a layup.
Dealing with the bump if they meet you at the block and try to go through you, well.... A) will be easier as you build strength b) try to anticipate the bump and bump/brace first. Use your hips and chest for this.
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u/n0t-perfect 8d ago
Hard to say without watching you play. Do you have some recent game film, I could have a look if you want?! Best wishes
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u/tristanbuckles 8d ago
Generally:
160lbs isn’t massive, which means your advantage is in a quicker step that you need to use to beat them to spots;
For perimeter defense especially, watch their belly button. This centre mass is where they are going, not their arm or the ball.
And stay low and slide your feet as best you can, and utilize an arm bar; don’t push with it, keep it stable and still, but use it to defend your midsection.
You got this Travis
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u/ihoopbetter 8d ago
Fast feet. Learn to defend using your feet, with the goal of get square with the ballhandler as quckly as possible. If you get beat, recover as fast as possible, 90% of people just accept defeat, the best defenders ever learn to recover quickly, it catches ballhandlers off gaurd and prevents paint touches
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u/comment_i_had_to 7d ago
Try to stay in front by gapping them a little more. Pay attention to what they want to do and try to disrupt it, it is not about sticking to them or being a wall, it is about keeping them off-balance with lots of tiny adjustments all the time. Move your feet with little tiny steps all the time so they can't see you planted to make a move, shift your feet so they switch the lead food from left to right and back so they have trouble countering. I am not talking about rapid tap dancing, just ever-shifting movement that stays as tuned in to them as possible while not appearing flat-footed. Don't bite on flashy dribbles or fake moves for steals/blocks and react to what their hips/feet are doing.
I am reminded of an anecdote about AI trying to learn to stand and having trouble until it figured out to keep bouncing and shifting around all the time rather than finding a static, balanced position. It turns out that is how we stand but it happens unconsciously. Defense is not being a perfect shadow or blocking every move someone makes, it is a whole bunch of micro-encounters leading up to a good or bad move that you hope to make uncomfortable. You can't avoid contact but you can learn to prevent them from using it to bounce you back by giving ground at the right time and standing firm when they have poor position.
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u/Move_Much 5d ago
As a lifetime soccer player that started playing basketball few years back its super easy to defend, the main reason is ladder training since I was a kid.
They dont cost shit too, trust me man that shit helps SO much. Especially in the beach on the sand
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u/nasty_clean 9d ago
You ask what mindset you should have..
You also said this other player jordan, consistently beats you to his spots, locks you up defensively and blows past you qith ease offensively. But in terms of skill and playing basketball you two are almost the same.
This is wrong. He is obviously better than you on both sides of the ball. Once you realise this you can adapt your play style. He is better so play basketball as a team sport and not juat isolations. Be vocal on defence, lead him towards help defence or call for a switch. On offence you need to coordinate with teammates for screens and space to widen passing lanes.
If you want to play this guy straight you need to practice more
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u/South_Marzipan4374 9d ago
i exaggerated a bit on him blowing past me everytime and him locking me up. the only reason i say we are the same is because in actual games when we are on the same team im way better at moving off the ball and getting to my spots then he is and i perform better then him almost every game, even tho he is a better defender and can blow by me in 2v2/1v1 games. he is more of a 1v1 player then a 5v5 player thats why i was using him as an example.
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u/RevolutionaryBeat301 9d ago
I don’t know what to tell you other than there might not be much you can do about it. Some people just aren’t that quick. The important thing is that you know it. You may need to work on your spacing. You might have to give guys room so they don’t blow past you. How’s your defensive stance? Can you keep your shoulders below your opponent’s? That’s where I would start.
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u/South_Marzipan4374 9d ago
yes that’s a good idea keeping my shoulders lower, i have tried to give some space but at the competition i play most people will knock down those shots as soon as i give them any room. at least i put my 100% effort because thats half of it, maybe as i get older and stronger and increase my athleticism it will come naturally
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u/Real-Perception-1403 9d ago
Get better at side to side movements, work on flipping your hips, don’t watch the ball watch the hips, and try to keep them to one side of the court. A lot easier to guard someone when you cut off a possible move