Half-court defense at a disadvantage: three defenders against four on offense. The defense learns to protect the rim and recover, the offense learns to use the extra player. From Brad Stevens, who ran it with the Celtics.
Setup: Teams of four, or five with subs. Three defenders start in the paint, four offensive players spread around the arc and the fourth defender sits. A coach passes in from the top.
Rules:
- Live until a stop or a score
- Make it, take it: a score keeps the offense on the floor
- A stop counts once the defense has the rebound and sends the defense to offense with all four players
- A new team always comes in on defense. Rotate who sits
Coaching points:
- Protect the basket first. No layups and no free cuts
- Force the ball out. Recovering to a shooter is easier than recovering to the rim
- Caught between two players, shade to the better shooter
- Offense: move the ball, keep spacing and hunt a great shot, not the first one
Keep score: play to 20 or for a few minutes. For varsity vs JV, varsity defends the whole time and gets a point for every stop.
