Beating Pressure Defense in Basketball

Beating pressure defenses in basketball can be a challenge for beginners and even some intermediate skilled players and teams. It doesn’t have to be hard though. Based on some very simple concepts I’ve created a checklist for players and coaches to utilize to be prepared to face even the best presses. As you’ll see, beating pressure defense doesn’t have to be hard.

When you look at the list it will all seem very simple. And it is! Remember, the 2nd team of the team you are playing breaks their first team’s pressure over and over in practice every day! Why? Because they’re used to it and they know they can. You’re first team is hopefully better than their 2nd team so keep that in mind as you prepare.

Here’s the basics – and I’m talking mostly to players here. Coaches, you can certainly spend some time practicing your players to develop them so they can do these things, but this is really a player problem of being mentally strong and skillfully capable.

Players:

1. Get good at moving the ball up the court 1 on 1 so you can be comfortable that if just one player is guarding you it will be okay. When you get even sort of decent, most of the time you will be able to advance the ball against just one defender. If you can do that with your eyes up and see a double team coming then the press becomes a cinch to beat.
2. Know that “there is no spoon”. In the hit film the matrix, the hero Neo meets a young child who is bending spoons with his mind. Neo takes the spoon with the idea of trying to do the same. Luckily, the child is a good coach and reminds neo of the truth about the spoon, “there is no spoon”. It’s all an illusion! A ruse. Pressure defense is really the same. They can’t touch or tackle you… they can only try to convince you that something awful is happening and that you should act NOW – doesn’t matter HOW – just DO SOMETHING. And then they take advantage of the bad decisions you make in that hurried state. That’s right, it’s all a ruse to get you worked up so you will be in a hurry and make a stupid mistake. So be cool and know that you’re in charge.
3. Become a strong passer – put some zip on those balls. This is sometimes called SNORT = snappy + short passes. In the book “Stuff Good Players Should Know” (notes here) the author talks about snorting as being kind of something that someone who is tough does. I like it. Be tough, throw short snappy passes.
4. Become a strong receiver – run through the ball when it is in the air to prevent steals. If as a player you will run through the ball to catch it instead of waiting for it a pressure defense has a much lower chance of working. Often you will get fouled called on the opponent as they run in to you. This is good. Enough fouls and you’re shooting free throws, or they foul out, or they back out of the press.
5. Pivot out of Pressure (POOP) so you are throwing strong passes instead of off balance weak ones. The POOP acronym is another from the book mentioned previously. When under pressure, pivot to make a good angle to make a SNORT pass. Don’t put the ball behind your head where you become a sitting duck. Pivot and be strong with the ball.
6. Stay away from dangerous court positions (stupid corner and “just over” the half court line). When you get to these places do it ON THE WAY somewhere – NOT as the target place.
7. Have a plan. Ideally with you in the middle and three teammates easy passing distance apart you should be impossible to double team. If they double you and guard each of the three teammates then one more teammate should be wide open. If they can catch, they should be shooting layups.
8. BONUS: Attack it, don’t. just survive it. When you see the other team pressuring you should be thinking “layups and easy buckets” rather than “oh no – i hope they don’t steal it”. There’s not a lot of full court pressure in the higher levels of the basketball world because the players are all capable of playing 1v1 and can all pass and catch. If you can do those things, then do what they do in the NBA when someone pressures them… make them pay.

As a coach, every time my young players are pressed i used to get so frustrated because young players basically can’t make the passes typical press breaks require. But beating pressure defense can be more easily accomplished through emphasizing short passes, reversing the ball, and advancing the ball 1v1 when possible. It doesn’t take long to turn a press against you into a great look at the basket.

Notice that some of these are just knowledge and mindset. “There is no spoon” and “Stay away from dangerous places on the court” are simple behaviors that you can teach yourself as a player and are coachable in a day. Add to that if you can remember there is no spoon you’ll actually feel less pressure which which enhances your ability to remember to stay away from dangerous spots. “Attack the press” is something players should be reminded of (internally or externally) once they know how to beat it.

Practicing these tips for beating pressure defense in basketball will make a huge difference. Be sure to keep these in mind as a player and a coach. Take care!