Reading Defense Drill – Screen Down, One Defender

This basketball drill is great to teach players how to react to a defense and where to find open space and scoring opportunities.

Keys to success: Focus should be on the offensive players. ‘Screener’ sets a stationary screen and ‘Offense’ waits for the screen to arrive before choosing a direction to cut. The drill works best if the defensive player chooses different ways to play (fights through, trails, goes over, jumps screen) to ensure the offensive player experiences all options. The ‘Offense’ player does not need to rush, it’s always beneficial to take an extra second and assess the defense – most of the time the defense will get impatient and tip their hand then you can react accordingly.

Elapsed Time: Run the drill for a desired amount of time. Ensure all players get an opportunity to play each spot.