Three Effective Early-Season Defensive Basketball Drills

• By Grant Young

The start of the season is a crucial time for players at all levels to establish good habits through effective basketball drills. As teams begin to come together, it's the perfect opportunity to lay a solid foundation that can influence performance throughout the entire season. 

Starting with structured drills also fosters a sense of discipline and teamwork. During this phase, players can learn how to communicate effectively on the court, understand their roles, and build chemistry with one another. Drills that emphasize teamwork not only improve individual skills but also cultivate a cohesive unit that works well together, which is vital for success in competitive environments. 

The start of the season is when players are most open to feedback and learning. They are often eager for guidance as they want to make an impression. By introducing good habits through drills now, players are more likely to internalize the lessons and apply them consistently during games.

All of these reasons indicate why there’s no better time than right now, as the basketball season is about to begin, to find a few drills that could become staples for your team, especially early in the year. This is why we’ve pulled three perfect early-season defensive drills from three elite head coaches that can provide you with a blueprint for how to get your team to mid-season form before your opponents on defense. 

Mark Downey - No Man’s Land Drill

Mark Downey enters into the fifth season of his second stint as head coach at Arkansas Tech and will be in his ninth season overall at Tech in 2024-25. Downey’s first stint saw him lead the Wonder Boys from 2006-07 to 2009-10.

After guiding the Wonder Boys to their first winning season in five years with a 16-15 record and an appearance in the GAC Tournament Championship game in 2022-23, Downey guided the team to a 25-7 overall record and an 18-4 mark in the Great American Conference in 2024.

Coach Downey’s ‘No Man’s Land’ Drill from his ‘Practice Drills & Guard Individual Development’ course is a fantastic way to instill basic but vital fundamental techniques when establishing your team’s identity on the defensive end of the floor. 

This drill begins with five players on defense in a circle in the paint while a coach is under the hoop with a ball. There will be one offensive player on the block while the other four offensive players are spread out along the wing. The defensive players need to hold hands and spin while the coach with the ball rolls it out to one of the players on the wing. 

Whichever player in the spinning circle that’s closest to the player who receives the rolled ball must immediately go and close out. The next closest player needs to get in the nearest passing lane. Two other players need to close out the help side, and then the fifth defensive player must take care of the opposing post player. 

At this point, the drill becomes a live scrimmage scenario. There can be a ton of different variations to this drill (such as a different offensive alignment, emphasis on pick and roll defense, or defensive switching) but the key part to it is that the defenders must be communicating and making fast decisions about who to guard once the ball gets rolled. 

Dave Adkins - 3 Man Touch to Transition Defense Drill

David Adkins joined the Washington women's basketball program ahead of the 2024-25 season, bringing 15 years of collegiate and NBA experience to the Huskies' bench as an Associate Head Coach. Known for his incredible work ethic and skill in player development, Adkins' career reflects a deep commitment to excellence and mentorship.

Prior to his appointment at Washington, Adkins served as the Director of Player Development for the Denver Nuggets and their NBA G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, during the 2023-24 season. His NBA tenure also included pivotal roles with the Portland Trail Blazers (2022-23) and the Washington Wizards (2014-2021). 

Coach Adkins’ ‘Player Development: Offensive and Defensive Combination Drills’ course details a 3 Man Touch to Transition Defense Drill that should be on every coach’s practice plan in the early parts of a season. 

This drill begins with three players who each make a dunk or layup. Once they do, all three run back to transition defense while three other players push it down the court. The key for defenders at this point is shrinking the floor along the wings, understanding where each transition player is, and making quick closeouts if and when the ball handler spots up or passes to a shooter along the wing. 

This is a simple drill that emphasizes quick repetitions, conditioning, communication, and teamwork on the defensive end, and can be done daily at the start of a season to instill these transition defense principles. 

Joe Pasternack - Wildcat Drill

Joe Pasternack is in his eighth season at the helm of the UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team. Over his seven seasons with the program, he has accumulated a 148-68 record for a winning percentage of .685, the best in school history. His 148 wins are the most in the first seven years of any Gaucho head coach.

Coach Pasternack’s ‘Program-Defining Drills’ course’ discloses his ‘Wildcat Drill’, which is primarily focused on defending the ball screen. It begins with one post player on defense at the top of the post. The player he’s guarding makes a pass then cuts down into the paint, where a coach is waiting to set a screen with a protective pad.

The defender must get past that back screen, defend the ball in the post, defend a cross-screen, front the post player, then end with however the coach wants their players to defend the ball screen with their post player. 

Placing these players in all these scenarios in rapid succession will give them vital reps at the beginning of a season they’ll need down the stretch.