Equipment Needed
- One basketball
- Half court
Build out your practice kit
This junk defense just needs a ball and five defenders, but a basic coaching-aid kit keeps the rest of practice moving.
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- Four defenders set up in a box zone shape around the key; one defender is assigned to shadow the designated scorer everywhere they go.
- Offense sets up in a normal half-court alignment with their best scorer at any spot.
Instructions
- The chaser defender denies the ball to their assigned player everywhere on the floor, including off-ball screens.
- The box-four hold their zone shape, sliding to cover gaps as the ball moves.
- If the designated scorer gets the ball anyway, the nearest box defender helps immediately.
- Play out full possessions and rotate offensive personnel to test the coverage against different looks.
Coaching Points
- The chaser must fight through screens rather than switching — losing the assignment defeats the entire defense.
- The box four need constant communication since their shape has to adjust to where the chaser and ball end up.
- This defense is vulnerable to strong ball movement away from the star player — rep that scenario specifically.
- Use this as a situational tool, not a base defense — practice entering and exiting it smoothly.
Variation
Have the offense specifically design plays to free their star player to stress-test the chaser, or switch which defender plays the chaser role to build depth.