1v1 Read the Defender
Introduce the simplest read: if the defender sags, shoot; if they press, drive.
- Duration
- 10 min
- Steps
- 4
- Equipment
- 2 items
- Difficulty
- Beginner
How to run it
- 1
Catch at the wing in triple-threat; defender guards you.
- 2
Read: if the defender is far off, shoot the open shot.
- 3
If the defender is close, drive past them to the rim.
- 4
5 reps as offense, 5 as defense; talk through the read each time.
Coaching points
- Look at the defender's feet before you decide.
- Sagging = shoot; pressing = drive — no hesitation.
- Make the read before you put the ball down.
Equipment
- Basketball
- Defender
Why it works
Decision-making starts with one simple either/or. The nugget: the best players don't have the best moves — they make the best decisions. This drill gives young players a clear rule they can apply in games without freezing: read the defender, then attack what they give you. A kid who learns to read the defense young will always take what's open, which is the entire game of basketball in one sentence.
1v1 Read the Defender
Purpose: Introduce the simplest read: if the defender sags, shoot; if they press, drive.
▶How to run it
- 1Catch at the wing in triple-threat; defender guards you.
- 2Read: if the defender is far off, shoot the open shot.
- 3If the defender is close, drive past them to the rim.
- 45 reps as offense, 5 as defense; talk through the read each time.
✓Coaching points
- ✓Look at the defender's feet before you decide.
- ✓Sagging = shoot; pressing = drive — no hesitation.
- ✓Make the read before you put the ball down.
▢Equipment
★Why it works
Decision-making starts with one simple either/or. The nugget: the best players don't have the best moves — they make the best decisions. This drill gives young players a clear rule they can apply in games without freezing: read the defender, then attack what they give you. A kid who learns to read the defense young will always take what's open, which is the entire game of basketball in one sentence.