Defense wins ball games

It’s an adage as old as sports themselves. Defense wins ball games.

Looking around the 3A basketball conference, we see teams who have successful seasons year after year.

Sometimes it’s because they have a big enough school population that they are able to pick and choose the top athletes for their varsity squad.

Sometimes it’s because they have extraordinarily talented athletes.

Sometimes it’s because they roster a group of dedicated and committed athletes who put in time all year to perfect their skills.

But, one thing that never changes is that these teams all play great defense.

Take Douglas, for example. Without a doubt, the Lady Bearcats enjoy the benefits of the first three scenarios mentioned above, but even in years where they may have been a little short on talent, they have always been fierce defenders.

Statistically speaking, Douglas tops the 3A list for the state in team scoring, averaging 70.3 points per game, team shooting, averaging 45.6% per game, and team defense, where they hold their opponents to an average of 31.9 points per game. They also lead in steals, averaging 16.5 per game, and in turnovers, forcing 24.9 per game.

While those first two stats indicate that Douglas has a dominant offense, it’s the last three categories that create the opportunity for the first two.

If their defense is forcing nearly 25 turnovers in a contest, that gives the Lady ‘Cats 25 extra possessions of the basketball, while also depriving their opponents 25 chances to score. The proof is in the pudding when you look at the point differential between Douglas and those they play against.

Here are some benefits of playing great defense. First, defense is something that coaches/teams can control. It travels. Sometimes even great shooting teams will have an off night on the offensive end of the court. But defense can always be consistent as long as players bring the intensity, effort and execution of that defense.

Second, it’s the quickest way for a team to get competitive. It may take a while to get offensive skills up to snuff, but defense is easy to develop and anyone can be a defensive player.

Next, defense leads to easy offensive opportunities. When Douglas throws their full-court pressure on a team, they turn that team over quite a lot (see above statistic). Those turnovers lead to fast break layups, which are high percentage shots, and they can quickly demoralize the other team. Even if a layup isn’t the result of a turnover, having the ball in your possession gives you the opportunity to set up offensive plays that can result in points.

Playing great defense also improves the likelihood that your team will do well on the defensive boards. If you are closing out on shooters, you are likely to throw that player’s shot off the mark. Then, if you are in a good defensive position, you will also be in a great rebounding position, which limits the opportunities for the other team to score and gives you yet another possession on offense.

If you want to win ball games, you have to limit your opponent’s opportunities to score and then take advantage of those you create for yourself. Playing great defense is the key to both.