Defense is possessions. Every possession is a battle and good defenders win every possible battle. Contesting a shot, tipping a pass, stripping a ballhandler, bumping a cutter, hitting the floor, and boxing out comprise the countless battles which occur during a game in order to secure possession of the ball. Good defense equates to fewer possessions for the opponents and less points on the scoreboard. If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to fight for the ball every play like it’s the last one of the game, you can become a good defender.
Defense is pressure. Great defenses do not allow easy shots because the easier the shot, the higher the shooting percentage. A shot becomes difficult when it is taken under duress, rushed, and off-balance, from a poor location on the floor. Players will not choose to take these poor shots, they must be pressured into doing so. If you can wait and not be tired by waiting as you pressure every ballhandler across every inch of the floor, you can become a great defender.
Defense is persistence. Tough defenders are not worn down as the game progresses; they are always tenacious from the first moment to the final seconds. Tough defenders who are beaten sprint to beat the ball to the spot. Tough defenders who turn the ball over work even harder because they never concede anything. Tough defenders are a powerful psychological foe who neither bend nor break. If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same even if a possession lasts as long as a minute, you can become a tough defender.
Defense is pride. Elite defenders never hang their heads because there is always the next play for them to reclaim their reputation. Elite defenders always remain in control because they are reflecting on what they can improve upon instead of blaming others. Elite defenders stop the ball and never rely on help because they focus solely on what they can control. Elite defenders always contribute their best effort because each encounter is a personal challenge. If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, you can become an elite defender.
If you can value possessions, pressure, persistence, and pride and maintain those virtues for the entire unforgiving game, yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it. And – which is more – you’ll be a Man.