In today’s uptempo game, athletes are faster and stronger than before. It’s important to go over the principles of transition defense and today we’ll break down Kevin Eastman’s tenets on transition defense.
Kevin Eastman was a college coach and NBA assistant for almost 40 years before retiring. One of his greatest achievements was helping mastermind the 2008 Boston Celtics to an NBA championship, a team that prided itself on great defense. As I looked through his Celtics notes and various writings on defense I knew I just had to share his ideas with you guys.
We’ve covered transition offense before by breaking down Tom Izzo’s numbered fast break. To recap, the goals of the offense are:
- Get layups/ open 3 point shots
- Play off a numbers advantage 2 v 1, 3 v 2, 4 v 3
So in our defense, we want to take these away by:
- Sprinting back into the paint area to prevent layups. Force mid range jump shots.
- When there’s a numbers advantage, go into a zone temporarily until help gets back.
Sounds simple? Well it’s easier said than done- I’ll break down these principles in depth for you and explain what drills you can use to teach the vital concept of transition defense.
Continue reading “Complete Guide to Kevin Eastman’s Transition (Fast Break) Defense + Drills!” »