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With the game moving more and more away from the basket to the perimeter, the driving lanes stay wide open, and thus we now more than ever need to teach our players how to close out properly and rotate on drive and kick actions.

 It is extremely important that players don’t just read the positioning of the ball, but can also read the positioning of their teammates - for example: if my teammate is guarding the ball, and I see his hips turned, this is a sign for me that he will get more likely beat to the lane and I need to immediately react and be ready to help to the ball - even if the ball handler has not beat the defender yet. 

Drive and Kick 3 on 3 Drill

Reading and appropriately reacting not just to the ball, but also to my teammates can most definitely give us a step ahead on every defensive possession. 

Let’s take a look at how Dallas Mavericks Assistant Coach Sean Sweeney breaks down Drive and Kick situations and shows the drill he likes to use in practice in both 3 on 3 and 5 on 5 settings. 

Drive and Kick 3 on 3 Drill

Pick and Roll 3on3

We like to use this drill fairly often, as it can be used for non-contact practices and allows us to practice multiple defensive coverages. Coach Sweeney likes to put emphasis on the angles of the ball screen coverages - regardless of what coverage we are using. We need to pay attention to detail on the angles to avoid unnecessary fouls   Another great point you will hear Coach Sweeney talking about in the video below is to pay attention to hand positioning - both on the big and the guard.

Pick and Roll 3 on 3

As you will be watching rest of the Dallas Mavericks - Golden State Warriors series, try to notice the positioning of the Mavericks players during Pick and Roll and Close Out actions, and pay attention to detail on where they forcing their defenders and how the help side defense reacts to it.

Every possession is an opportunity to learn.

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