Nick Nurse: Switching, Rotations, Pick & Roll Defense, Doubling the Post and More!

with Nick Nurse,
Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Head Coach;
Toronto Raptors (NBA) Head Coach from 2018 to 2023;
2019 NBA Champions;
2020 NBA Coach of the Year;
2020 NBA All-Star Game Head Coach;
Toronto Raptors Assistant Coach from 2013 to 2018;
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (NBA D-League) Head Coach from 2011 to 2013;
2013 NBA (D-League) Champions;
Iowa Energy (NBA D-League) Head Coach from 2007 to 2011;
2011 NBA (D-League) Champions;
2011 NBA G-League Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year;
head coach in the British Basketball League (BBL) for the Manchester Giants, London Towers and Brighton Bears between 1995 and 2006;
2x BBL Champions;
2x BBL Coach of the Year;
2003 English Cup;
1999 Uni-Ball Trophy;
Head coach for Telindus Oostende (Belgium) in 1998;
1998 Belgian Cup & Super Cup;
played collegiately for Northern Iowa

Beyond basic fundamentals and philosophies, the ability to adjust defensive coverages provides an opportunity for teams to attack an offense in multiple ways. In this video, 2019 NBA champion coach Nick Nurse demonstrates ways that his teams have been able to defend ball screens, double the low post, and switch at an elite level.

Ball Screen Coverage

The ball screen has become one of the most effective offensive weapons in basketball. Every team has to have a plan as to how they defend different varieties of ball screens. In this section, Coach Nurse shows how his teams defend middle and side ball screens.

When defending the middle ball screen, Nurse demonstrates several coverages, including:

• Wall - Take away the jump shot off the ball screen.
• High Wall - Play a step above the ball screener with the same technique as Wall.
• Late Switch - Occurs if the dribbler breaks the free throw line with speed.

Among the different ways to defend a side ball screen is to execute "Blue" coverage, also known as icing or downing. One key to making this ball screen coverage work is getting into the ball handler instead of "opening the gates" and getting blown by on the drive.

Additionally, Nurse covers the responsibilities for the remaining three defenders in ball screen coverage. Helping out on drives and being in proper help position are covered for each type of ball screen action.

Doubling the Low Post

Coach Nurse presents three different ways to double the low post on any catch. The first is to double the post from the passer. Here, the player defending the passer goes with them into the lane on a cut to the basket before doubling with the low post's defender.

The second is from the nail (middle of the free throw line). The top defender playing help defense sprints to the low post and sets the double team with the low post's defender. Also included is how to double the low post from the baseline.

Off each of these double teams in the low post, Nurse shows how to rotate out of the trap and how to defend passes out of the low post. The basic technique is to rotate to the defender who went to double team the low post.

Switching

Beginning with the basics of guarding a dribble hand-off between perimeter players, Coach Nurse shows how to effectively switch on defense. The first key is to communicate the switch to eliminate confusion among the defensive players involved in this coverage.

The biggest key to being an effective switching team is to switch to disrupt, instead of switching for the sake of switching. The concept of T.T.T.T. is explained by having defenders involved in a switch "touch the other defender, talk, take, and touch the new guy."

Another point of emphasis in a switching defense is to plug the gap. The off-ball defender in the switch must hang back and make sure that the dribbler does not have the ability to attack the rim. Once the drive to the basket is taken away, they can go pick up their man.

Coach Nurse shows the numerous ways that defensive coverages can be changed to create confusion and stymie any offense. This is a fantastic video for anyone seeking high-level defensive strategies.

76 minutes. 2021.