Dwane Casey: 'Training Camp' Defense Drills

with Dwane Casey,
Detroit Pistons (NBA) Head Coach;
former Toronto Raptors Head Coach;
2018 Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award
; Most career wins in Raptors franchise history;
Led Toronto to the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals; 2018 NBA All-Star Game Head Coach;
won an NBA Championship as an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks (2011);
was the captain of the 1978 Kentucky NCAA National Championship team

Even the greatest players in the world spend time working on basic fundamentals in practice. Learn how NBA All-Stars such as DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are instructed by Coach Dwane Casey to raise their game on the defensive end.

Coach Casey demonstrates how he leads the Toronto Raptors through nine training camp drills that focus on individual and team defense fundamentals in order to form a strong foundation for the season. You will learn Coach Casey's strategies for keeping the ball out of the paint, as well as how to communicate coverages.

Individual Defense Drills

No detail in your on-ball defensive fundamentals can be taken for granted when you are challenged with keeping the most elite scorers on the planet in front of you on a nightly basis. Coach Casey demonstrates three closeout drills with five variations that will help your players master their closeout technique through multiple progressions. These drills will teach players how to take a "no-middle" defensive stance on the wing using the run off & recover tactic to deny a great shooter their scoring opportunities, as well as rotating with the X call to cover shooters in dribble penetration scenarios.

The next few drills build on the closeout techniques to incorporate guarding the ball off the dribble, challenging the shot without fouling, and boxing out effectively to prevent offensive rebounds. The Mine Drill will develop a mentality with your team to never give up on a play by forcing defenders to scramble in a 4-on-3 disadvantage situation.

Team Defense Drills

Learn the tenets to the Toronto Raptors' defensive philosophy regarding on-ball screening actions. The 3-Line Closeout drill simulates the Blue technique versus side ball screens and Weak technique versus high ball screens in a single possession. Coach Casey breaks down the details to both coverages, such as the terminology the Raptors use to communicate, hand positioning to deter passes out of the pick & roll, and how far the post should extend to help on the screen. A variation to this drill shows how you can switch with your post players using the Pull It strategy.

Two additional drills teach players to fight through dribble hand-offs, how to use the Blue technique on pinch post action, and defeating wide pin-downs.Three more drills cover a variety of offensive and defensive concepts. See how the Toronto Raptors get loose at the start of all their practices throughout the season with the Five Man Weave drill. The 2-on-1 Finishing Drill serves a dual purpose in teaching offensive players how to score at the rim while also helping your defensive players learn how to protect the basket.

All coaches have an interest in teaching fundamental defensive skills to their team. In this video, Coach Casey draws on his expertise at the top level to present a number of simple, but powerful drills to develop defensive habits and schemes that you can use in your practices every day.

87 minutes. 2018.