Contents > 2. Defense > 2.2. Transition Defense >
2.2.2. Transition Defense: Disadvantage
(1) Q: When will disadvantage transition defense occur?
A: Hopefully, disadvantage transition defense situations will be rare; they should never occur on a made basket and should very rarely occur on a missed shot, since the defense should have plenty of time to run back and prevent offensive players from getting past them. However, this situation can occur more frequently when there is an offensive turnover that does not go out of bounds.
(2) Q: What is the goal of disadvantage transition defense?
A: Usually, the first goal is to slow down the offense as much as possible so other defenders can recover, turning it into an equalized situation or 1/4-court offense; if that cannot happen, the second goal is to reduce the shot percentage as much as possible.
(3) Q: How do we accomplish those goals?
A: This will usually depend on what the ratio of offensive to defensive players closest to the hoop is; for example, 2 offensive players against 1 defensive player (2-on-1; X-on-X). We will review the situations of 2-on-1, 3-on-2, and 4-on-3 / 5-on-4 in the next sections.
