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Mike Jagacki

@Mike_Jagacki • 17,933 subscribers

Founder of Lockdown Defense • Drills, Techniques and Concepts to develop Lockdown Defenders

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These are the plays that define why Alex Caruso is a two time champion. Assigned to Castle, able to peel switch onto Wemby, jam him out of position, then first to recognize and get all over a 50/50 opportunity. I mean, how many players

These are the plays that define why Alex Caruso is a two time champion. Assigned to Castle, able to peel switch onto Wemby, jam him out of position, then first to recognize and get all over a 50/50 opportunity. I mean, how many players

72,504 views

People really want this defense to be a foul?? This is fronting the post

People really want this defense to be a foul?? This is fronting the post

1,811,739 views

Your best offensive player just did this on defense… that’s what a star player is

Your best offensive player just did this on defense… that’s what a star player is

119,292 views

"It seemed like every time I caught the ball they went in a zone. It was kind of confusing at times." — Anthony Edwards after last night’s loss to the Lakers. He’s not wrong. And it’s not the first time. Let’s break down how the Lakers disrupted Ant — and why this isn’t new. 🧵

"It seemed like every time I caught the ball they went in a zone. It was kind of confusing at times." — Anthony Edwards after last night’s loss to the Lakers. He’s not wrong. And it’s not the first time. Let’s break down how the Lakers disrupted Ant — and why this isn’t new. 🧵

1,421,213 views

The Pacers completely flipped their identity in Game 6— And it broke OKC’s offense. Held them scoreless for nearly 7 minutes and to their lowest 3-quarter output all year. Here’s how Indiana changed everything defensively 🧵

The Pacers completely flipped their identity in Game 6— And it broke OKC’s offense. Held them scoreless for nearly 7 minutes and to their lowest 3-quarter output all year. Here’s how Indiana changed everything defensively 🧵

1,178,802 views

First play and Carlisle immediately attacks the Brunson hedge: love the reaction of the bench towards Carlisle

First play and Carlisle immediately attacks the Brunson hedge: love the reaction of the bench towards Carlisle

510,250 views

Durant finally gets Draymond off him, and just watch the Warriors’ rotations behind Horfors

Durant finally gets Draymond off him, and just watch the Warriors’ rotations behind Horfors

118,686 views

Alex Caruso is the kind of defender that makes offensive coaches want to rip their hair out. Last night, he blew up Denver’s sideline out-of-bounds play — twice — using a move most defenders overlook: the outside shoulder steal. 1st, the deflection. 2nd, forces a steal...

Alex Caruso is the kind of defender that makes offensive coaches want to rip their hair out. Last night, he blew up Denver’s sideline out-of-bounds play — twice — using a move most defenders overlook: the outside shoulder steal. 1st, the deflection. 2nd, forces a steal...

400,671 views

Houston's miraculous comeback started with 10 minutes to go when they held Duke to 9pts for the rest of the game! Here are those 10 minutes of defense...

Houston's miraculous comeback started with 10 minutes to go when they held Duke to 9pts for the rest of the game! Here are those 10 minutes of defense...

145,806 views

The Hawks beat the Knicks last night, and I can think of one clear difference: Dyson Daniels. One of my favorite young defenders in the league. He did an excellent job on Brunson all night and his defense made a huge impact on the result. Let's dive into the film... A Thread

The Hawks beat the Knicks last night, and I can think of one clear difference: Dyson Daniels. One of my favorite young defenders in the league. He did an excellent job on Brunson all night and his defense made a huge impact on the result. Let's dive into the film... A Thread

175,936 views

Brad Stevens used to preach: “3 stunts on every catch.” The closeout. The on-ball defender jumping into the gap. The new gap defender taking position. “Jump and swipe.” His Butler teams were a masterclass in gap support. Full Breakdown:

Brad Stevens used to preach: “3 stunts on every catch.” The closeout. The on-ball defender jumping into the gap. The new gap defender taking position. “Jump and swipe.” His Butler teams were a masterclass in gap support. Full Breakdown:

85,355 views

Too many players guard the ball passive. We need our players to impact and disrupt the ball - No Comfy QBs. Here’s our 3-part progression: #1. 12 Seconds of Hell A continuous 4sec–4sec–4sec rep to teach layered ball pressure: 4 sec of ball tracing: hand above the ball (not across body), pressure passers, pop back on rips. 4 sec of live dribble: small space containment, stunt and recover. 4 sec of dead ball pressure: vocal pressure “DEAD DEAD DEAD,” limit vision, force back foot passes. #2. Man in the Middle A simple drill that goes back to childhood. 2 passers, 15 ft apart. No overhead passes. Defender must slap the ball to start each on-ball rep. If they force a deflection, errant pass, or movement from the receiver → passer is in the middle on defense. #3. Fake Game 1v1 with only 1 or 0 dribbles. Forces defenders to pressure and disrupt without getting blown by. If they sag too much, they give space for an easier shot or downhill free dribble. If they pressure, they learn to force wide and force tough shots. We call it HEAT. Every defender's heat is different, but everyone needs to impact the ball in some way. No spectators or statues on the ball waiting to be attacked.

Too many players guard the ball passive. We need our players to impact and disrupt the ball - No Comfy QBs. Here’s our 3-part progression: #1. 12 Seconds of Hell A continuous 4sec–4sec–4sec rep to teach layered ball pressure: 4 sec of ball tracing: hand above the ball (not across body), pressure passers, pop back on rips. 4 sec of live dribble: small space containment, stunt and recover. 4 sec of dead ball pressure: vocal pressure “DEAD DEAD DEAD,” limit vision, force back foot passes. #2. Man in the Middle A simple drill that goes back to childhood. 2 passers, 15 ft apart. No overhead passes. Defender must slap the ball to start each on-ball rep. If they force a deflection, errant pass, or movement from the receiver → passer is in the middle on defense. #3. Fake Game 1v1 with only 1 or 0 dribbles. Forces defenders to pressure and disrupt without getting blown by. If they sag too much, they give space for an easier shot or downhill free dribble. If they pressure, they learn to force wide and force tough shots. We call it HEAT. Every defender's heat is different, but everyone needs to impact the ball in some way. No spectators or statues on the ball waiting to be attacked.

65,645 views

We see it again: stealing the first dribble off the ball screen

We see it again: stealing the first dribble off the ball screen

49,096 views

Billy Donovan's back tip drill - Don't break your stride lunging for a steal - Sprint through the steal - Recover back in front if miss it Talk about teams that never gave up in pursuit

Billy Donovan's back tip drill - Don't break your stride lunging for a steal - Sprint through the steal - Recover back in front if miss it Talk about teams that never gave up in pursuit

82,781 views

The problem with defensive awareness is that most players watch basketball like this... They only follow the ball. They watch it like a fan and not to get better. Which is unfortunately what highlights, mixtapes, and short clips ingrain the habit to be. Then when they step on the floor, no wonder they can't see the ball and their man, let alone everything else - they've only focused on one thing at a time. The first step to changing defensive awareness, is changing how players consume the game. Awareness is a habit. And habits can be developed. Full breakdown out now:

The problem with defensive awareness is that most players watch basketball like this... They only follow the ball. They watch it like a fan and not to get better. Which is unfortunately what highlights, mixtapes, and short clips ingrain the habit to be. Then when they step on the floor, no wonder they can't see the ball and their man, let alone everything else - they've only focused on one thing at a time. The first step to changing defensive awareness, is changing how players consume the game. Awareness is a habit. And habits can be developed. Full breakdown out now:

14,151 views

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Many coaches on Twitter will hate me, but we do this drill everyday. Here’s why we do it and why I’ll always do it…
0:24
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Many coaches on Twitter will hate me, but we do this drill everyday. Here’s why we do it and why I’ll always do it…

Mike Jagacki

5,697,475 views • 2 years ago

Dyson Daniels put on a defensive clinic last night on Jalen Brunson. Brunson only scored 4 points when guarded by Daniels
2:51
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Dyson Daniels put on a defensive clinic last night on Jalen Brunson. Brunson only scored 4 points when guarded by Daniels

Mike Jagacki

240,209 views • 1 month ago

The Miami Heat are challenging one of the biggest assumptions in modern basketball defense: “Giving up threes is bad.” But they've flipped the math. Because not all threes are created equal. This season: • Open 3PT% ≈ 40% • Contested 3PT% ≈ 33% That’s a 7% drop in efficiency. And when you look at Miami this is where things get interesting: They give up the 4th most threes in the NBA… …but they’re 2nd in contested 3s. So they’re not trying to eliminate threes. They’re changing the type of threes you get. And it's resulted in the 4th Def Eff in the league. And it goes even deeper: Catch-and-shoot 3s ≈ 36.7% Off-the-dribble 3s ≈ 30% Another 7% swing. They’re not eliminating the three-point line. They’re defending the three-point quality.
1:11
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The Miami Heat are challenging one of the biggest assumptions in modern basketball defense: “Giving up threes is bad.” But they've flipped the math. Because not all threes are created equal. This season: • Open 3PT% ≈ 40% • Contested 3PT% ≈ 33% That’s a 7% drop in efficiency. And when you look at Miami this is where things get interesting: They give up the 4th most threes in the NBA… …but they’re 2nd in contested 3s. So they’re not trying to eliminate threes. They’re changing the type of threes you get. And it's resulted in the 4th Def Eff in the league. And it goes even deeper: Catch-and-shoot 3s ≈ 36.7% Off-the-dribble 3s ≈ 30% Another 7% swing. They’re not eliminating the three-point line. They’re defending the three-point quality.

Mike Jagacki

421,019 views • 2 months ago

Here's the simple play the Knicks ran that Atlanta could not stop yesterday. Goes to show you, especially in the NBA, it's not about the action, it's about the personnel running it.
1:22
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Here's the simple play the Knicks ran that Atlanta could not stop yesterday. Goes to show you, especially in the NBA, it's not about the action, it's about the personnel running it.

Mike Jagacki

157,559 views • 1 month ago

Do I teach how to steal the ball? 100% yes. We don't want our offensive players taking shots they've never practiced. Same on defense. This is one of my favorite drills to introduce the Wide Steal.
0:53
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Do I teach how to steal the ball? 100% yes. We don't want our offensive players taking shots they've never practiced. Same on defense. This is one of my favorite drills to introduce the Wide Steal.

Mike Jagacki

85,654 views • 24 days ago

What footwork do you teach on closeouts? Chopping your feet is too slow. The hockey stop is too dangerous. The 4-step breakdown is the perfect balance. 2 steps to control, 2 steps to impact.
1:34
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What footwork do you teach on closeouts? Chopping your feet is too slow. The hockey stop is too dangerous. The 4-step breakdown is the perfect balance. 2 steps to control, 2 steps to impact.

Mike Jagacki

51,528 views • 16 days ago

The first time I ever taught this technique to a player, he had 5 steals in his next game. Not saying it will happen every time, but the Silent Count is a great trick to learn...
0:25
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The first time I ever taught this technique to a player, he had 5 steals in his next game. Not saying it will happen every time, but the Silent Count is a great trick to learn...

Mike Jagacki

362,411 views • 4 months ago

Rick Carlisle hasn’t used zone once this series. Not even against a Thunder team that has struggled against it. But what if he’s been saving a twist for Game 7—like he did in 2011? 🧵
0:58
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Rick Carlisle hasn’t used zone once this series. Not even against a Thunder team that has struggled against it. But what if he’s been saving a twist for Game 7—like he did in 2011? 🧵

Mike Jagacki

964,259 views • 11 months ago

How did Michigan shut down one of the most complex half court offenses in basketball? Just watch the first possession... A Mini Thread
0:21
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How did Michigan shut down one of the most complex half court offenses in basketball? Just watch the first possession... A Mini Thread

Mike Jagacki

158,447 views • 1 month ago

James Harden has no idea what to do against this defense
0:29
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James Harden has no idea what to do against this defense

Mike Jagacki

67,548 views • 29 days ago

Breaking down some Jrue Holiday film. I love how instead of opening his hips when guys attack his top foot, he will slide to create contact. Often times resulting the a steal from the ball being so exposed
0:39
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Breaking down some Jrue Holiday film. I love how instead of opening his hips when guys attack his top foot, he will slide to create contact. Often times resulting the a steal from the ball being so exposed

Mike Jagacki

1,400,538 views • 1 year ago

I never yell at players for “cheating a play” in practice, because this is what I want them to do in games… cheat the play Caruso beats the cross screen for Jokic before it’s even set
0:24
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I never yell at players for “cheating a play” in practice, because this is what I want them to do in games… cheat the play Caruso beats the cross screen for Jokic before it’s even set

Mike Jagacki

765,136 views • 1 year ago

Every player should be studying Dyson Daniels this off-season
0:55
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Every player should be studying Dyson Daniels this off-season

Mike Jagacki

595,188 views • 10 months ago

Every time the Knicks ran that flex screen in Game 5 and their various counters: - Flex Screen - Flex Screen the Screener - Flex Clear - Fake Flex Backscreen - Flex Same Side ISO Rip - Flex Same Side - High Splits - Classic Flex
2:24
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Every time the Knicks ran that flex screen in Game 5 and their various counters: - Flex Screen - Flex Screen the Screener - Flex Clear - Fake Flex Backscreen - Flex Same Side ISO Rip - Flex Same Side - High Splits - Classic Flex

Mike Jagacki

66,308 views • 1 month ago

Every time the Lakers Trapped SGA last night...
2:54
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Every time the Lakers Trapped SGA last night...

Mike Jagacki

53,944 views • 1 month ago

How did UConn hold Illinois to their worst offensive game of the season? It starts with how they guarded ball screens... a thread
0:59
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How did UConn hold Illinois to their worst offensive game of the season? It starts with how they guarded ball screens... a thread

Mike Jagacki

93,118 views • 2 months ago

For those who didn't see the end of this game, here is the 5 second calls side-by-side: you can see how drastic the difference in cadence was
0:30
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For those who didn't see the end of this game, here is the 5 second calls side-by-side: you can see how drastic the difference in cadence was

Mike Jagacki

110,349 views • 2 months ago

How did Arizona hold Purdue to their 2nd worst offensive performance of the season? One of the key elements of their gameplan was using a hugger and roamer. Staying attached to #2 Loyer and roaming off #4 Kaufman-Renn. And Arizona's #5 Burries did a great job as the roamer: stunting, shrinking gaps and tagging rollers. Being a good roamer is a vastly underrated skill.
1:35
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How did Arizona hold Purdue to their 2nd worst offensive performance of the season? One of the key elements of their gameplan was using a hugger and roamer. Staying attached to #2 Loyer and roaming off #4 Kaufman-Renn. And Arizona's #5 Burries did a great job as the roamer: stunting, shrinking gaps and tagging rollers. Being a good roamer is a vastly underrated skill.

Mike Jagacki

90,979 views • 2 months ago

Toumani Camara vs Devin Booker in the 4th quarter. Devin Booker's average 4th Q usage% = 32.6% In this game = 23.8% No better defender at limiting a star's touches
1:59
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Toumani Camara vs Devin Booker in the 4th quarter. Devin Booker's average 4th Q usage% = 32.6% In this game = 23.8% No better defender at limiting a star's touches

Mike Jagacki

66,058 views • 1 month ago

The Toronto Raptors have used an open stance in the gaps against Mitchell or Harden isolations. It's caused problems: allowing them to corral the iso, play passing lanes, and send traps. Also notice the denials on Mitchell and Harden the moment neither of them have it.
0:55
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The Toronto Raptors have used an open stance in the gaps against Mitchell or Harden isolations. It's caused problems: allowing them to corral the iso, play passing lanes, and send traps. Also notice the denials on Mitchell and Harden the moment neither of them have it.

Mike Jagacki

38,204 views • 1 month ago