hello and welcome lockdown Defenders this is coach Mike and today we are finally breaking down six time all NBA defensive team member and two-time NBA champion Drew holiday and how he's been one of the Premier defenders in the NBA this breakdown is going to be jam-pack so let's dive in man oh man what a defensive play [Applause] defense first Drew holiday is Elite at winning the first first dribble we've spent so much time on this channel talking about Defenders who primarily contain the ball holiday on the other hand primarily wants to stop the ball catching the first dribble right in his chest to fully impede the opponent's progress despite his incredible core and leg strength taking these attacks will still drive him backwards which acts to keep him in front staying chest to chest and giving very little room for counterattacks and other movements now holiday uses a ton of useful techniques and tricks and tips but I do need to point out his incredible core and leg strength and his agility that make him a great defender and if you want to level up your own defensive game you need to be one of the first to sign up for the lockdown Academy our first player focus online training platform with workouts techniques drills video breakdowns tricks and more be one of the first lockdown Defenders to join check the link in the description below to find out more now let's get back to the breakdown one of the most common techniques holiday uses to rack up his on ball steals is the same side steel this is a technique that relies on your ability to win the first dribble and not just win it but taking the attack in the chest this swallows up the offensive player and exposes the ball notice how holiday is always ready to explode anticipating that attack every every second he's playing defense there is no delay between the attack and his reaction and slide to cut it off most offensive players are taught to get low and attack the hips of Defenders so when holiday is still right with them the ball is so exposed at arm height notice that many times he is not just standing the offensive player up with a chest slide something we broke down with Lou Dort although holiday can do this as well but instead holiday also allows the contact to drive him back almost hollowing out and absorbing the offensive players's attack which means instead of combating the attack he's actually drawing it in which opens up those steel attempts this hollowing up and absorbing of the contact also prevents the offensive player from forcibly opening up Drew holiday's hips which brings us to perhaps my favorite technique of Drew holidays and why he hardly ever opens up his hips for reference most Defenders will open open or drop their hips at any sign of an attack especially when the offensive player attacks their top foot but holiday is different he slides in the path of the offensive player you can see why I call it a hip check and to be fair you have to be War about the foul call here but holiday is so explosive and anticipates that first dribble so well he can completely beat a player to the spot standing them up at times and again that ball becomes exposed when you can beat a player to a spot like that this is certainly not for the novice Defender but attacking holiday's top foot is surely a risky move and if the offensive player attacks in the opposite direction holiday will pin their off arm to their body this makes it extremely tough to come back with a counter move to that hand and it also opens up the offensive player for a reach across steel these are Concepts Avery Bradley and Kobe Bryant have broken down themselves in some of our past videos but holiday is not afraid to reach across especially when the offensive player has created separation spearing in at the ball through the line of attack he will also use this when pressuring the ball and the opponent is taking an obvious dribble whether coming off a ball screen or trying to attack after a counter move constantly attacking that off hand disrupting it and not letting you do a counter move unless you want it stolen and if somehow you get by holiday or get near the basket he still is looking to make a play either by using the swipe steel a common trait of great Defenders we' broken down on this channel again not swiping down to rake across the opponent's arms and send him to the fat line but aiming at the outside edge of the gather to knock the ball loose and disrupt the Finish even players at the highest level will expose their gather pickups going into their finish and because holiday is often chest to chest riding the offensive player he is an even better position to swipe at The Gather even if it is an outside protective one but that's not all for Holiday around the rim because don't let his athleticism continue to surprise you he has a great vertical jump to block and alter shots even from behind the play utilizing textbook chase down block techniques inside arm to outside shoulder aiming again for the release of the ball and not just randomly jumping and swatting and picking up a foul instead flying across the back of the offensive player to get to the ball's release point and disrupt the Finish now we clearly know holiday is an amazing Defender but as I tell great Defenders from all over if you can't guard a ball screen you will be easily neutralized with a simple screen holiday on the other hand is a master at navigating ball screens the first thing that jumps out when studying him is how many illegal moving screens he gets called which makes sense when you're pressuring the ball handler and they have to go before the screen is set but there's even more to this technique holiday is trying to blow through these screens he doesn't mind a little contact and that contact is precisely what is going to put the ref in position to make the call this is another thing Lou Dort does amazingly aggressively trying to get through those screens at full speed of course there is some acting and selling of contact that is needed especially when you're trying to get under a screen and the big is rolling into your path which is illegal but sometimes you need to get the ref's attention for them to make the right call but if we dive into the finer details we see that Drew uses two types of techniques to get through screens first he can knife over which means he is sliding over the screen trying to knife his closest foot over top of the screen to stay chest to chest with the ball Hunter now one weakness of this technique is it can open up lesser Defenders to a rejected ball screen which is what many coaches considered one of the worst things that can happen when guarding the ball screen but holiday is often so close chest the chest hand in hand with the offensive player it hardly makes a difference if they try and change directions he's tight enough to impede it immediately the second technique we'll see holiday use is if he gets clipped by a screen or his trailing the ball handler in this case he will pivot or swivel over around the screen swinging his outside foot up and over the screen to begin his pursuit of the ball now aiming to get back in front and never discount his ability to make a play from behind he will never give up and if he does catch up to the ball handler now back in his classic bag of tricks the reach across the same side steel and yes the swipe steel too in pick and roll recovery and we can't move on without just mentioning the activity of his hands especially when recovering from over with the ball screen and if you think for a second maybe you're better off taking him into the low post well you have another thing coming not only is he extremely strong and solid his hands make any face up a challenge for the the offensive player smothering that face up using his speed and quickness to his advantage in the post and if you attack him he's going to try and beat you to the spot just like he does on the perimeter using that same side steel again but this time more noticeably hollowing out his body so that he doesn't take that contact and instead the offensive player is swallowed into him in many cases you'll see the offensive player actually lose their balance similar to pulling out the chair you never know if holiday is going to use his strength or his skills when it comes to post defense and if you think we're done there's still one more area we need to touch on holidays off ball defense for starters he's always looking to make a play so never turn your head because he's going to be coming for that ball and yes he will make plays in The Gap as well spearing through the ball or picking off easy passes but one tactic that is more unique to Holiday is his Gap swipe to take advantage of so many NBA players Gathering the ball high as they go through gaps holiday will often swipe high in the Gap to dislodge that high pickup which is funny because most offensive players are picking that ball up high to avoid the digs and stabs they usually see from The Gap but holiday does the opposite and takes advantage again which is just another trick of the trade holiday has developed to be one of the best defenders in the NBA and why he's now helped two teams reach the promised land as always I'm coach Mike with lockdown defense keep up the hard work