Are You Reading Defenders When You Drive?

This video breaksdown the concept of 2-level reads. When you're driving to the basket, you'll almost always have 2 levels of defense you have to read and react off of. Understanding this concept can make the chaotic task of making good decisions at full-speed much easier to understand.

When driving to the basket, the 1st level is the nearest defender to you, and will typically be the guy guarding the perimeter player closest to you. If he stunts (or helps) you should pass it to the guy he's guarding.

If you're able to get past him, you need to get your eyes to the 2nd level defender, who will typically be the "rim protector" (or the player who's guarding your biggest teammate). If they help, pass it to that defenders matchup, and if they don't you'll be clear to shoot it.

This concept might be one of the most valuable things to understand if you want to play high-level basketball.

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