Defence is as important as offense. Good defense creates scoring opportunities and controls the pace of the game. It also shuts down the best scorers of the opposing team leading to easy victories. At higher levels of basketball, teams that play good defense ususally wins the game. Good defense requires good positioning, communication, awareness and effort. Here are some basic defensive skills that a beginner should know.
Defensive stance is very basic but important in defense. Defensive stance is a position very you sit low as if you are sitting on a chair. It allows you to react faster to your opponents moves, Improve your balaance and helps you generate more strength so you could play physical defence and it helps avoid fouls.
Close are important as it contests your opponents shots making them shoot worse from midrange and 3 pointers. In order to have a good closeout you have to sprint towards the player and use stutter steps when coming close to them to avoid getting passed by and you also have to keep your hands up to contest opponents shot. This way you make sure the opponent does not drive past you or does not get an easy shot on you.
Help defense is when the opponent get past your teammate so you step up and guard his man making sure that the opponent does not score on your basket. This allows your teammate either to recover and get back to his man and you back to yours or you switch players meaning yopu stay on the man that your teammate was supposed to guard while he goes and guards your man. Help defense usuaally comes from weak side which is the side away from the ball.