The correct position when you are on defense begins with balance. You need to be ready to  move at all times, because you have to follow your opponent, and sometimes the ball. The defensive stance is your knees slightly bent, and the weight on the balls of your feet. One foot should be slightly in front of the other. The best way to move in this position is with the shuffle step. This is where you move your feet from side to side, rather than crossing over each other.

Your arms should always be up and moving around. If your arms are not doing this, it makes it easier for an opponent to get around you. Doing this can also distract from their passing lanes. Both arms should be stretched out about waist high, with your palms facing out and your fingers spread. This also puts you in a ready position to block a shot, tip, or steal the ball.

On-the -ball defense is exactly what it says. The person you are guarding has the ball. You need to stay within arms length of who ever you are guarding. If you know that they are faster than you, leave a little extra room so they don't run right past you. You also need to be aware of if your opponent has picked up their dribble or not. If they have, they can only do two things: pass or shot. You need to make both of these as difficult as possible. If they have not taken their dribble, you want to stay between the person and the basket at all times. You would do this by suffling with them, and keeping your eyes on their midsection. They can fake you out by moving their head and switching the direction of their feet, but their hips never lie. When player is dribbling, make their path to the basket the longest by cutting off the inside, so they have to get around you to get to the basket.

Off-the-ball defense is exactly how it sounds also. You are guarding someone who doesn't have the ball. When this happens, your first goal is to make sure the person you are guarding does not get the ball. If the ball is close enogh to your opponent that they can recieve it in one easy pass, then you need to stay in the normal defensive stance as mentioned earlier. If the ball would have to be passed twice, you have a little room to roam. But remember, when the ball moves within a one-pass range, you need to move in closer. Do not loose sight of your opponent, and don't give them an open lane to cut to the basket and score. One thing you can do is protect the key. This part of the court is the most dangerous area for the defense. You want to make that space as crowded as possible so it is more difficult for opponents to get through to the basket. Another important thing for you to do when your opponent does not have the ball is to give help. This means that you "help out" a teammate if they get picked, or lose their opponent. You would stop them from scoring an easy layup. The real key to helping out is communication. You can for instance yell "shot" if someone is going to shoot.

A pick, or screen, is when a player stands planted in a certain spot to block the path of an opposing player, therefore opening up a lane for a tammate for a scoring opportunity. You need to be ready for these when you are on defense. Help your team by communicating when someone is going to set a pick. Make sure if a teammate or you gets picked, you communicate by saying "switch" so another tammaet can pick up the person you were guarding, and you take their person.

Defense doesn't seem like much, but it is very important. As the saying goes, the offense gets the headlines, but the defense wins the game.