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NADA: The Antifragile Defense
The Antifragile Defense is not a drill book or a specific system. NADA is flexible, a philosophy, a way to view defense in the modern game. The objective is not to memorize strict rules or create a black-and-white system, but to develop intuition and decision-making around a simple philosophy and rules of thumb. NADA aims to defend space and disrupt offenses, reducing big and small advantages to neutral or no advantage, while seeking defensive advantages. NADA develops players and a playing style that thrive in An antifragile defense.
I conceived of NADA (No Advantage/Defensive Advantage) shortly after publishing The Antifragile Offense, but the details have evolved and progressed. Truthfully, these ideas have percolated in the recesses of my mind since I first coached AAU and read about Ralph Miller’s system at Oregon State, but everything coalesced while coaching multiple teams at different competitive levels with different personnel in over 120 games in one season.
Offensive basketball evolved over the last decade, with teams at every level embracing advantages and .5-second offenses, but defensive concepts, drills, and instructions remain stuck in the 20th Century. Coaches have popularized specific presses, ideas (no middle), and systems (pack-line), but the general concepts and skills have changed little. All defenses use the same basic skills — everyone moves laterally, closes out, denies passes, plays help defense, and more — but NADA updates these basics to combat modern offenses.
NADA is more of a philosophy than a system, flexible ideas to implement with a coach’s own personnel. NADA moves beyond rigid rules and predictability to focus on minimizing advantages. The book outlines the basic philosophy, the rules of thumb to teach the defensive philosophy, and different ways to employ the philosophy in various game states, and includes links to over 40 videos demonstrating the ideas and skills.
The Antifragile Defense is my 27th book for basketball coaches, and the first to focus specifically on defense. Much as SABA presented a new way to view offensive basketball, NADA presents a new defensive approach to combat 21st Century offenses.
I conceived of NADA (No Advantage/Defensive Advantage) shortly after publishing The Antifragile Offense, but the details have evolved and progressed. Truthfully, these ideas have percolated in the recesses of my mind since I first coached AAU and read about Ralph Miller’s system at Oregon State, but everything coalesced while coaching multiple teams at different competitive levels with different personnel in over 120 games in one season.
Offensive basketball evolved over the last decade, with teams at every level embracing advantages and .5-second offenses, but defensive concepts, drills, and instructions remain stuck in the 20th Century. Coaches have popularized specific presses, ideas (no middle), and systems (pack-line), but the general concepts and skills have changed little. All defenses use the same basic skills — everyone moves laterally, closes out, denies passes, plays help defense, and more — but NADA updates these basics to combat modern offenses.
NADA is more of a philosophy than a system, flexible ideas to implement with a coach’s own personnel. NADA moves beyond rigid rules and predictability to focus on minimizing advantages. The book outlines the basic philosophy, the rules of thumb to teach the defensive philosophy, and different ways to employ the philosophy in various game states, and includes links to over 40 videos demonstrating the ideas and skills.
The Antifragile Defense is my 27th book for basketball coaches, and the first to focus specifically on defense. Much as SABA presented a new way to view offensive basketball, NADA presents a new defensive approach to combat 21st Century offenses.
102 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 28, 2025
Huge longtime fan of Brian's work, and I enjoyed the contrarian but well-reasoned arguments made in the book for an advantage based approach to teaching defense. The emphasis on trying to force disadvantages from neutral and get back to neutral from an offensive advantage was a convincing and engaging through line to follow chapter by chapter
However, I was disappointed that his thinking hasn't evolved much on the advantaged based teaching since SABA 10 years ago. A lot of these ideas have permeated the basketball coaching sphere already, so it would have been nice to see some slightly more innovative examples of how to incorporate these ideas.
Additionally, I do feel like sometimes the "don't teach in absolutes" mantra that he abides by got a bit handwavey at times with this book. There are plenty of times where absolutes do make sense in teaching individual decisions, and in teaching points and as a heuristic to use for developing players.
However, I was disappointed that his thinking hasn't evolved much on the advantaged based teaching since SABA 10 years ago. A lot of these ideas have permeated the basketball coaching sphere already, so it would have been nice to see some slightly more innovative examples of how to incorporate these ideas.
Additionally, I do feel like sometimes the "don't teach in absolutes" mantra that he abides by got a bit handwavey at times with this book. There are plenty of times where absolutes do make sense in teaching individual decisions, and in teaching points and as a heuristic to use for developing players.
July 28, 2025
great read!
Brian has done it again! His books are always jam packed with so many takeaways, you end highlighting half the book! Grateful for his willingness to share & his ability to break things down.
Brian has done it again! His books are always jam packed with so many takeaways, you end highlighting half the book! Grateful for his willingness to share & his ability to break things down.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews