How a Wolf Pack Hunt is like a Press Defense
Surround, communicate, be quick and adapt.
I’m a huge fan of defensive pressure—specifically full court presses. A couple of years ago I was explaining the mindset I thought my girls should have when pressing. I told them, “It’s like when wolves hunt. Have you ever watched wolves stalk their prey?” My comments were met mostly with giggles or bemused stares, but I felt like I was on to something, and eventually they began to embrace the role.
We started calling one of our most aggressive presses “Hyena.” Before the game against our arch rivals I even brought a large photo of a hyena with a bloody snout and had the girls sign their names to it before we stormed out of the locker room. We were pretty pumped.
I’ve continued to think about the similarities between pack hunting behaviors and pressure defenses. Recently I learned about the artificial intelligence ChatGPT program that you can ask questions. I asked ChatGPT, “What do wolf pack hunting strategies have in common with basketball press defenses?” The answer was interesting:
Wolf pack hunting behavior and the press defense in basketball share similarities in terms of the coordination and teamwork they require. In wolf pack hunting, wolves work together to surround and trap their prey. In the press defense in basketball, players work together to trap the ball handler and deny them an easy path to the basket.
Strategies employed by wolves that might be employed by defensive players include:
Surrounding the prey/ball handler: Wolves surround their prey to cut off its escape routes, similarly, defensive players surround the ball handler to restrict their options.
Communication: Wolves communicate with each other to coordinate their attack, similarly, defensive players communicate with each other to ensure they are in sync.
Quickness and agility: Wolves need to be quick and agile to catch their prey, similarly, defensive players need to be quick and agile to stay with the ball handler.
Adaptability: Wolves adjust their strategy as the situation changes, similarly, defensive players need to be able to adjust their strategy as the offensive team changes its tactics.
Some additional commonalities I’ve noted over the years are that wolves don’t usually rush right in and attack. They are coursing predators who take their time and use their senses to weigh many factors before selecting a target—usually a younger or weaker caribou, for example. Similarly, some of the best press defenses take their time to wear opponents down by containing them and forcing them to make extra passes—it’s not always about the first trap option—over the course of the game. Meanwhile coaches and players might identify certain players (or weaknesses) to be specifically targeted.
I’ve also read that wolves know their mere presence, following closely behind, will eventually panic the heard of caribou. The same idea applies to press defense. Just the other night, as soon as our opponent setup in a press—a sloppy, not-aggressive-at-all press—our players started nervously throwing horrible passes. Just the sight of a press can have the desired effects.
Surround. Communicate. Play quick. Adapt. I look forward to learning other lessons from the animal kingdom.