WHY PAINT TOUCHES MATTER
Paint touches put the most pressure on the defence.
Not all drives are the same.
If you beat your defender near half court, the defence may help — but they don't have to fully commit.
They can:
- hedge
- take a step toward you
- wait and see what happens
They might think:
- you're too far to score
- their teammate can recover
So the defence helps a little, but not all the way.
When you get a paint touch, everything changes.
Almost everyone can score from the paint.
If the defence does not help, it is usually:
- a layup
- a foul
- or both
That means help defenders cannot wait.
They must commit 100%.
When help defenders fully commit:
- they leave their man
- they cannot recover in time
- someone is open for sure
This is why we aim for paint touches.
Paint touches:
- force full help
- make reads easier
- create the clearest advantages
The closer you are to the basket, the harder the defence has to react. Paint touches turn small advantages into big ones, and big advantages into easy shots. That is why good offence is always trying to get into the paint.