Partners face each other four feet apart between the cones, the leader without a ball in the base version: 1 moves laterally toward the left cone and X1 slides to stay nose to nose, because the defender reads the hips, not the feet.

1 plants and reverses toward the right cone; X1 drop-steps and slides back the other way, keeping the plant foot loaded and the knee over the foot, because a knee that caves on the change of direction is a lost step and a sore knee.

1 stutters and fakes a go left before heading back to the middle; X1 mirrors it without crossing his feet or hopping, because the fake is what gets a tired defender upright and the drill is teaching him to stay low through it.

Progression: 1 steps straight at X1 and X1 backpedals to keep the gap, head level and hands wide, because adding forward and back turns a slide drill into a closeout and a retreat.

Last progression: 1 puts the ball on the floor and dribbles toward the left cone; X1 slides and contains him without reaching, because the ball changes nothing about the feet. Thirty seconds, then the pair switch roles and reset.

1 at the top against five-out. X1 on the ball, X2 and X3 in the gap one pass away, X4 and X5 two passes away on the help line with one foot in the paint, in pistols: one hand to the ball, one to the man, seeing both. Why the help defenders are in the lane and not next to their men: their job is the drive, not the pass, and the drive goes through the lane.

1 passes to 2 on the right wing. X2 closes, X1 drops into the gap, X4 to the gap on the corner, and now X3 and X5 are two passes away: both slide to the help line, one foot in the paint. Why the help side changes with every pass: whoever is two passes away is the help, and the ball decides who that is. The defense concedes the wing catch and keeps the lane.

2 drives the middle and beats X2 a half step. X3 steps up from the help line and stops the ball at the elbow, X5 drops to the rim. Why X3 and not X1: X3 is already in the lane with his eyes on the ball, so his step is short; X1 would have to leave the gap and open the pass to 1.

2 picks up and skips the ball across to 3, the man X3 left. X3 sprints back and closes out with short steps and a high hand, X2 drops to the help line, X5 to the gap on the corner. Why the skip is the price of help: the help defender's man is open for a moment, but a skip pass is the slowest pass on the floor, so the closeout arrives with the catch; the defense concedes the pass, not the shot.

3 passes to 5 in the left corner while 2 relocates to the wing. X5 closes with no baseline, X3 drops to the gap, X4 is two passes away on the help line at the rim. Why X4 is at the rim and not in the far corner: from the corner the only drive is the baseline, and the baseline drive ends at the rim, which is where the help waits.

5 drives the baseline out of the corner. X5 rides him with no middle and X4 steps from the help line to the front of the rim and walls up, hands straight up. Why the helper does not leave the lane to meet him: the lane is where the drive ends, and a helper who meets the dribbler early concedes the layup behind him.

5 picks up against the wall and throws it back to 3. X3 closes out, X5 recovers to the gap, X4 back to the help line. Why the pass back out is the one the defense wants: the drive is over, the ball is outside again, and the clock is lower.

3 swings it to 1 at the top while 5 relocates to the corner. X1 closes, the wings drop to the gap, the corners to the help line. Why the swing resets nothing for the offense: the help side is rebuilt on the flight, with the defenders two passes away already in the lane.

1 passes to 2 on the right wing again. X2 closes, X1 drops, X3 and X5 slide back to the help line. Why the defense is not tired of this: every pass is a short slide for the defense and a long wait for the offense.

2 drives the baseline this time. X2 rides him, and X5, on the help line two passes away, rotates to the front of the rim and walls up. Why the rotation comes from the far corner's defender: he is the one in the lane, and the man he leaves is the farthest pass on the floor, which is the pass the defense concedes.

2 picks up his dribble in front of the wall with the clock gone and no pass he can make quickly. Contained. Why two drives met help both times: whoever was two passes away was in the lane, and the lane is where every drive ends.