What Does Clamps Mean in Basketball? | Term Explained!

What do clamps have to do with basketball? Nothing, it’s a term used to describe good defense.

What does clamps mean in basketball? The term clamps mean when a player is playing excellent defense on the player with the ball. It is used in such a way that spectators will comment, ” He put the clamps on him”.

There are a lot of slang words and terms you may not have heard of in basketball and in different countries, there are different words used to describe basketball skills being displayed on the court.

Why the word “Clamps” to Describe Defense?

In woodworking a clamp is used to hold two pieces of wood together, this is the idea when the term is used. The player with the basketball can’t shake off the defense because he is glued to him.

Like a clamp that is holding pieces of wood glued together, the player on offense isn’t able to get by the defender, CLAMPS.

Elite Defenders will put the Clamps on good offensive players

Defending in basketball is very difficult, it takes a lot of hard work while using a lot of your body’s energy. There are some players who save their energy for offense and will slack on defense. But there are a few players that love playing defense more than they like playing offense.

These players have a knack for playing hard nose in your face defense and love stopping the best player on the opposing team. It’s their shtick. Think of a Patrick Beverley.

An Elite defender will put the clamps on a player who will average a high number of points. If a player scores 30 points a game and the defender holds him to 2 0 points it could be he just had an off night.

But if that same player is held to less than 15 points or less, well that means his team sees a 15 point deficit in the total score which means the defender put the clamps on him if you ask me.

Most often it is other players and spectators who use the term clamps more so in pick-up games than real basketball games.

Clamps aren’t used much by commentators broadcasting a big game.

Now any player can put the clamps on somebody, but not just any player can be an elite defender. 

A lockdown defender means the same thing as clamps and is used the same way to describe a player’s overall skill when it comes to one on one defense.

What is required to become an Elite Defender?

Being an elite defender is hard work, defense may come naturally for some players and others may pride their game around the defensive end.

Those that can be a clamp god will be loved by coaches, oftentimes coaches will have that player in the starting rotation or the 6th man rotation.

Being a good lockdown defender takes experience and involve some of these key attributes of a basketball player:

• Quickness
• Basketball I.Q.
• Toughness
• Anticipation
• Reaction time
• Endurance