Vitor Galvani on Hedge & Plug Protection Plans, Guard-to-Guard Separation & Letting Shot Selection Set the Pace | Mexico City Capitanes

The 2026 G-League Coach of the Year, Vitor Galvani, joins us to detail how he built and adjusted Hedge & Plug in Brazil and the G League. He explains why the coverage made sense in what he calls a “scoring guards league,” how the pickup point changes the plug technique, the triggers for releasing the hedge, and why re-screens and late flips can put the coverage under real stress.   

The conversation moves behind the ball to Galvani’s “Protection Plan”: the MIG and Fence, jumping pickups to discourage direct corner skips, choosing when not to X-out, “See Numbers Go,” peel switching, and building Black, White, and Gray changeups around the same defensive identity. On offense, Galvani gets into KYP on guard-to-guard screens, creating separation before the action, Hot Stove versus Cold Stove screens, and using second-side pass-and-chase actions to attack switching.    

In Start, Sub, or Sit, Galvani challenges the usual pace conversation by starting shot selection, connecting offensive involvement to defensive effort, and explaining why his team moved the ball side to side with purpose. He closes with the relationship between shot quality, Tagging Up, and offensive rebounding, along with the daily investment that shaped his coaching education.

What You'll Learn

How the ballhandler’s pickup point changes the on-ball defender’s responsibilities within Hedge & Plug. 

•  The two triggers Galvani used to release the big from the hedge. 
•  Why re-screens and late flips are difficult Hedge & Plug counters, and when switching becomes the emergency solution. 
•  How the MIG and Fence form the “Protection Plan,” including having the Fence jump the pickup rather than automatically X-out. 
•  How “See Numbers Go” and peel switching turn aggressive gap positioning into opportunities for steals. 
•  Why Galvani trained some peel switches as reads rather than relying on a defensive call. 
•  How Black, White, and Gray allowed his team to change the ball-screen picture without abandoning its defensive base. 
•  Why KYP comes before pace and technique when teaching guard-to-guard screening. 
•  How separation, randomness, and “action on top of action” keep guard-to-guard screens from being steered or jammed. 
•  How shot selection can influence offensive pace, defensive effort, Tagging Up, and offensive rebounding.

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