Basketball is a lil more dynamic than that. In some instances, protecting the ball is having your back to the basket and shielding the ball AWAY from defender. You only want to swipe the ball below when ready to attack. Too many people square up, thinking about cross overs, but that exposes yourself. MJ mastered the fadeaway and so did Kobe. Both shielded the ball away from the defender, before being ready to shoot. To say the least, you need to be fluid in every situational instance.