Ahmet Dedeoğlu
06-13-2008, 04:01 AM
Against a zone, 'cut its heart out' inside
By Fran Fraschilla
Special to ESPN.com
The goal of any zone offense is to get an uncontested shot we can make, a shot with a good opportunity to get fouled, or a shot we can rebound. It is particularly important to get the ball inside against zones because it can be demoralizing.
CoachSpeak Interested in the X's and O's of college basketball, but don't understand the terminology? Read ESPN's Fran Fraschilla's introduction to Hoops 101 ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) on ESPN.com for a crash course in the basics of basketball.
A team will play zone for three main reasons:
1. Your team is strong inside.
2. Your team is a weak outside shooting team.
3. To change the flow and tempo of the game.
But, whenever a team can get the ball inside -- to the "heart" of the zone -- it is a psychological blow to the team playing a zone defense.
Zone Offense Concepts
When we talk about concepts, we talk about general ideas that cover attacking the various zones we will see during the season. Later, we will show you a couple of set plays that are effective against zones. But the first thing any offense must do is recognize just what type of zone a defense is playing.
It is important that players know the slides of each zone, or how it moves against an offense. If the defense knows where to go, your players should, as well. Here are the three common zone alignments:
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Once a team recognizes the zone alignments, it can position its players in the gaps of the zone. Tonight, when Missouri plays Syracuse (ESPN, 7 ET), look at how the Tigers to set up against the Orangemen's 2-3 zone. There should never be anyone in front of the Missouri offense. Look for the Tigers to align themselves in a 1-2-2 or 1-3-1 set against Syracuse. Against other types of zones, maybe a 1-2-2 zone, teams might position players in a 2-3 offensive set.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Once we know what kind of zone we are facing, we want to the ball and our men quickly to take the zone out of its shape and make the slides longer. The "skip pass" or cross-court pass is a great way to make the zone run. Tonight, look for Missouri to attack the zone with a skip pass from Jimmy McKinney ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (2) to Rickey Paulding ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (3).
Here, we attack the 2-3 with a "skip pass".
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
For an offense to be effective against any zone, the ball should move faster than the slides of the zone. And, by putting the zone to work, an offense eventually can break the zone down. It may take four or five ball reversals before a crack in the zone appears, but it's important to recognize that the quality of a team's shots against the zone are in direct proportion to the quality of its passes.
Any zone defense will usually react to pass fakes because the defense is geared to move on the flight of the ball. Good pass fakes will move the zone just a little further away from the direction you really want to pass the ball. A good shooter's use of a good shot fake can also get the defender out on the edges of the zone to fly by, so that he can, at least temporarily, play the zone 5-on-4.
Once a team puts its players in the gaps of the zone, it'll want to "make two defenders play us." You can see that, at the top of the 1-2-2 zone, we want to attack the "gaps" to create a 4-on-3 against the rest of the zone. (Diagram 6).
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Tonight, against the Syracuse 2-3 zone, if Missouri can attack the top gap of the zone with Ricky Clemons ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (1) making the Orange "play two", the Tigers will have the advantage elsewhere on the court with Clemons finding teammates like Travon Bryant ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (4) or Paulding (3) open for good shots.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Another way to create "misdirection" against a zone -- where the ball looks like it is going one way, but is really going in the opposite direction -- is through the use of the dribble. Look for Missouri to try to "overload" the Syracuse zone, with Clemons (1) dribbling back out as Paulding (3) fills in behind him to the wing. In this instance, Arthur Johnson ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (5) must roll across the middle to occupy the center of the zone. This allows the Tigers shooters to slide in behind on the "short corner" and get a great shot because the weak side of the zone has to be concerned with Paulding (3) on the the wing.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Teams can also create a one-on-one situation with dribble against a slower defender.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Because the zone is geared toward guarding the ball, it's also possible for teams to work people from behind the zone, where it doesn't always see players. The key, however, is to never let the backline defenders to see all five offensive players.
What are some of the things teams can do from behind the zone? First, they can flash to the middle and look for the shot of the inside-out pass.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Second, it can screen the back of the zone.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Next, teams can position players opposite for the offensive rebound off an outside shot. Basketball physics tells us that 70 percent of shots taken from one side of the court bounce to the opposite side. And, finally, teams can be opposite of where the ball is (vs. the 2-3 zone) so that, when the back side forward "bumps out" to help the guard on his side, it can run someone to the "short corner". See how a team has created a 2-on-1 against the back side forward.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
So, those are some principles of zone offense. Basically, this is all a team really needs if its running a freelance or "motion zone" offense. Now, lets throw in a couple of set plays against a zone defense -- including some to watch for tonight from Missouri against Syracuse's 2-3 zone.
Against the 2-3 or 1-2-2 zone, start by passing to 2's side and then have him swing it back to 1. Then, 2 cuts through the opposite corner as 4 and 3 set a double screen on the baseline and 1 dribbles over. On the pass to 2, the forward on that side will guard him. It's up to 4 to screen the center, 3 to screen the back side forward and 5 to come underneath where he is wide open to receive the pass from 2. (Diagrams 13, 14).
Diagram 13 [Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Diagram 14 [Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Remember what we said earlier about the psychological damage of getting the ball inside? Well, here is a common "lob" play that you will likely see tonight and during the season.
The play starts by passing the ball to the team's best wing athlete, who is usually the 3. He passes it back to the point guard (1), who, as a decoy, takes a dribble or two toward the off-guard (2). The center (5) flashes into the middle to occupy the center, and the power forward (4) screens the back side forward as 1 throws the lob to 3.
Diagram 15 [Only Registered Users Can See Links]
One of the great things about basketball is the ability, as a player and as a coach, to adjust during the course of the game or during the course of the season. One night you compete against a quick team that presses. The next night, you are playing a big team that zones. In adjusting to the various zone defenses, it is important, not to take what the defense gives you, but take what you want by getting the ball inside.
Remember, "Cut the zone's heart out."
By Fran Fraschilla
Special to ESPN.com
The goal of any zone offense is to get an uncontested shot we can make, a shot with a good opportunity to get fouled, or a shot we can rebound. It is particularly important to get the ball inside against zones because it can be demoralizing.
CoachSpeak Interested in the X's and O's of college basketball, but don't understand the terminology? Read ESPN's Fran Fraschilla's introduction to Hoops 101 ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) on ESPN.com for a crash course in the basics of basketball.
A team will play zone for three main reasons:
1. Your team is strong inside.
2. Your team is a weak outside shooting team.
3. To change the flow and tempo of the game.
But, whenever a team can get the ball inside -- to the "heart" of the zone -- it is a psychological blow to the team playing a zone defense.
Zone Offense Concepts
When we talk about concepts, we talk about general ideas that cover attacking the various zones we will see during the season. Later, we will show you a couple of set plays that are effective against zones. But the first thing any offense must do is recognize just what type of zone a defense is playing.
It is important that players know the slides of each zone, or how it moves against an offense. If the defense knows where to go, your players should, as well. Here are the three common zone alignments:
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Once a team recognizes the zone alignments, it can position its players in the gaps of the zone. Tonight, when Missouri plays Syracuse (ESPN, 7 ET), look at how the Tigers to set up against the Orangemen's 2-3 zone. There should never be anyone in front of the Missouri offense. Look for the Tigers to align themselves in a 1-2-2 or 1-3-1 set against Syracuse. Against other types of zones, maybe a 1-2-2 zone, teams might position players in a 2-3 offensive set.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Once we know what kind of zone we are facing, we want to the ball and our men quickly to take the zone out of its shape and make the slides longer. The "skip pass" or cross-court pass is a great way to make the zone run. Tonight, look for Missouri to attack the zone with a skip pass from Jimmy McKinney ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (2) to Rickey Paulding ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (3).
Here, we attack the 2-3 with a "skip pass".
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
For an offense to be effective against any zone, the ball should move faster than the slides of the zone. And, by putting the zone to work, an offense eventually can break the zone down. It may take four or five ball reversals before a crack in the zone appears, but it's important to recognize that the quality of a team's shots against the zone are in direct proportion to the quality of its passes.
Any zone defense will usually react to pass fakes because the defense is geared to move on the flight of the ball. Good pass fakes will move the zone just a little further away from the direction you really want to pass the ball. A good shooter's use of a good shot fake can also get the defender out on the edges of the zone to fly by, so that he can, at least temporarily, play the zone 5-on-4.
Once a team puts its players in the gaps of the zone, it'll want to "make two defenders play us." You can see that, at the top of the 1-2-2 zone, we want to attack the "gaps" to create a 4-on-3 against the rest of the zone. (Diagram 6).
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Tonight, against the Syracuse 2-3 zone, if Missouri can attack the top gap of the zone with Ricky Clemons ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (1) making the Orange "play two", the Tigers will have the advantage elsewhere on the court with Clemons finding teammates like Travon Bryant ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (4) or Paulding (3) open for good shots.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Another way to create "misdirection" against a zone -- where the ball looks like it is going one way, but is really going in the opposite direction -- is through the use of the dribble. Look for Missouri to try to "overload" the Syracuse zone, with Clemons (1) dribbling back out as Paulding (3) fills in behind him to the wing. In this instance, Arthur Johnson ([Only Registered Users Can See Links]) (5) must roll across the middle to occupy the center of the zone. This allows the Tigers shooters to slide in behind on the "short corner" and get a great shot because the weak side of the zone has to be concerned with Paulding (3) on the the wing.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Teams can also create a one-on-one situation with dribble against a slower defender.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Because the zone is geared toward guarding the ball, it's also possible for teams to work people from behind the zone, where it doesn't always see players. The key, however, is to never let the backline defenders to see all five offensive players.
What are some of the things teams can do from behind the zone? First, they can flash to the middle and look for the shot of the inside-out pass.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Second, it can screen the back of the zone.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Next, teams can position players opposite for the offensive rebound off an outside shot. Basketball physics tells us that 70 percent of shots taken from one side of the court bounce to the opposite side. And, finally, teams can be opposite of where the ball is (vs. the 2-3 zone) so that, when the back side forward "bumps out" to help the guard on his side, it can run someone to the "short corner". See how a team has created a 2-on-1 against the back side forward.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links]
So, those are some principles of zone offense. Basically, this is all a team really needs if its running a freelance or "motion zone" offense. Now, lets throw in a couple of set plays against a zone defense -- including some to watch for tonight from Missouri against Syracuse's 2-3 zone.
Against the 2-3 or 1-2-2 zone, start by passing to 2's side and then have him swing it back to 1. Then, 2 cuts through the opposite corner as 4 and 3 set a double screen on the baseline and 1 dribbles over. On the pass to 2, the forward on that side will guard him. It's up to 4 to screen the center, 3 to screen the back side forward and 5 to come underneath where he is wide open to receive the pass from 2. (Diagrams 13, 14).
Diagram 13 [Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Diagram 14 [Only Registered Users Can See Links]
Remember what we said earlier about the psychological damage of getting the ball inside? Well, here is a common "lob" play that you will likely see tonight and during the season.
The play starts by passing the ball to the team's best wing athlete, who is usually the 3. He passes it back to the point guard (1), who, as a decoy, takes a dribble or two toward the off-guard (2). The center (5) flashes into the middle to occupy the center, and the power forward (4) screens the back side forward as 1 throws the lob to 3.
Diagram 15 [Only Registered Users Can See Links]
One of the great things about basketball is the ability, as a player and as a coach, to adjust during the course of the game or during the course of the season. One night you compete against a quick team that presses. The next night, you are playing a big team that zones. In adjusting to the various zone defenses, it is important, not to take what the defense gives you, but take what you want by getting the ball inside.
Remember, "Cut the zone's heart out."