I haven't really played much basketball in my lifetime so pardon my ignorance on the subject. I was wondering what makes an offense successful against a man defense vs a zone defense? It seems that some teams play better against one over the other. A&M for example seems to have trouble against the zone defense. Also how does a teams offense have to change when the defense changes?

Well, a really simple answer (as in, not near complete) would be that generally, teams with great posts are going to do better against the man defense, while teams with great outside shooting are going to do better against the zone.

"I feel like we have some unfinished business." - Chris Walker
On the bandwagon since birth. Raised in the bleachers of Kyle, Olsen, and G. Rollie White

The key to beating a zone is all about penetration, fast passing and good perimeter shooting. You penetrate the zone, draw double coverage, kick it to the outside then after the rotation of the defense, pass back-door for an easy 2. It also helps to have good court vision and be able to anticipate what will happen after several passes.

a zone is mostly beat great penetration, quick ball movement and hitting holes. some times some clubs have problems rotating and b/c its a team D, one idiot in a zone D can create problems all over the court.

man, you could beat almost any way possible...high/low if you have the good post play and d collapsing. penetration off the perimeter. good movement w/o the ball, quick ball movement, etc. a man d is a little more likely to create a mismatch as well.

I agree with the zone analysis. I would add that spacing of the players on offense is a key. If they get packed in, it gums up everything.

A good motion offense beats a man to man. {edit: That's why moving without the ball is so important in man-to-man.)

[This message has been edited by Cepe (edited 2/3/2006 1:17p).]

The key is always going to be spacing and movement. These two ingredients will score you alot points and make you successful on the offensive end. The key to winning is on the defensive end and creating transition baskets.

mikesyracuse1

On defense, one thing that is important is keeping your hands up. It is difficult and extremely exhausting. If you watch our team, we are excellent at it. You can even hear BCG yelling it. This is where the extreme conditioning BCG insists on shows itself.

This way, every pass and shot is contested. The younger guys have problems with this because they probably didn't have to do it much where they played before.

Against a man, screens are essential, trying to rake your man off or hitting the screener if he coomes open while the D switches. Screens don't work against zone, have to hit open holes and shoot outside well.

Which brings up my problem with the college 3 point rule. No defense, zone or man, can stop someone consistently at that distance with either defense. The bonus is too high, the shot too cheap. Move it back.

There are variations on zone defense. Many zones use a trapping scheme which requires a very different game plan as compared to a normal zone defense. Normal zones aim to limit points in the paint. I'd say that zone Defense (like others above have mentioned) is beaten by penetration. However, the only way to really get penetration unless you have a great driver is to shoot outside shots well and thus force the zone to stretch more. Good passing can help the shooting %.

Man defense is normally beaten by either isolation, a good middle man, or fast breaks.

I am fully in the "penetrate a zone" camp. You can do this best with good drivers, but you can help a lot with off ball screens and good ball movement.


Also, most coaches like to "overload" one side of a zone. In other words, flash the backside post up to the elbow and work that triangle, using the skip pass when the defense over rotates.

[This message has been edited by letters at random (edited 2/4/2006 12:07p).]

Beating a zone defense does not always mean penetration. If you have good defenders at the top of the zone, you can generate many turnovers.

Each zone defense trades strengths in areas of the courts for weaknesses in other areas. 1-3-1 zones are weak at the free throw line...3-2/1-2-2 are weak at the baseline...2-3 are weak on the wing if positioned correctly. In college, I think proper spacing and passing are more essential to beating a zone than penetration. Don't get me wrong, penetration helps, as does good outside shooting, but if you space and pass properly you can usually get an open 10 ft. (or less) jumper somewhere.

A poster ealier stated you cannot run screens in a zone. This is incorrect. Many zone offenses pick a man having to cover a lot of distance. Often, the post will pick a man on the backside in a quick reversal of the court to free a runner along the baseline. Guards may also pick the outer man of a zone to free up a 3 pt. shot.

The Aggie offense penetrates like a 90 year old man trying to penetrate a bucket.

Full Speed Ahead - Fire At Will - Gig'em

Penetration is easier said than done inasmuch as you have to get between 2 men and have another one waiting for you when you get there if the zone is playing correctly.

I didn't say you couldn't screen. It's just not the essence of the offense against a zone like it is a man. Then there's the match up zone and the box and one, so of course, screens are possible.