Quick Hitters vs 2-3 Zone Defense

Coach Russ
Coach Russ
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Published 2022-07-17
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These are two quick hitters you can run against a 2-3 zone defense. You really need a good passer and decision maker at the 3 position who can maintain control of the ball while reading the defense. Typically, when playing against a team running a zone defense, I like to employ an offensive strategy like Overload or the Triangle. These continuous offensive plays allows for various looks at scoring opportunities based on what the defense is allowing.

With these quick hitters, we are intentionally trying to break down certain vulnerable areas in the zone defense and force the defense to have to communicate; usually something most teams aren't great at doing.
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The 2-3 zone defense is an alternative to man-to-man or match-up defensive strategy used in basketball. It is referred to as the 2–3 because of its formation on the court, which consists of two players at the front of the defense and three players closer to the basket.

The 2-3 zone is usually one of the first zone defenses coaches and players learn and deploy. That’s probably because of it’s intuitive nature and ease of learning. The two players on the top of the zone are typically the two guards; the shooting and point guards. They guard the area of the zone on the perimeter and three-point arc.

The forwards (3 and 4 players) guard the sides of the zone and the center (5 player) guards the lane and center of the zone. When your opponent moves the basketball around the court, the entire zone shifts to cover their designated areas in the zone. As the ball moves throughout the court, the defense shifts simultaneously in the direction of the ball.

Communication is probably the most important thing to remember when playing a 2–3 zone (or any zone defense). Every player needs to talk to each other on the court . Typically, the center acts as a defensive director in the 2-3 zone because they care able to see more of the court. They are always shouting who should be where, what the offense is doing, and acts as the eyes behind the heads of their fellow teammates.

Even though the 2-3 zone is a “zone” defense, every player on the court should always be aware of the where the offensive players are on the court. It’s critical that the defense move to guard an open player than stay within the normal constraints of the 2-3 zone with offensive players that are closer to the basket taking a high priority.

The strength of the 2-3 zone originates at the basket and radiates outward. It’s typically deployed against an opponent who is stronger/bigger inside and are poor perimeter shooters. A general goal of the 2-3 zone is to force the offense to take perimeter shots and prevent entry into the paint by pass or drives.

The 2–3 zone is a very effective defense when teams communicate and rotate properly. It’s generally true that the further away from the basket, the lower the chances of scoring. The 2–3 zone protects the key and is great at preventing penetration into the lane. Because of that, it’s forces perimeter shooting as an offense's most accessible option, thus lowering your opponents overall field goal shooting percentage.

There are some times when using the 2-3 zone would leave your team vulnerable. With the perimeter, especially the 33-point arc, wide open, teams that are great at 3-point shots and mid-range shots can easily dismantle the 2-3 zone. Teams don’t remain in a 2-3 zone for very long when their opponents start knocking down long range shots with ease and consistency. If you’re committed to staying in a zone, your might want to switch to a 3-2 zone against a good perimeter shooting team.

The 2–3 zone requires good communication, teamwork and trust. Every player must know exactly where to be at all times, where their teammates should be, and where their opponents are at all times. Zone defense is more complex than just chasing one player around the court and staying between them and the basket. If you practice all aspects of this zone and defend as one single unit on the court, your team will be formidable with this zone defense.
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