If you play a 2-3 zone, it’s not unusual for an opponent to get in a flow, start recognizing rotations, and get comfortable.
When this happens, your zone defense can get stagnant and you’ll be tempted to come out of it.
But…if you have a few wrinkles in your 2-3 zone, you might be able to:
change momentum or stop runs
keep the offense uncomfortable and out of rhythm
steal a possession or two
force a quick turnover
Here are 6 wrinkles/adjustments/calls you might want to consider adding to your zone defense:
Middle Catch = Matchup
Whenever the ball is thrown into the high post, your center takes the ball.
Every other player finds the most logical matchup and you go man-to-man the rest of the possession.
Short Corner Trap
Whenever the ball is thrown into the short corner, it turns into an automatic trap with the center (x5) and forward.
The opposite wing is responsible for taking the obvious drop off pass.
The guards make reads based on where the offense is to get a steal.
Blitz
When the ball crosses half-court, the guards go and attack
The forwards cheat up to steal the obvious passes to the wings
The center cheats up to play safety (take away middle pass or anything over the top)
Tag
If you’re playing with a team that has a stud player, you can “tag” that player wherever he is
Basically, your players communicate this player’s location and NEVER leave him (or even deny him when he’s in their area)
This requires defenders to extend further than normal, stay tagged on this player longer than normal, etc.
When you do this, your zone becomes warped and distorted…almost to the point of being a “junk defense”
Top-to-Wing/Wing-to-Corner Trap
When the ball is passed to the wing, the guard forces it to the side and the forward steps up to trap
Everyone else rotates accordingly to try and get a steal
You can also do this in the deep corner on a wing-to-corner pass (just have the guard follow the ball)
Switch Defense Mid Possession
This is especially effective in late game situations (or late shot clock situations)
At a certain point (I like to use when the ball is thrown in the high post), the entire team will switch from 2-3 into man-to-man.
This is a great way to keep teams off balance and steal time
Whether you are using these wrinkles as curveballs out of a timeout, a way to change the momentum of the game, or as a staple part of your zone defense concepts…having a few of these in your toolbox can help improve your 2-3 defense, steal possessions, and maybe even grab a win.
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