Taking on a Taller Team

I'd like to know what is the simplest way to offend against a taller team that plays zone.

Coach M. Khalele, Greece

Coach Khalele,

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about facing tall teams that zone is you can't score inside. The bigger problem is most coaches don't know where to attack it. I have always gone by the guideline that we want to get the ball to a post scoring threat within about 10 feet of the basket purposefully in the paint if possible. That means that all ball and player movement should be with this goal in mind.

What you want this tall defender to do is to be drawn slightly away from the basket. Many teams with one giant defender, say 7'0" at the pro or college level, put that defender in the middle of a 3-2 zone. I want to draw that player as tight as possible to my offensive scoring threat in the middle of the zone and hopefully up just a little. Most big guys can't turn and retreat to the basket very effectively and especially not if the passes are quick and in tight quarters. With your remaining post player you want to try to teach them to seal off any other bottom zone defender to the outside at the same time you are passing to your other post player flashing for the pass in the middle. When your player gets the ball in the middle they must be an aggressive threat to face the basket and score. Teach them to pump fake to draw the big defender toward them, and then teach either a hook pass under the big defenders arms, or a bounce drop pass to the other post offensive player who if taught properly has sealed to the outside their zone defender. You can literally run any zone offense you want as long as somewhere along the line you have this mid-high-low post pass action as an option.

Teach both of your players to flash strong into the middle of the zone and shoot high arc shots over big defenders. Their ability to be a threat to score will force the big man in the middle to step out away from the basket increasing the chances you can penetrate the lower part of the zone with an interior pass. The more you can work this flash mid-high, pin and seal low option, the more other perimeter zone defenders will be forced to collapse gradually opening up perimeter shots closer to the basket and of higher percentages on kick outs.

You can accomplish some of this type of action as well by playing two high posts. Anytime one get the ball, the other cuts diagonal to the ball side high post. But in this case you have to be able to knock down the high post shot to draw the big defender up.

Thanks for Asking the Coach