How to Score Points Against a Zone Defense -by Coach Brian Schofield http://www.hoopskills.com
When I was a younger player and the opposing team went into zone defense I only had one thought - launch it. Am I right? Often as young players we believe the best way to attack the zone is to beat it from the outside. I'm going to cover some simple strategies on scoring against a zone defense that are used on different levels of basketball throughout the world. First, remember that at any time someone can get off a 3 point shot. Truly, if you want to come down and shoot up the first 3 pointer possible you can. But what is the point of offense. The point of offense is to get the best shot possible. On every offensive possession it should be the goal. Oftentimes, as simple as it seems, this is forgotten. Second, let's realize what type of zone they are playing. Many teams employ different types of zone defense. You have the basic 2-3 zone, 1-3-1 zone, 1-2-2 zone, 3-2 zone and so forth. As a young point guard growing up I knew that a key part of my job was recognizing the defense so players could be in spots that the defense wasn't. Again, this may seem rather basic but the simple things are often forgotten. Third, each zone has gaps. A gap is an area where the defenders don't cover. The reason most young coaches believe you shoot outside against a zone is because the area outside typically isn't covered very well. Again, we know that shot is available at any time. I'll show you how to get a wide open shot against the zone compared to a halfway covered shot. This is done by attacking gaps.
1 How to Score Points Against a Zone Defense-hoopskills.com