Zone Offenses versus the 2-3 Zone

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"2-3 Zone Offense"
    Here is an offense that you can use against a 2-3 zone (refer to the diagrams below). Notice in Diagram A that the defense is set in the 2-3 zone. Use a 1-3-1 offensive set, but with some modifications and the following rules:

1. O5 will run the baseline from short corner to short corner and we will try to get the ball down to him/her.

2. The wings O2 and O3 will set out a little farther than usual from the three-point arc so that the X1 and X2 defenders are not in their passing lane (from O1). After receiving the pass, O2 or O3 can dribble in, get the defender to commit and then pass or shoot.

3. When the ball is on the wing, instead of posting at the elbow or at the low block (which are usually defended in this zone), O4 will set up a little lower than the elbow, actually in the gap between the high and low defenders.

4. You can get the ball to O5 either through a pass from O2 or O4 (or O3 when the ball is on the left side). O5 may be able to make a quick inside pass to O4 cutting for the lay-up (once the X4 defender commits to guarding O5). The other option for O5 is to pass to O3 in the opposite corner.

5. The weak-side wing always cuts to the corner when O5 gets the ball (Diagram B). When O4 has the ball (Diagram C), the weak-side wing can either slide into the gap between the high and low defenders looking for the medium range jumper, or if he/she is a good three-point shooter, look for the skip pass out to the three-point arc.

6. Outside shooters have a tendency to let the first open shot go. So that we continue to try to get the ball inside, we have one rule. Before taking the outside shot, the ball has to go inside to O4 or O5 for at least one touch. Looking at Diagram C, you can see that once O4 gets the ball, there are several offensive "triangles", or passing options (4-2-5, 4-2-1, 4-1-3) where you gain a 3 against 2 advantage on the defense. Quick passing will get you a good shot.



 

2-3 Zone Offense Using the 3-Out, 2-In Set
    Here is yet another way to attack the gaps in the 2-3 zone. This is similar to the above attack, but instead of having a high post, the attack comes from underneath the zone, from the opposite low post. Refer to the diagrams below.

The offense can be started by O1 with a pass to the wing (Diagram A), or a dribble to the wing, with O2 making a shallow cut out to the point (Diagram B). As the ball arrives on the wing, the ball-side low post (O4) cuts to the short corner yelling "ball, ball, ball!", in hopes of drawing the low post defender out with him.

Meanwhile, the opposite low post (O5) makes a cut from underneath the zone to the ball-side lane looking for the pass from the wing.

 

 
The wing passes to either O5 along the lane or O4 in the short corner (Diagram C). O5 has the option of taking the shot, driving to the hoop (if the X5 defender has moved out), or passing to either O4 or reversing it to O3 (who should be wide open on the opposite side).
If the pass from the wing goes to the short corner (O4), then O5 can cut to the low block looking for the pass from O4. Note that O2 and O1 have slid down a little toward the corner in case O4 must pass back out.