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Message: [QUOTE="BillSU, post: 2885067, member: 6809"] [B]SYRACUSE and Duke's ZONES (came across this for those who need reminding //article last year )[/B] [B]What is a zone defense?[/B] “A zone defense is exactly how it sounds. Instead of playing a typical man-to-man offense, like you see in the NBA, teams dictate different zones of the court for each of their five players to defend. In Duke and Cuse’s case, they play a 2-3 zone. A 2-3 zone typically places two guards on either side of the free throw line. They are to defend anyone that comes into their region from the foul line out past the three-point arc. As the offense moves the ball to either side, each defender cheats a little more to the opposite side, anticipating where the next pass will land. The “3” in 2-3 zone represents the three wings and big men who create the backline of the defense. The tallest of the three is usually placed in the middle to protect the basket from layups and dunks, and the smaller two are placed on either side of him. Just like the guards, the bigs cheat either way depending on where the offense reverses the ball. This type of defense is meant to coerce teams to shoot semi-contested threes or dare them to attack the lane with beasts awaiting their arrival at the bottom of the zone. Why has the zone worked for Duke? Length. Duke’s inexperience showed earlier in the season — it starts four freshmen — and when they can ride on the heels of their gifted intangibles, their lives become a heck of a lot easier. There’s less thought or verbal communication necessary for a zone to thrive. It’s more about precision and skill (and long arms!) When defense becomes a game of guarding a space — not specifically a person — by spreading your abnormally long frame, things become a lot simpler. The zone has helped hide a lot of the defensive deficiencies of Duke’s bigs. [B]Cuse[/B] Yep. Head coach Jim Boeheim has made a Hall of Fame career out of running the most effective zone in college hoops. He recruits for it. He may not have Bagley or Carter, but in 7’2 Paschal Chukwu and 6’9 Marek Dolezaj he has something close on the defensive end. There’s a reason Michigan State shot 26 percent from the field and 22 percent from three-point range against them Michigan State led 48-43 on a basket with 5:41 remaining, but his hoop proved to be the Spartans' last field goal. The Syracuse zone suffocated the Spartans for the remainder of the game. Michigan State missed its last 13 attempts from floor and the Orange outscored the Spartans 12-5 during that span to emerge victorious. [B]Why do fans hate zone defense?[/B] There’s a stigma that implies zone defense is for the lazy, or the incompetent. You don’t see zone defense played in pickup games around the country, and that’s probably where the connotation stems from. For Duke, there’s another layer, and not only just because they are America’s most polarizing basketball school. The Blue Devils have one of, if not the most star-studded lineups in the nation. The notion that they need a zone to win despite five-star recruits crowding their rotation is embarrassing to some. On a more general scale, zone defenses are also less aesthetically pleasing to watch. They typically slow the game down and entice teams to hoist shots from deep. That doesn’t make for the offensive-driven 40 minutes most casual fans turn the TV on to watch.” But can we win with the JB zone???? GOSU :) [/QUOTE]

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