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[QUOTE="BlueCurtain, post: 160263, member: 881"]
JB's zone requires a physical shotblocker who allows the guards to be aggressive and take chances.   If the guards do allow penetration, or the ball gets into the low post, a shotblocker is able to erase those mistakes or make the opponent think too much about the shot.  In the end, it looks like a great defensive play.   We've seen this happen time and again this year, with Pittsburgh the most recent example of the zone being carved up but generally bailed out.    Without Melo, our guards have more pressure to keep the ball in front of them, and the opponent has plenty of confidence to attack the interior.  It's a double whammy. 
 
Slightly off topic, but Mike Brey was the first coach this year that really exploited overloading a zone - something that only Pitino really understood in the past.  It's quite simple - on a ball reversal this forces our wing to try to defend 2 spaces.  No matter how much JB yells at his players under these circumstances, it's physically impossible to address.  It's simply a flaw in the zone concept that unfortunately can be exploited by players who are less athletic and less talented but well coached in floor spacing and ball movement.     
 
But bottom line - w/o Melo this defensive approach will need to adapt to shore up a glaring deficiency.
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