Should we be practicing more man during games?

[kingottoiii]

For the most part we have been cruising to victories. So should we be mixing in more man D in case we need it later on?

 

[mark79]

It's not a bad idea to practice man to man a bit if we are blowing a team out. Or even just to switch things up for a few plays to throw a monkey wrench into things. But I doubt we will do it...JB would probably say the time is better spent refining and improving our zone.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

Zone defense keep players fresher than man 2 man, which helps prevent injuries. I see no reason to ditch it, late in a blowout win.

 

[rstone7727]

It's hard enough to teach young kids the zone due to rapid player turnover from year to year, teaching two defenses would be even harder. If you mention the 2-3 zone to anyone in America that knows college BB, they will think about Jim Boeheim. I think we can safely state that a big reason Mike Krzyzewski picked JB as assistant coach for the 2010 FIBA World Championships was due to JB's zone expertise. It is JB's signature and is the reason we have been so good over the years, not sure why people want to even discuss the m2m?

 

[rrlbees]

I think we should as well as more pressing. You always want to have as many counter moves in your arsenal as possible.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

JB said in his last Coach's Show that "teams typically only play 1 defense", in response to a caller that asked a similar question about playing man 2 man this season. So don't expect to see any man 2 man the rest of the year.

I think people have to realize that JB has been recruiting specifically for his 2-3 zone, by bringing in tall guards up front, as well as long forwards and big centers. This is the first year where he's actually achieved maximum length at all positions in the zone.

During the run in 2003, the zone was pretty darn good because it was so long. But even in 2003, we were "short" at the PG position because GMac was up top. Now you have Scoop as our "smallest" player at 6'2'' or 6'3'' (but big bodied). That makes a tremendous difference in the 2-3 zone.

Part of the reason why we struggled during the Jonny Flynn/Paul Harris years was because we were small at several positions in the zone. Jonny was barely 6' at PG and Paul was barely 6'4'' at the SF. Devo at 6'2'' didn't give you much either.

Our zone is the longest it's ever been. It's no coincidence why it's the best it's ever been this year.

 

[moqui]

I think we can safely state that a big reason Mike Krzyzewski picked JB as assistant coach for the 2010 FIBA World Championships was due to JB's zone expertise. It is JB's signature and is the reason we have been so good over the years, not sure why people want to even discuss the m2m?

The stated reason was that the US team needed someone with zone offense expertise in order to prep the team for the zones that had bedeviled them in recent international competition. But, if that was the case, then Calhoun, Pitino, or Dixon would have been much better choices since they have routinely carved up SU's zone defense.

The real reason Krzyzewski picked JB is because they are best friends. Everything else was a smoke screen.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Every minute MCW, Rak, Baye, and CJ play learning the zone better is an investment in the future as well as the present.

 

[orangefan13]

Alittle man to man could possible help evolve our zone at a faster rate.

Things like Getting our guards more man to man to work on extending and locking down. Melo/keita could get more weakside shotblocking and take more charges. Plus some of that boxing out could rub off on CJ and James on the offensive end as the year goes on.
It could help things like staying on our toes, getting a hand out more, remind us to fight harder on defense when we don't have a double team, and help maintain/strengthen our speed and longevity.

 

[AZOrange]

I dont know why but I found this thread amusing, as in I wish someone at a presser would ask JB why they dont practice M2M more during games as opposed to zone which is just blowing opponents doors off. I wonder if he would curse or glare the questioner to death?

 

[moqui]

I dont know why but I found this thread amusing, as in I wish someone at a presser would ask JB why they dont practice M2M more during games as opposed to zone which is just blowing opponents doors off. I wonder if he would curse or glare the questioner to death?

it would be like telling JB that his players should quit scoring so many fast break points; they should back it out and take the opportunity to work on their half court sets, since that is their obvious weakness.

 

[AZOrange]

it would be like telling JB that his players should quit scoring so many fast break points; they should back it out and take the opportunity to work on their half court sets, since that is their obvious weakness.

exactly. "you know JB you should press up 30, just to get in a good sweat."

 

[arbitragegls]

...and more and more teams including pro teams are using more and more zone...i would like to see more full court presses and then into zone than we are doing...but I see no need nor reason to practice m-m in the half court

 

[Madbiker]

Someone should track the number of these man vs zone threads each season. There have to be at least 5oo of them. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 

[stuckinbig11]

as a strategy to lose games?

 

[Gonzo]

why bother we are never going to use itSUball

we are possessor of the most powerful D in the land already! might as well just get even better at it