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[QUOTE="Hogtowncuse, post: 4184390, member: 541"]
So, I seldom post because I'm not able to watch that many games here in Toronto. But I am a loyal Orange fan and I check out this site virtually every day. I don't think I've seen this discussed but I think there's an angle re the zone that should be examined.

The previously vaunted Syracuse defense has been MIA for the past 2 or 3 seasons at a minimum. Yesterday's game was a great example. There is no way that Syracuse would have given up 97 points to Duke in years gone by (or Colgate over 100)...no matter how talented the Blue Devils were at the time. I understand that this years' team is lacking quickness and athleticism which means late closings on shooters, lacklustre rebounding, and frequently open passing lanes. But 97...never...in fact under 50 was sometimes a possibility.

While I don't have stats to back this up, I suggest that the 2/3 zone has become outdated and totally ineffective because today's players shoot the 3 far more often and are much better at making them (i.e., the Steph Curry effect). Even if they don't make them, we are so concerned that they might, we run at the shooters leaving us open to interior passes and rebounds that we can't stop. Maybe someone with access to the stats can verify my hypothesis...that the zone is a dinosaur and must be scrapped...although I doubt JB will ever scrap his "baby".
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