Very interesting. 43% of shots taken against the zone are 3's. I think that's the bottom line, when played well it becomes a "shoot over" defense and forces the lower percentage option from the offense. The other thing is it lowers the # of possessions, as teams need to be patient to find the openings and often wait to shoot within 10 seconds of the shot clock running out.
I don't agree at all that the zone naturally puts the defenders in rebounding position. When a forward is flying out to the corner to cover a long 3, he is not in rebounding position as a third of the floor is now exposed for a long rebound. He can obvioulsy box the shooter, but the ball doesn't bound back out the arc most times, so to be a good rebounder out of a zone takes alot of effort, and teams like Pitt dump and chase with alot of success because they cover the gaps on rebounds.
In any event, come tournament time, teams who haven't seen it are F'ed, that's what I like best about it