BEATING THE ZONE WITH THE TRIANGLE OFFENSE Zone defenses are used infrequently in the NBA, but they can be a valuable tool in certain situations where the defense wants to throw the opposition off balance, force difficult perimeter shots, and take the offense out of their system. Most NBA teams employ special zone offenses, which are much different than their man-toman offenses. The fact that most teams have to completely change their systems to beat the zone is what makes zone defenses effective at times. Unlike other systems, the Triangle Offense can be successful against the zone without any adjustments. When it is run against man-to-man defenses, it maintains good spacing, creates an overload of the defense on one side of the floor, and forces the players to pass and cut constantly to find open shots. Zone defenses should be attacked with the same three principles, and therefore the basic Triangle Offense is well equipped to stand against any zone. At the same time, the system can be made even more effective with certain minor adjustments. These adjustments are made in order to expose mismatches, create confusion within the zone by forcing it to shift multiple times, and get good opportunities for offensive rebounds. The following diagrams will only deal with the 2-3 zone, which is the most common zone in the NBA. While other zones are employed by NBA teams, the differences in adjustments within the Triangle, depending of what type of zone is used, are minor. 1
Diagram 1 The offense starts with the basic alignment, which is the same alignment that is used against man-to-man defenses. Instead of creating the Triangle on the strong-side, the offense forms it on the weak-side, forcing the zone to shift for the first time. O1 passes the ball to O2, who then passes it to O4. In the meantime, O5 flashes to the opposite post, expecting a pass from O4. If that pass is not available, then O4 can pass it to the corner to O1. This is the first test of the zone. The defense needs to shift to prevent wide open shots and open lanes to the basket. If D4 decides to cover O4, O1 is left wide open in the corner, given that the distance is too long for D5 to cover O1 effectively. It would also open up O5 underneath the basket if D3 does not rotate in time. In this instance, D4 decides to stay within his designated zone and covers O1. That automatically creates a mismatch of speed vs. size on the perimeter. If O1 manages to penetrate to the basket, the zone is broken, D5 has to rotate to prevent a layup, and there is a high probability that one of the three weak-side players (O5, O3, or O2) is open after the zone rotates. The following diagram illustrates this mismatch. 2
Diagram 2 O1 is matched up with the bigger and slower D4. It is important for O1 to penetrate before the zone shift is made in order to catch D4 off balance. When the penetration occurs, the defense has to react fast to prevent a wide open layup. The first possible pass is to O5, who was initially guarded by D5. If D3 does not rotate in time, O5 has an easy layup. If the rotation is in time, then O1 has to look for two players on the weak-side. When D3 leaves his zone to cover O5, it leaves O3 open with a number of options. He can flash to the corner and receive a pass for a midrange shot. He can also get a similar shot from the top of the key. The most potent option is for O3 to cut fast to the basket for a layup. Even if he misses that shot, there is a good chance that an offensive rebound will be available due to the constant shifts in the zone and the inability of the defense to box-out. 3
Diagram 3 If O1 cannot penetrate to the basket from the corner, he then looks for O5 who just flashed to the strong-side post. If that pass is not available, then the ball is swung once again to the weak-side to make the zone shift. O1 passes the ball to O4, who passes it to O2, who then passes the ball to O3 on the wing. Meanwhile, O1 switched sides after his last pass, and went to the weak-side corner to make the zone shift. D3 has a decision to make. He can continue to guard O3, or he can rotate over to the corner to guard O1. If he decides to stay with O3, then O1 has a wide open shot, forcing D5 to go all the way to the corner and creating a mismatch. If D3 goes to cover O1, then D1 needs to fill D3 s previous zone and cover O3. If this shift is not executed in time, then O3 has a wide open lane to the basket, breaking the zone and creating a similar situation as in Diagram 2 where the defense has to adjust quickly, leaves open shots, and is vulnerable for offensive rebounds. If O3 does not have a lane to the basket or an open shot, then O4 cuts to the strong-side low post, forcing O5 to switch players. O3 looks for O4 in the post, hoping to break the zone through penetration. 4
Diagram 4 If a pass to the post is not available, then O3 looks for O2 on the weak-side. O2 immediately looks for O5 on the low post. This pass is much easier to execute because O5 is isolated with D4. Once the pass occurs, the zone is effectively broken. If the defense collapses on O5, then the other four players have to move in order to open themselves and confuse the constantly shifting zone. O3 and O1 can also split the triangle on the weak-side, exploit gaps in the zone, and consequently grab offensive rebounds if O5 attempts a shot. 5
Diagram 5 If a pass to the post is not possible, then O5 and O2 can execute the familiar two-man game on the weak-side. The execution of this option is identical to the one run against man-to-man defenses, as explained in my other article. If D2 and D4 switch on the hand-off, then D4 has to deal with a speed mismatch on the perimeter with O2. If O2 is able to penetrate to the basket, the zone would collapse, and the defense would be once again faced with the difficulties of rotating in time and boxing out for offensive rebounds. 6