The Lakers’ failure to solve the zone got them frustrated and confused and negatively affected every aspect of their game — particularly their defense. Credit Alvin Gentry’s willingness (born of desperation) to gamble on the zone for limiting the defending champs to a mere 109 points after they’d averaged a colossal 126 during the first two games.
Here’s how to beat a 2-3 zone:
* The first plan of attack is to furiously push the ball over the timeline with the aim of creating good looks before the zone has a chance to get set. This is something that the Lakers really didn’t look to accomplish. Instead, they were overly cautious in running situations and were too eager to pull the ball out and organize their offense.
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Get the ball into a good-passing big man (like Pau Gasol) at, or near, the middle of the stripe. The idea is to put pressure on a specific interior defender to guard either the ball or the baseline. If the zoner under attack moves up and pressures the ball, a wingman can then take advantage of the vacated space by cutting behind the zone. Whatever success the Lakers did have against the 2-3 alignment usually resulted from this strategy.
* Delivering the ball to Kobe at an elbow-extended likewise compels the baseline zoners to commit themselves one way or the other.
* The gaps between the two top-most defenders, or between one top defender and the strong-side wing defender, are usually large enough for someone like Kobe to penetrate if the ball is quickly reversed to him.
* Moreover, screens can be set on the guards that, if properly executed, can create both shooting and penetrating lanes. The penetrations will likely be limited, but can still facilitate drive-and-kick opportunities.
* Overloading one side of the court and then quickly reversing the ball can also generate open looks, simply because the ball can be passed from point A to Point B faster than a defender can travel the same distance.
* The easy way to overcome zones is to routinely knock down outside jumpers. Even so, the ball must be rapidly moved from east-to-west as well as from north-to-south to open the best possible shots.