2-3 Zone Defense
A 2-3 Zone Defense is usually employed against a team that struggles to shoot from the outside but has some effective post players. The concept behind the 2-3 traditional zone is to pack the key so that teams settle for lower percentage shots on the perimeter.
The team in a 2-3 Zone defense will attempt three strategies to achieve their defensive goals: 1) clog driving lanes to limit penetration, 2) deny post entry passes and 3) contain on the ball to limit penetration.
The 1 and 2 are at the top as they are usually matched up against the other team’s point guards and shooters and should thus be capable of defending a good and quick ballhandler as well as challenge outside shooters. The 5, who is usually a team’s biggest player, stands in the middle of the three defensive players across the bottom of the zone so that he can intimidate other team’s from trying to attack the basket. The bottom of the zone, with the 3 and 4 outside the low blocks, are positioned to help defend the key but also to be in rebounding position. They will also have to guard the corners.
The shaded area designates the areas each defender is responsible for, however, they are not limited to those areas depending on how a team structures their offensive attack against this zone set up.
As with any defense, each member of the defensive team must know who they are responsible for.
As the ball moves into a scoring position the defense has to match up in their zone areas.
Here the 1 leans up to guard the ball, the 2 leans over to guard the 3, the 3 moves up to guard the 2, the 4 moves up to guard the 4 and the 5 moves in front of the 5 to guard the 5.
The priority in the 2-3 is to keep the offense on the perimeter so the defense is positioning themselves to deny entry passes to post players, and packing the attack lanes for the offense so their are no drive opportunities.
As the ball moves to the 3 on offense, the defense adjusts.
The defenders are able to stay with the offensive players they were already guarding as no offensive players moved into new defensive areas.
The key is still packed, and the lanes are still clogged to negate any penetration.
If the ball does enter the post, the goal is to get the ball back out. Here a double team may be appropriate. Here the 5 and the 4 on defense have doubled the offensive player with the ball, the 5. The 3 has jumped in front of the 4 on offense to deny that player the ball, the 1 has dropped down to help protect the paint. Lastly, the 2 is halfway between the ball and the player 2 is defensively responsible for.
Player on the perimeter are the most open players on the floor purposely to entice the offense to get the ball back out to where the defense wants it.
If the ball gets skipped from the 5 to the 2. The team shifts over to position themselves to protect the key again.
Here the 3 has closed out the 2 with the ball and is containing the offensive player. he 1 is in the gap between the ball and the 1, protecting the lane from penetration. The 4 has jumped in front of the 4 on offense to deny a post entry pass. The 5 is in a lob pass help position for the 4. And the 2 is in the key to help protect the paint and rotate down to help the 5 if the 5 has to help the 4.
When the ball moves back up to the top, the defense simply adjusts to protect the key from penetration or passes.
This is accomplished by the 1 containing penetration on the ball. The 2 is in the gap to dissuade the 1 from penetrating the lane with the dribble, but is also in a position to close out the 3 if the pass is made to him or her. The 3 is also in the gap to dissuade the 1 from penetrating the lane with the dribble, but is also in a position to close out the 2 if the pass is made to him or her. The 4 and the 5 are either in a full front or a 3/4 front to deny post entry passes to the players they are guarding.