Playing Zone

[wuck]

It seems the Cavs zone flustered the Knicks during a 2nd-half stretch, although the 1st-half results seemed mixed.

Can a zone guru tell me what the Cavs are trying to do with the zone and why it seems to have an impact? At times Mobley was guarding the top of the zone, so I'm curious to hear more from an expert. Are they using it just for a change of pace, or are they try it until the other team figures it out?

 

[J_J]

We run more like a 3-2 zone. Normally it’s 3 guards up top but with Mobley’s length and flexibility I see this is used more to disrupt the teams with good outside shooting especially with our length we utilize. It really throws off the offense’s rhythm because it is harder to penetrate and allows our defenders to jump to the 3pt line for the wings. It is also to help the change of pace and disrupts the offense but it is much different with Mobley at top. Normally you don’t want to use it if a great PG who shoots the 3 at the top of the key but Rose is not that great of a shooter from outside plus using Mobley’s talent and length makes the defense even better.

 

[Dr No]

The zone works better with length and high IQ players. You can’t have guys out of position or missing assignments. It was at its best tonight when we were running it with Rubio, Cedi, Wade, Allen, & Mobley - all with some length and a lot of basketball smarts. Mobley and Allen are great zone kind of guys - long and mobile.

 

[ansatsusha80]

It seems the Cavs zone flustered the Knicks during a 2nd-half stretch, although the 1st-half results seemed mixed.

Can a zone guru tell me what the Cavs are trying to do with the zone and why it seems to have an impact? At times Mobley was guarding the top of the zone, so I'm curious to hear more from an expert. Are they using it just for a change of pace, or are they try it until the other team figures it out?

I post this article last week.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ tall-ball lineup giving team unique identity

How could Bickerstaff make it work, especially with three of the frontcourt pieces -- Mobley, Love and Markkanen -- viewed as natural power forwards?

www.cleveland.com

 

[Douglar]

I'm not a guru, but the Cavs are able to play 3 big men because:

• Two of the three 7 footers are mobile help defenders that can defend in space and alter shots in the paint without fouling.
• All of them are good enough to switch out to deny an open shooter
• All three front court players have very good basketball IQ & know the scheme
• Mobley is a tube of wicked crazy glue from outer space that patches cracks as fast as they show up

Markkanen is the best wing with an outside shot so he plays. He's not mobile enough to switch or do reliable man-man so he's got to be in a zone. He's been aware enough to pick up the correct guy on defense, which is all the team needs. Markkanen is moble enough to cover an exposed shooter while the rest of the team recovers.

Keeping the guards in a 2 man zone helps prevent opponents from using picks to get an open shooter. Cavs have the option of switching on the perimiter and letting opponents roll into the paint if they really want to try that.

The Cavs can allow perimeter penetration because Allen and Mobley can smother it in the paint

So when teams follow the small ball handbook try to create an expoitable matchup, they end up with one of these:

• A guard in the paint lost among the trees
• Long pull up 2 that's often contested
• Mobley on the ball handler at the top of the key

All of those are good things for the Cavs.

I post this article last week.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ tall-ball lineup giving team unique identity

How could Bickerstaff make it work, especially with three of the frontcourt pieces -- Mobley, Love and Markkanen -- viewed as natural power forwards?

www.cleveland.com

That article makes a good point that this also manages to work on offense well enough that opponents can't sag back into the paint. Allen cuts, Markkanen shoots, and Mobley does the Mobley. That limits what opponents can do on defense. Smallball often uses a switching defense and it's pretty hard to switch a guard onto any of those guys.

So in summary: Having one mobile help defender is nice. Having two is rare. Having two that can coexist on offense is unique. Markkanen also participated

edit: rearranged some of the points to make it flow better--

 

[CavsKermit]

You play it in response to a team that relies heavily on the high PNR to break down your defense. It allows you to keep your bigs back in the paint.