Winston Brown - Level 3 Tech

Steve Klaas – Dominating

1-3-1 Zone Defense
Reasons for running this defense:
1. Put great pressure at the point of attack
2. Stop strong post play
3. Compete against superior talent

Positioning
1 – Our best athlete, needs to be
2,3 – Wings
• 2 is usually smaller and quicker
° Lines up on the strongside
• 3 is bigger and a good rebounder
° lines up on the weakside
5 – Our big girl – always between ball and hoop.
4 – Our baseline runner
• Sprints corner to corner

In practice:
• Always vs. 7 players
Team Rules
1. Every player must stay in a stance for the
entire position.
2. Read the eyes of the passer.
3. Move while the ball is in the air.
4. Look to deflect
a. Turn your thumb down, and face your
palm to the ball.
b. steals come from someone other than
the deflector.
c. Mirror the ball (high/low)
5. Everyone goes to the boards mad.
a. Our #1 never blocks out: he looks for
caroms.
6. NEVER STOP TALKING

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 13: Slides – Quarter Court
2 – meets and pressures the ball
4 – slides to halfway between post and corner.
1 – drops to the highpost area
• has to stop ball reversal
3 – drops to weakside lowpost area.
5 – Stays between ball and basket at all times.
* If weʼre playing good defense, weʼll always
have 4 people on ballside.
** forcing lobs allows defense to recover

When the ball goes to the corner:

4 – pressures ball
Strongside wing (2/3) – denies reversal
5 – fronts low post
1 – denies highpost

On corner to corner skip:

• Wing high pressures, and forces baseline
(until bumped away or trap)
• 4 still comes, and will get there for a
possible trap.
• 5 needs to get around and front the new post
threat.

On corner to weakside guard skip:

• weakside wing really needs to read eyes and
anticipate this pass.
o Should be able to steal for easy
layup.
• 1 is busy fronting the possible highpost
entry.

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 On the guard to corner skip:
• wing breaks down on the high side to help 4
recover (then trap or bump back)
• 1 should be in a position to deflect corner to
wing pass.

13: Adjustments - Penetration

• penetration – need to stop great guard
o we want them to dribble the ball
o help and recover
Drill Adjustment – Every player attempts to drive
a gap.

Penetration through a trap

• 5 goes to meet the ball (hands up)
• 4 and weakside wing drop to the low post
spots (reading eyes)
• 1 and strongside wing, recover deeper than
penetration

13: Adjustment – Screens

Ball screens – there always needs to be help (if
theyʼve got two, we do too).
• we can either trap or bump off

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 Baseline screen against our 4
• wing needs to be aware and help down
quickly
• 4 battles around the screen and then bumps
wing up (or run Black)
23: Halfcourt 1-3-1 (Base)
1 – lines up at halfcourt
5 – is at the top of the 3pt line
• strongside wing meets the ball at halfcourt
• 4 is a step off the lane
• weakside wing has to make a decision
o read the weakside of the offense (stay
at home or go for the reverse steal)
o

Breakdown Drill –
Ball reversal/wing piston movement.
On the guard to guard pass:
2/3 – piston up and down
4 – sprints short corner to short corner
* add a guard to opposite corner skip and
breakdown.

13: Adjustments – Extended/Shadow

Against a team with a really good perimeter
guard
• When they pass the ball, we let the 1 delay
their slide and hang around (shadow) the
star player.
o We also may have a “fire” call, so that
every time the star touches the ball,
we send a trap.

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 13: Fire
• As soon as the ball crosses halfcourt, we
send the strongside wing and 1 to trap.
• 4 lines up off the lane on the strongside.
• 5 gets a hand in front of the middle release
• weakside wing goes to the weak junction
area looking to shoot a gap (reading eyes).

13: Black – Corner Trap

• As soon as the ball goes to the corner, we
trap.
• 1 splits the highpost and the release pass.
* If the ball goes to the release pass, 1 forces it
back to where it came from.
** If the ball goes highpost:
• 5 jams the highpost
• 4 recovers to the hoop
• 1 traps the ball.

13: Against Post Players

• 1 stops worrying about ball reversal and
helps in the high post area.
• 5 sags and battles strong side post.

13 Sluff – Against teams with 7ft at the top of

the key.
• if we canʼt dead front, or side front.
• 5 plays behind, while the other players sag
(sluff) an extra step towards the post.

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 33: ¾ court
• 1 lines up at the free throw line
• 2/3 meets the ball at the hash mark
o weakside pistons back and forth
(looking to pick off lazy skip)
• 5 plays behind middle entry
• 4 goes sideline to sideline

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 12: 3-2 zone (almost like a 2-1-2)
• When you donʼt have a 4 who can go corner
to corner.
• wings meet the ball, while 1 drops to the
highpost area
o almost inviting reversal
• On the pass to the corner, 4 goes to the
corner and 5 comes all the way across.

12: Zone cont

On the corner to corner skip or reverse.
• instead of one player sprinting sideline to
sideline, 4 and 5 simply switch
responsibilities.

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BOSS – Man to man acronym
B – Ball Pressure
O – One pass away (on the line)
S – Two passes away sinking
S – Screen out
Keys Zone Defense Options:
1. Repeat movements • 13 Base
2. Donʼt coach it, teach it. • Black (corner trap)
• Fire (quick trap)
• Slot/sluff (sag on post)
• Shawdow (star player treatment)
• 12 (32 or 2-1-2 zone)

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