Another Yao interview: JVG is practicing 1-3-1 zone defense

I think you're comfusing being in position with boxing out or getting the rebound. This teams rebounding problem in the frontcourt is as much an athleticism problem as a positioning or fundamental problem.

Generally, Yao is very good at getting position on his man and boxing out. He is very bad at coming out of the blue and getting the ball.

A rebounding zone requires players who can go get the ball, not just potentially be in the position to do that. In other words, it doesn't matter if Yao, Mo, Dikembe, Juwan and Weatherspoon are all in position for a rebound, if the other team consists of KG, Amare, Duncan, Marion, and say Lamar Odom, there will still be problems.

That said, this is a problem they have on man-man defense as well, the difference being on man-man everyone knows EXACTLY who they are responsible for boxing out.

 

There was reason Zone D was not allowed in the NBA, because it was too effective.

 

A few weeks back, coach Stan Van Gundy totally scrapped the team's defensive system on pick-and-rolls. Instead of having Shaq show every time, Van Gundy has reverted to the way the team defended in the past with Shaq hanging back and other Heat players trying to stay with their own man more.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...ug=cnnsi-burningquestion&prov=cnnsi&type=lgns

It looks like the Van Gundy brothers are finally seeing the light of logic. Having the leading rebounder tightly guard the pick and roll is a recipe for a tired big man along with bad rebounding.

 

Nice point.

 

1-3-1 Zone is probably just something the Rockets practice for now. It's certainly one of the way to improve our defense, especially helpful in situation where the smaller Rockets player gets beat and expose Yao to quicker guys driving on him. Yao should wander around the paint and be a good box out rebounder and patrol the paint for block shot and intimadation. I hate to see Yao switch to smaller players outside by the high post, it's only going to mean trouble for Rox.

1-3-1 Zone is not suitable for all the teams we're going to face, we have to run a combination of man to man with zone, and be willing and quickly able to switch game plan when original game plan is not working defensively.

 

I disagreed with both of you. Talking to the Chinese media is probably one of Yao's way of getting off some steam. Playing more games together will make better teams, not just practice and practice.

 

What are you guys talking about. From every single indication (coaches, media, fans etc) Yao puts in a lot of practice time on off days and game days working on his game (usually coming to the stadium hours before tip-off). There's 24 hours in a day, it's not as if an NBA player's schedule is so tight that they can't give phone interviews most likely at night in their homes. Geez.

And I sure as heck would rather listen to his insight on what's going on with the Rockets than listen to your pointless harping.

 

1-3-1 zone doesn't make much sense to me in today's NBA.

Too many people in the middle (i.e., near the paint) which is exactly where the defensive 3 second rules don't want you standing.

PG just has to hold the ball for 3.1 seconds, get a guy to commit to the strong side, work it around and boom.

 

Nobody is in the paint.

The top 1 man is just inside the three point line on top of arch.

The two wing men are free throw line extended about 2 feet inside of the three point line.

The inside man on the three is right on the free throw line.

And the low man floats from block to block following the ball.

No way the ball makes it around the zone before people are able to rotate.

 

A zone always, always improves team rebounding. That is why smaller teams always use zones... it helps their rebounding.

 

I dont know if theres a direct correlation for zone and better rebounding but since more people are clogging the paint I can see the potential.

Funny how Shaq and Stan VG implements a zone so Shaq can stay back to rebound and block shots and then JVG implements a similar strategy. I wonder if he had TDuncan in mind while working on it. The zones are not going to shut anyone down but it makes it harder to get easy shots. I dont understand why it took so long for JVG to come around?!? Zones have been shutting us down all year he should have figured it would shut other people down too.

Unless the low post player parades to the FT line zones are quite effective.

J

 

a 1-3-1 never really keeps it's exact shape, as i stated before the player in the middle of the 3 and the baseline one have to match up inside on the post threats this would help to stop the team getting defensive 3 sec calls and would also stop the weakness in a 1-3-1 which getting ripped to shreads by oppostion teams on players in the low post or stepping out the short corner, or back door cuts and alley-oops

 

You just said why zones are shutting us down.

I still think, unless you're talking about a team that has (1) sub-par outside shooting on average, and/or (2) a sub-par offensive center, the zone defense should only be used sporadically. The teams in today's NBA that are lacking both those requirements are the bad teams, which you should be to beat guarding man-to-man.

As far as rebounding goes, I've never heard that people run zone defenses to become better rebounders. Who knows?

 

What the same JVG that uses a man defense that has it's principles/philosophies based on those used in zones???

 

Dallas' zone seemed to stop TMac nicely

 

should use the Arkansas Ameoba Zone

Rocket River

 

Zone defense doesn't work against guys who are shooting the lights out. TMac is not Ray Allen. The zone defense works against him more often than not.

The word is out on Orlando's Tracy McGrady: Throw a zone defense at him, and he'll go silent.

McGrady recently admitted that he's "clueless" about how to attack zones, and the Timberwolves kept up the pressure. Swarmed by double- and triple-teams every time he set foot in the paint, McGrady was held scoreless in the first half on four missed shots and two turnovers.

http://www.sportsline.com/nba/gamecenter/recap/NBA_20031107_MIN@ORL

Rockets should utilize zone more at least to use it in practice and force TMac to play against it.

 

Dear beerghost,

a 20 minute interview isn't going to hinder anyone's development. NBA players get fined for not talking to the media.

 

Good point smeggy...
The weakside wing has to crash down on the weakside block everytime that ball is on the opposite side of the court. If he does not do this and lets the offensive player set up on the weakside block... the offense will kill us with any alley-oop or offensive rebound.