4 Ball Screen Quick Hitter Plays Against a 2-3 Zone

Zone defenses like the 2-3 zone can present problems for an opposing offense. As an offense, you can create plays to be successful against a 2-3 zone due to the restrictions put in place to make the defense work. By understanding what the defense is trying to do, the offense can create situations to counter the zone defense.

One of the basketball plays that is sometimes forgotten when playing a zone defense is the ability to ball screen. The defense has each player guarding a certain area and a ball screen is placing 2 offensive players next to each other letting one defender guard the 2 offensive players. But by setting a ball screen the offense can manipulate the defense by overloading certain zones and then using the ball screen to get the ball handler open. This requires the defense to rotate out of their zones leaving more offensive players open.

Here are 4 zone quick hitters against a 2-3 zone using a ball screen to get open shots.

Play #1

The first play is a simple play. It starts with a 4-out set. The 5-center starts on the loaded side. The play starts in an overloaded formation. This is a quick and simple play. Sometimes the simpler the play the better it works.

The 1-point passes to the 3-forward to get the defense to rotate towards the ball and away from the overloaded side. The standard defensive rotation would put the left elbow defender onto the ball with the 3-forward.

When the ball is passed back to the 1-point, the right elbow defender would step up to the 1-point. The 5-center sets the ball screen. When the 1-point comes off the screen, they are attacking the bottom block defender. The ball screen creates a situation where the block defender in the 2-3 zone is responsible for the 1-point, 2-guard, and 4-big. The defender can not guard all 3 players so the ball should be passed to the open player out of those 3 for a wide open shot.

The 1-point has the 8 foot pullup. The 2-guard has the kick out wing 3. And the 4-big has the kick out corner 3 or 15-footer depending on the range of the player.

This is simple and easy but uses the rotations of the 2-3 zone against the defense.

Play #2

The 2nd play is set up in a 1-2-2 offensive formation. The high post is left open to begin with. An entry pass is thrown to the 2-guard. This will cause the right elbow defender to step out and guard the ball. After the initial pass the 1-point cuts to the high post. This will cause the left elbow defender to guard the 1-point. This puts both of the top defenders on the right side of the floor.

The 2-guard makes a skip pass to flip the point of attack. The left block defender should closeout to the 3-forward and guard the ball. If the block defender does not closeout then it should be a wide open 3-point shot for the 3-forward.

If the defender does closeout like a normal 2-3 zone rotation, then the offense has used the skip pass to set up the defense in a way that favors the offense.

After the skip pass the defense should be rotating. The left block defender should be closing out to the ball. The 4-big is going to follow the defender off the block and set a screen for the ball to go to the baseline.

The 5-center is going to step into the middle of the lane to split the central defender of the 2-3 zone. If the central defender does not stop the ball then the 3-forward has a wide open layup. If the central defender steps over then the pass to the 5-center might be there if another defender does not rotate down.

The 1-point is stepping back out towards the ball for a possible kick out. The 2-guard is dropping to the corner for a possible kick out around the baseline. These two possible kick outs are looking at who might rotate to the 5-center in the middle of the lane.

If the right block defender moves into the middle then the baseline kick out to the 2-guard should be open. If the left elbow defender moves down to the 5-center then the kick out back to the 1-point moving towards the wing should be open.

After the skip pass, the offense is putting pressure on the defense to make decisions about who to guard and where to go. As soon as the defense makes a decision the offense has a counter that should give them an open shot.

Play #3

This play starts in a 1-2-2 standard set up. This can be ran either direction. The entry pass is made to the wing, in this case to the 3-forward. The 1-point cuts to the backside corner. The 2-guard steps up to create space between the 2-guard and the 1-point.

The left elbow defender should take the ball. This is who is getting screened by the 4-big. The offense has 3 players on the backside of the defense. The 2-3 zone is most likely only going to have 2 defenders on the backside to defend the 3 offensive players.

The 3-forward comes off the ball screen attacking the defense. The only way for the defense to properly defend this is by having the left block defender guard the ball off the screen. This is not proper rotation on any 2-3 zone I have ever seen of played against.

So, the defense is going to have either the right elbow defender stop the ball. Or they will stop the ball with the middle defender. This is going to leave an offensive player open for a pass and a shot.

If the right elbow defender stops the ball then it is an easy kick out to the 2-guard for a wide open 3.

If the middle defender stops the ball then the pass is going to be dependent on what the right block defender does. If they stay with the 5-center, then it is a kick out to the 1-point in the corner for an open 3. If the right block defender steps out to the corner, then it is a dump pass to the 5-center for a layup.

Play #4

The 4th play starts again in a 1-2-2 offensive setup. The initial pass goes to the wing 2-guard. The two post players rotate away from the ball. The 5-center comes up to the elbow. This is to set up the ball screen. The 4-big moves to the opposite block away from the ball. This is to overload the backside with offensive players making it impossible for the defense to guard.

The right elbow defender should step out to the ball. The left elbow comes across to the ball side elbow.

The 2-guard passes back to the 1-point. This will force the left elbow defender to step up to guard the ball. This leaves just the left block defender on the left side of the floor. On the pass the 3-forward moves down to the corner to create more space.

The 5-center sets the ball screen on the left elbow defender and the 1-point is attacking the lane with the dribble. The offense has three different scoring options. Depending on the movement of the middle defender and left block defender, the offense should get a wide open shot from either the 1-point, 3-forward or 4-big.

The 3 options are shown above.

First option is the 1-point comes off the screen and neither defender steps up to stop the ball and the 1-point has an easy 6-10 foot jump shot.

Second option is the left block defender steps up to stop the ball leaving the 3-forward open in the corner. A kick out pass by the 1-point to the 3-forward gives the offense a wide open corner 3.

Third option is the middle defender steps up with the left block defender stepping out to the corner leaving a dump pass to the 4-big for a layup.

The offense is taking what the defense is doing and getting the ball to the open teammate for a shot. And everything is created off a ball screen and getting the 2-3 zone out of formation.

Conclusion

I have some other plays that work against the 2-3 zone but these four are specially using a ball screen to get open shots. The ability to attack a zone defense in a couple of different ways keep the defense off-balance and unable to stop a well executed offense.