What is a 2-3 Tandem Press?
A 2-3 Tandem Press is an extended 2-3 Zone. This gives the 2-3 Tandem Press the ability to extend up the floor while being able to drop back straight into a 2-3 Zone. This helps to prevent baskets in the transition from a press to a half-court zone defense while keeping the players in the same positions for the 2-3 Zone.
The front 2 players in a 2-3 Tandem Press are working together to create the pressure out of the press. One player is extending up to pressure the ball while the 2nd front player is staying in the middle of the floor. The two players on the back line on the outside are coming up to help provide trapping opportunities.
On the initial setup of the 2-3 Tandem Press it is going to look similar to a 1-3-1 Press. The difference is the traditional middle player who is normally the center in a 1-3-1 Press is going to be at the back of the 2-3 Tandem Press. This gives the 2-3 Tandem Press a much easier time dropping back into a 2-3 Zone.
The front guard is chasing the ball trying to get the ball to the sideline. Once the ball is on the sideline, the two back wings are waiting to try and trap the ball with the front player as soon as the ball crosses half-court.
The idea of the 2-3 Tandem Press is keeping the setup and formation of a 2-3 Zone while being able to extend up the floor to create pressure in a press. It is not going to create as many steals as some other presses but it is not going to give up easy scoring chances in the transition from a press to a half-court 2-3 Zone Defense.
What is a Man Run and Jump Press?
A Man Run and Jump Press is a press where the defense is playing man to man defense but is looking to have one defender leave their offensive player in order to trap the ball. As the closest defender not guarding the ball leaves to trap the ball, the next 3 defenders will all rotate up towards the ball to try and steal any pass coming out of the trap.
The Man Run and Jump Press has to have all 5 defenders working together and in unison. As the trap defender rushes the ball, the other 3 defenders must move together to help cover any potential passes. All 5 defenders must be focused and attentive on what is happening and who is moving. Any defender not moving together with the other 4 defenders will give openings to the offense.
Since the defense is starting out in a man to man defense, the rotations and positions of each defender are going to change on each possession. This can make it hard for teams to run because there is a chance a slower post player will be the player guarding the ball. The post player may also be in the position of deciding when to leave to trap the ball.
The Man Run and Jump Press can be aggressive and trap as soon as the ball comes into play. Or it can have certain rules on when the 2nd defender is to leave their offensive player. The rules can change giving the press the ability to change its style making it hard for offenses to get comfortable in breaking the press.
Best Team Personnel for a 2-3 Tandem Press
The 2-3 Tandem Press is an extension of the 2-3 Zone. This gives the half-court 2-3 Zone the ability to extend the floor defensively. The best personnel for the 2-3 Tandem Press is any defense that is going to use the 2-3 Zone.
The 2-3 Zone is best used with a bigger guy in the middle of the zone and two longer players playing on the sides of the back row. This means the best personnel for the 2-3 Tandem Press is with taller, longer players on the sides of the back row. These two players are going to be involved in any traps so having taller players is going to help those traps.
The other player needed is the front player in the 2-3 Tandem Press. The two guards are going to be stacked. The front player in the stack is going to be chasing the ball no matter where it goes. A guard who is fast helps to provide the initial pressure and funnel the ball into the trap areas. This front player is going to be doing the majority of the running so having multiple players who can rotate in and out of the game is a benefit.
For me, I like to have a guard who I want to stay in the game playing the back position in the guard stack. This can help to conserve their energy in the press. So, if I have a point guard or shooting guard who I want playing the whole game, then they can play the back of the stack. This keeps them from having to run a lot in the press so they will not have to sub out as much.
Best Team Personnel for a Man Run and Jump Press
The best team personnel for a Man Run and Jump Press is a quicker team full of guards. The initial trap is going to have a defender needing to cover a lot of court quickly so bigger, slower post players do not work well in this type of press. The players need to be quicker and faster because the defense is going to be running and rotating a lot.
Teams that are all guards can switch easily so the run and jump style gives them an advantage. The Man Run and Jump Press is going to have defenders switching on a regular basis. Teams who are all guards can keep switching without worrying about certain defenders getting stuck guarding certain offensive players. The defenders will be able to play free and quick no matter how the rotations and switches end up affecting the defense.
The other personnel great for a Man Run and Jump Press is having one defender who is a lock down on the ball defender. When a defender is able to pressure the ball well enough, then the offensive player will be so focused on the defender that they will not see the 2nd defender coming in for a trap. A great on the ball defender gives the defense more of an ability to get really good traps set in the open floor.
When to Use a 2-3 Tandem Press?
The 2-3 Tandem Press is best used when a half-court 2-3 Zone team is wanting to extend and put pressure up the floor without losing their ability to drop straight back into a 2-3 Zone. The 2-3 Tandem Press keeps the players in the same spots as the half-court 2-3 Zone but just extended up the floor.
The other time I like to use the 2-3 Tandem Press is with a big, slow center. I do not want a bigger, slower center having to move around in a press. By playing a 2-3 Tandem Press, the big center is able to run straight back to the defensive basket and be a rim protector at all times. This gives the defense a chance to press without having to take a slow center out of the game.
The other scenario I like is with two tall, long wing players. The 2-3 Tandem Press and the 1-3-1 Press can take advantage of tall wings in getting traps right past half-court. With two tall wings, the defense can switch between the 2-3 Tandem Press and 1-3-1 Press depending on which half-court defense is being played at the time.
When to Use a Man Run and Jump Press?
The Man Run and Jump Press is best used if a defense has a lockdown on the ball defender. A good on the ball defender is going to make the offensive dribbler worried with just their defensive pressure. When other defenders are able to leave their player and go trap the ball, then the offense is really going to struggle.
The Man Run and Jump Press is also a good press with a half-court man to man defensive team. This gives the defense the ability to extend and press without losing their man-to-man principals. The defense guards’ man to man but keeps one eye on the ball looking for an opening to leave and trap the ball.
The Man Run and Jump Press also gives the defense a press that makes the transition from full court press back to half court man defense as easy as possible. A zone press can struggle transitioning from zone back into man defense when the offense breaks the press. A man press like the run and jump never has the defense in a zone setup so the defense is guarding an offensive player at all times.
Advantages of a 2-3 Tandem Press over a Man Run and Jump Press
1) Does Not Need Good Defensive Matchups
The 2-3 Tandem Press is a solid press in that it can be ran against any opponent. The 2-3 Tandem Press is an extension of the 2-3 Zone. This gives the 2-3 Press the ability to run a press with teams that are playing in a 2-3 Zone. This means the defense can be bigger and slower. This means the players can be bad on the ball defenders. It gives the defense a press in which the defenders may not be the best defensive players.
A lot of teams that run the 2-3 Zone are doing it out of necessity. The teams are not good defensive teams so the 2-3 Zone is a defense that can eliminate a lot of potential problems that a bad defensive team could have. This also means the team could be a bad pressing team. The 2-3 Tandem Press gives these bad defensive teams a press to use without losing the integrity of the defense.
The Man Run and Jump Press is an extension of the man to man defense. The right matchups are needed to execute a man to man defense effectively.
Another additional key issue is the ability to switch the matchups with the Man Run and Jump Press. The rushing and trapping aspect of the Man Run and Jump Press is going to cause the defense to consistently change their matchups depending on who is guarding the ball and who is rushing to trap. So, the initial matchups must be good in case the rush never comes as well as the ability for players to guard multiple players and positions of the opponents because of the need to switch matchups based on the rushing and trapping of the press.
If an opponent has players that only one defender can guard, then the Man Run and Jump Press is a terrible idea. That player is going to switch leaving a bad defensive matchup. The offense will then have the ability to attack a bad matchup.
2) Keeps Guard Out Front and Bigs Closer to the Basket
One of the benefits of a good zone defense is keeping defenders in the best positions for them to make the biggest impact. This is normally having the guards out front guarding the ball and the post players back closer to the basket. The 2-3 Zone is able to accomplish this.
The 2-3 Tandem Press is an extended 2-3 Zone. This allows the guards to extend up the floor and put pressure on the ball. The post players will extend if the ball is on their side but will retreat out of the press when the ball is on the opposite side of the floor. The two wings moving up and back along with the middle defender in the 2-3 Tandem Press keeps 2 of the big, taller defenders back close to the basket at all times.
The setup of the 2-3 Tandem Press keeps each defender in good positions to make positive impacts on the game. It also helps to keep each defender from being in a position where the offense can attack them and exploit their poor defensive positioning. It will prevent smaller guards from having to be around the basket and prevent bigger, slower post players from having to guard the perimeter.
The Man Run and Jump Press is a man to man defense extended out to the full court. Depending on how the offense moves will depend on where each defender has to go. If the opponent has a good dribbling post player, then they may become the primary ball handler during the press.
This could force the defense to have a post player trying to put ball pressure on the offense as far away from the defending basket as possible. This could lead to the defense being in a constant state of rotation because the post player is unable to guard the ball well.
The Man Run and Jump Press is also going to be switching who they are guarding almost every possession. The switch could cause a defending guard to be matched up against an offensive post player. Or the switching could have a defending post player be matched up against the offensive point guard. In either case this is probably not a good situation for the defense.
The movement of the defense in trying to trap along with the switching and rotations the defense is going to have when rushing in for a trap will cause all sorts of different defensive matchups. There are going to be times when the defense is matched up poorly against the offense. This is one of the issues of the Man Run and Jump Press.
3) Slows Down an Opponent’s Good Point Guard
One of the greatest advantages of a 2-3 Tandem Press is the ability of the defense to slow down and corral an opposing point guard. The 2-3 Tandem Press has the guards up front giving them the best chances of being able to defend an opposing point guard. The two wings along with the point defender can trap if the point guard decides to try and beat the press going up the sideline.
The 2-3 Tandem Press does a great job of putting a wall across the court that forces the offense to pass the ball to try and create openings to attack the press. A point guard must slow down and pass the ball. The 2-3 Tandem Press works because a good point guard will not be able to just dribble up the floor. They will have to slow down or risk turning the ball over.
The Man Run and Jump Press does the opposite in giving the opposing point guard more space and room to attack the defense in the open court. If the rush comes late, then the point guard will have enough time to go around the on the ball defender. A bad rush can give a point guard a chance to attack the rushing defender early so that the trap is never established.
The Man Run and Jump Press works best by speeding up the opponent’s point guard. The Man Run and Jump Press struggles against a good point guard because it can be difficult to get them sped up. A good point guard can remain calm and play at a pace comfortable to them so they do not have turnovers even if the defense is trying to make them play faster.
Advantages of a Man Run and Jump Press over a 2-3 Tandem Press
1) Keeps Man to Man Principals
One of things I try to do as a coach is to use the same types of concepts and movements but change how they look to an opponent. I want to make things look different for the opposing team but have my team doing the same things that they normally do. This philosophy helps to maximize practice time by teaching one concept but applying it to multiple things.
The Man Run and Jump Press is taking man to man defense and extending up the floor. At its foundation the Man Run and Jump Press is a full court man to man defense. All concepts and skills that are being taught in half court and full court man to man defense are still being used in the Run and Jump Press.
All the Run and Jump Press does is add the rushing trapping element to the defense. So, anytime the team is practicing man to man defense it is also working on the Man Run and Jump Press as well. This can help simplify the defense for players because they are not having to learn a completely new defense. They are just adding another element to the defense they already know.
The 2-3 Tandem Press is an extension of the 2-3 Zone but the rotations of the press are completely different than the half-court zone rotations. There are very few similar concepts outside of the setup of the press.
This means the players are essentially learning two completely different defenses to run the 2-3 Tandem Press dropping back into a 2-3 Zone. A team with too many plays and defenses installed can overwhelm the players to the point where they are thinking about what they doing rather than just reacting to the game.
Players need to play fast and loose to be their most effective. Thinking players tend to play slow and tight. Too much information can cause players to over analyze every situation. The 2-3 Tandem Press can be an issue if the players are unable to play fast because of having to think about what they are doing rather than just reacting.
2) Can Trap Anywhere and Anytime
The Man and Jump Press is an effective press because the defense can rush the ball and trap at any point. This unpredictability makes it difficult on the offense because they do not know when or how the defense is going to trap. There are times when the offense does not see the trap coming and by the time, they realize it is happening, the defense already has the ball in the trap.
The Man Run and Jump Press keeps the offense in a constant state of awareness. This can be mentally and physically draining on players because they must always be ready for a trap. This type of constant pressure can make the offense fatigue faster giving the defense an advantage in the 4th quarter of a game.
The benefit of the Man Run and Jump Press is the traps will never be consistent. The traps are going to occur at different times and different spots on the floor. This prevents the offense from being able to avoid traps by keeping the ball in certain parts of the floor.
The 2-3 Tandem Press is only looking to trap on the sideline right past half-court. The offense can avoid getting trapped by simply keeping the ball out of the trap areas. If the offense can keep the ball in the middle of the floor as they cross the half-court line, then the defense is never going to be in a good position to trap.
3) Puts A Lot of Pressure on the Ball
The Man Run and Jump Press excels at providing a steady stream of ball pressure throughout the entire time it is being ran. Offenses must be on alert at all times because a trap is always seconds away no matter where the ball is at. This puts a mental fatigue on the opponent as well as the physical fatigue a press normally has.
The Man Run and Jump Press creates a game where the defense can be the aggressor and the offense is always in a state of reactionary basketball. When an offense is always reacting to the defense, then the offense can never be truly settled into the game. All of this is due to the constant ball pressure and trapping a Man Run and Jump Press can put on the opponent.
A 2-3 Tandem Press is a reactionary press where ball pressure can occur but it is not something that must occur. The 2-3 Tandem Press is going to wait until the offense puts the ball into a bad position and then trap it. If the offense can avoid those trappable areas, then the 2-3 Tandem Press will present very little ball pressure and trapping onto the offense.
The 2-3 Tandem Press allows the offense to go where they want to for the most part in hopes the offense puts the ball into a trap. If the 2-3 Tandem Press extends too much by trying to put on ball pressure, then areas will become open giving the offense a chance to break and attack the press.
Which is Better? A 2-3 Tandem Press or the Man Run and Jump Press
I like both presses and have run both presses during my time as a coach. The better press is dependent on the ability of the defenders. A team that is a good man to man defensive team will be much better in the Man Run and Jump Press. A team that can not guard man to man and has to play a zone will be better in the 2-3 Tandem Press. The players will dictate which press is better.
Having said that, I personally prefer the Man Run and Jump Press because it puts the players in an attacking mindset. I prefer my players to be more aggressive if given the choice. The aggressiveness of the Man Run and Jump Press allows the players to play more freely and much faster. The players are making decisions in a Man Run and Jump Press whereas the players wait and react in the 2-3 Tandem Press.
The 2-3 Tandem Press is better for a zone team where the players are able to wait and ultimately cover less ground. The 2-3 Tandem Press can keep the defense better intact where slower players have a much better chance of succeeding. While I like the 2-3 Tandem Press, it is not as good as the Man Run and Jump Press if the team can guard in a man to man defense.
