One of the ways to attack a 2-3 Zone is by flooding an area of the zone and force a defender to have to try and guard multiple players. A zone defense has each defender guarding an area of the floor. By having multiple offensive players in the same area, this forces the defender to choose who to guard and who to leave open.
Depending on who the defender chooses to guard the other offensive player will be open. By adding an additional screen to keep the next defender from rotating into the flooded area will give the offensive player plenty of time and space to catch and shoot.
By knowing the rotations of the zone defense, an offense has the ability to attack the weaknesses of the defense. This quick hitter uses the defensive corner responsibilities against the defense. The block defender has to cover everything outside of the lane. The middle defender and elbow defender are just far enough away not to be able to help. A screen on the middle defender causes an even slower rotation to help the block defender.
The play starts in a 1-2-2 formation that is common against a 2-3 zone. The initial pass is made to either wing. In the diagram above the pass is made from the point(1) to the guard(2).
The elbow defender will step out to guard the ball. The block defender is guarding the big(4) and everything out to the corner. Knowing this the quick hitter is attacking the ballside block defender to get something open for the offense.
The big(4) is either screening the middle defender or posting up. The big(4) must occupy the middle defender. A post up could also give the guard(2) a 3rd option for a pass. Either a screen or post up works, but the big(4) must keep that middle defender engaged with them.
The center(5) is running along the baseline and doing a curl cut around the big(4). If the block defender stays out towards the corner then this curl cut will be open for a shot right inside the lane.
The forward(3) is chasing the center(5) around the baseline and running out to the corner. If the block defender stays in with the center(5) on the curl then the forward(3) will be open running out to the corner for either the 12-15 footer or the 3-point shot.
The block defender has to decide either to stay in with the curl cut and leave the 3-point line open. Or the block defender goes out to the corner leaving the curl cut by the center(5) open because the big(4) is screening the middle defender.
2nd Option
The 2nd option is switching the forward(3) and center(5) on who is going through the baseline 1st. With a good center(5), I like to have the forward(3) go 1st because it has a better chance to drag the block defender out to the corner. As the block defender moves out, the center(5) is able to curl around the big(4) right above the block.
The concept of the play is the same no matter which player is going across the baseline 1st. The offense is sending 2 players into the corner where the defense only has 1 defender able to guard both of them. The offensive player who goes unguarded gets the pass and shot. The defense has to make a choice and the offense is able to attack no matter what choice the defender chooses.
This quick hitter uses the defense concepts against them. The offense is reacting to the defense and getting a shot based upon what actions the defense takes. The beauty in this play is that the offense will have somebody open. So, no matter what the defense does the offense will get a shot off.
