The zoom action has caught my attention as of late. I love that concept of getting a player coming off of a down screen and moving straight into a dribble hand off. This zoom concept helps to prevent the defender from being able to contest the hand off well. They are moving around the down screen to begin with and then immediately have a 2nd action coming right off of the down screen can cause the defender problems. This zoom action is hard to defend.
I am now looking at adding more zoom actions into my offense. When creating plays with a new concept, there are two ways to start adding them to your playbook. First, you can create new plays with a concept or player in mind. Or two, steal other coaches and teams plays.
As a young coach, I got mad when I saw another team running a play I created. That was my play and now here is an opposing team running the play I created against me. I was not happy and brought it to that coaches attention that he stole that play from me. His response was it was a good play.
As I have gotten older and stole my fair share of plays from other coaches, I take a stolen play as a badge of honor. I have created a play good enough that another coach wants to use it. That is a form of respect from another coach.
So, when looking for plays to add a zoom action to add to my playbook, this was one I saw Oregon run against Georgia. It is simple, quick and gets right into the zoom action.
When introducing a new concept like a zoom action, I want the initial play to be straight and to the point. I want the players into the action as quick as possible without needing a lot of setup. This keeps players playing the game and not trying to think about what it is they are trying to do. This play is great in its simplicity.
This play starts with the big(4) and center(5) on the elbows. The guard(2) and forward(3) start in the corner. This play can be ran to either side. The initial pass is going to set whether the guard(2) or the forward(3) is getting the zoom action. The side of the court the initial pass goes to is the side where the zoom action is being ran.
So, if you want the guard(2) to get the dribble hand off then pass the ball to their side. In the diagrams, the play is being set up for the forward(3).
The initial pass is being thrown to the big(4). The point(1) is running an over cut followed by the center(5) also running an over cut around the big(4). The over cuts are putting the point(1) and center(5) in a better position to get a good stagger screen for the forward(3) coming up out of the corner.
And here is the zoom action. The forward(3) is coming off of the double stagger screen and straight into a handoff from the big(4). Once the forward(3) has the ball they are turning the corner and attacking straight down the middle of the lane. The big(4) is rolling to the basket off of the handoff.
The only helpside defense could be the guard(2)’s defender coming over. On this help, it is a kick out pass to the guard(2) for the open 3-point shot. The guard(2) should start in the corner to create as much open space as possible. As the forward(3) drives, the guard(2) can raise up out of the corner on the 3-point line giving a better angle on the kick out pass.
Outside of the guard(2)’s defender helping, the forward(3) should have a clear path to the basket. The big(4) rolling gives the forward(3) one more option for a pass depending on how the defense rotates to stop the ball. This gives the forward(3) the freedom and space to create off of the dribble hand off(DHO) to get a good shot out of the zoom action.
