How The Zoom Offense Defeats Denials
If you've coached basketball long enough, you've probably found yourself in this situation. You have an offense that looks great on paper. It looks great 5v0.
It may even be great against teams that allow you to move and pass as you'd like. But then you play against a team that really gets up into you.
They deny passes. They pressure the ball. All of a sudden that beautiful offense doesn't look so great.
Even worse are the looks you get from players. Often, those looks say something like, "HELP ME! I can't make the pass the offense tells me to make. I don't know what to do!"
Needless to say, this is a miserable situation for both coaches and players. And it happens a lot! In fact, it's a good argument for being aggressive defensively.
From an offensive standpoint, one flaw in many offenses is they don't offer solutions for what to do when the defense is aggressive.
This often results in offenses being blown up and purposeless play.
Fortunately, the Zoom Offense continues to flow no matter what the defense does. Coach Nate Steege recently discussed the options that are available against denying defenses.
The #1 Solution When Your Team Is Denied
The Zoom Offense can be run either 4 out or 5 out. It can be run with 0 posts, 1 post, or 2 posts. Coach Steege addressed the options for all of those situations.
Coach Steege actually calls the players who are executing the zoom (handing the ball off) "triggers". The triggers are generally your weakest ball handlers or post players. That gives you lineup flexibility. Your triggers can be anyone you choose.
Whether they are guards or forwards, making weaker dribblers your triggers reduces their ball handling burden and allows them to focus on scoring off rolls to the rim.
He generally suggests starting with 2 Zoom Flow as it's easier to learn. It provides more structure and fewer options, so beginners can have more success with it. Middle School, Junior Varsity, and Varsity teams can all start with 2 Zoom Flow.
As players get comfortable with that, you can progress to 1 Zoom Flow. This is more open-ended and allows players more freedom.
Before getting into the diagrams, Coach Steege made the point that the first option is always to go backdoor.
If your trigger is being denied, they should look to cut hard to the basket. This is a great way to get an easy basket. Additionally, once your player does this once, their defender is likely to back off their denial.
2 Zoom Flow (Beginner) Denial Solutions
If you run the offense with 2 triggers. Within 2 Zoom Flow, here are two good options against denials.
Switch
One rule of 2 zoom flow is that the triggers are always on opposite sides of the floor.
If Player 4 is denied, they can set a ball screen for Player 1.
Since this changes the side of the floor for player 4, player 5 must change as well.
Once the ball screen is set, the team flows into the offense.
Pistol
Pistol allows your triggers to stay on the same side of the floor.
Since 4 is denied, 1 goes into a handoff with 2.
5 comes up and sets a ball screen right behind the handoff to get the offense going.
1 Zoom Flow (Advanced) Denial Solutions
Drag
If Player 5 is denied, they can go directly into a drag ball screen with Player 1.
As Player 5 rolls, Player 2 lifts.
This action initiates movement, getting the team into the offense.
Twist
As opposed to screening for the ball, 5 can screen away for 4.
4 should look to curl this screen.
If they are open, 1 will pass to 4.
If not, 4's curl will run them into x5, creating space for 5 to pop back to the top of the key and catch an entry pass.
From there, you are into the offense.
Twist Slip
Even if you are in 1 zoom flow, you have a second player who acts as a trigger. The trigger also can initiate zoom action.
As in the twist action above, 5 screens for 4.
However, instead of curling, 4 now pops to the top.
5 can slip the screen and look for a pass at the rim.
If 4 is not open, 1 can pass to 4 at the top of the key to initiate the offense.
No Pass? No Problem
Knowing how to counter your opponent's coverage is vital.
Don't teach your offense assuming everything will always go exactly the way you drew it up. It won't.
However, by teaching coverage solutions, the flow of your offense never stops.
And when the offense flows, your players' confidence and success grows! Learn more about The Zoom Offense With Nate Steege.
What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...
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