Zone defense... your thoughts?

[WTF]

Okay, with the recent implementation of zone defense, the game has changed in a huge way. It takes away a lot of the post play, and forcing more guard play and outside shooting. It has taken away the isolation ability of the superstars, but has forced "team play".

If you had it your way, would zone defense be in the NBA? Why? Why not?

Discuss...

[muggins]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

Yes, I like zone defense. Run down the court and iso and throw up a brick is why I turn off NBA games.

[23]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

Yes, I like zone defense. Run down the court and iso and throw up a brick is why I turn off NBA games.

LOL man. The zone isn't the reason the games are better. Its a catch 22.

You aren't really allowed to play real defense anymore.

The post game has been all but decimated except by the best of them.

If you can't defend a post player, there is no reason the league should punish them and give you an advantage by allowing you to sag and defend nobody at all, or defend a guy even before he gets the ball. That's not competition thats cheese.

Speaking of bricks, the league wide percentage of overabundance of 3 pointers doesn't bode well for your argument.


It's basically a rule implemented to so called make teams pass more. I believe that is heavily reliant on the teams system and the players themselves, becuase I see plenty of players chuck no matter if there are two or three players in front of them.


Why throw an otherwise weak or stupid defender a lifeline by having his teammates be able to cherry pick on defense with no consequence?

The game was NEVER broken, but the players are.

[pittpanthers92]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

Yes, I like zone defense. Run down the court and iso and throw up a brick is why I turn off NBA games.

I can't stand to watch NBA games anymore. There is absolutely no defense. College ball all the way!

[Bizzy Da Kid]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

Zone isnt a bad thing, but in todays age of NBA players, its easier to recover because the court is kinda narrow. I would love to see the 3pt line removed, the lane about a foot wider on both sides and the court bigger overall. This way we will see true talent.

I truly beleive that Zone defense was allowed to stop Shaq. He wouldve killed for years without a zone.

[edubbs]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

The game was NEVER broken, but the players are.

I agree 100%. The lack of focus on the fundamentals of basketball by the young players entering the league was the reason for all of the rules changes. And I can't stand it.

I hate the addition of zone defenses and all of the ticky tack fouls that are called now. The NBA now versus the 80's and early 90's is a TOTALLY different game.

Even in the playoffs there are waaay too many touch fouls called. Scoring leader's in todays NBA, numbers are soo inflated by the amount of FT's that are taken by these players per game.

Back on topic, Stern should have never allowed zones in IMO. The Big men are being restricted because of the zone defenses. Some of the true Big Men greats from previous eras, would not been as effective if they played in the current NBA.

[ubernoob]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

I'm a fan of zone defense, but I hate the NBA. The only players I'll really watch for (on ESPN, or maybe a couple of their games) are Steve Nash, and Tim Duncan. Nash because his passes are amazing and I love that, and Duncan because he's the best player in the game hands down. I'll watch all the Bucks games I can, but the playoffs? Who cares, the NBA isn't real basketball anyways.

I prefer the college games, because those kids care about more than their paychecks (even if they just care about playing their best to get those paychecks next year), nothing beats the drama of it.

Anywas - Zone defense? Yes it's a plus.

[muggins]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

LOL man. The zone isn't the reason the games are better. Its a catch 22.

You aren't really allowed to play real defense anymore.

The post game has been all but decimated except by the best of them.

If you can't defend a post player, there is no reason the league should punish them and give you an advantage by allowing you to sag and defend nobody at all, or defend a guy even before he gets the ball. That's not competition thats cheese.

Speaking of bricks, the league wide percentage of overabundance of 3 pointers doesn't bode well for your argument.


It's basically a rule implemented to so called make teams pass more. I believe that is heavily reliant on the teams system and the players themselves, becuase I see plenty of players chuck no matter if there are two or three players in front of them.


Why throw an otherwise weak or stupid defender a lifeline by having his teammates be able to cherry pick on defense with no consequence?

The game was NEVER broken, but the players are.

So what you want is pass inside to shaq, hook move, lay in every time down the floor?

[heitkamp94]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

Zone defenses are part of basketball, so i think they're great for the NBA. Most teams still stay away from the zones but now we've go alot of hybrid man/zone defenses that really bring new strategies into the game and adds an element of the coaches matching wits thats also really interesting.

[NYJets]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

Zone defenses are part of basketball, so i think they're great for the NBA. Most teams still stay away from the zones but now we've go alot of hybrid man/zone defenses that really bring new strategies into the game and adds an element of the coaches matching wits thats also really interesting.

Agreed.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

You would think with the amount of people that complain about the level of defense being played that the possibiliy of an all-defensive Finals would be looked forward to by the masses, rather than causing mass vomit. Not saying I fall one way or the other, but it's kind of weird.

I love zone D, it helps out my team

[23]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

So what you want is pass inside to shaq, hook move, lay in every time down the floor?

Don't be so foolish.

Some of the best basketball EVER played by some of the best players that will ever have walked on an NBA court was done in years that there was not even a thought of adding a zone to the lane, the 3 point line either not there or moved back further than it is now, and players were allowed to play hand-checking physical basketball every night.

If your team has weak defensive liabilities, that's not the team with the advantage fault. If you cannot double Shaq quickly enough then fine, that's your problem.

I will even say Detroit was just brave enough to go one on one with Shaq in the finals a few years back and it didn't work becasue someone on his team was too selfish to want that mismatch exploited.

Don't give me this crap about the zone being apart of the game. It wasn't apart of any NBA game and it survived just fine without it.

You don't even have to make a smart decision on the court defensively now (whether to double or to hang with your man), you can just sag in the middle all night long.

That type of basketball is nauseating.

[poster]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

I am hot and cold on the zone. I didn't like when they implemented it, but now with Flip the Pistons are successful when going zone. Having big guards and a long front line helps in that respect. The nice thing is that it's not a necessity and they can play strong man to man D.

[Rocky]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

Don't be so foolish.

Some of the best basketball EVER played by some of the best players that will ever have walked on an NBA court was done in years that there was not even a thought of adding a zone to the lane, the 3 point line either not there or moved back further than it is now, and players were allowed to play hand-checking physical basketball every night.

If your team has weak defensive liabilities, that's not the team with the advantage fault. If you cannot double Shaq quickly enough then fine, that's your problem.

I will even say Detroit was just brave enough to go one on one with Shaq in the finals a few years back and it didn't work becasue someone on his team was too selfish to want that mismatch exploited.

Don't give me this crap about the zone being apart of the game. It wasn't apart of any NBA game and it survived just fine without it.

You don't even have to make a smart decision on the court defensively now (whether to double or to hang with your man), you can just sag in the middle all night long.

That type of basketball is nauseating.

It may be nauseating but......

a)it's not going away anytime soon and
b)it's been used on almost every single level of play including arguably the most popular brand of bball(and it's not the NBA).

I'm not for it or against it. It's there and coaches and players will adapt and adjust. Post players have to become better passers. I think gone are the days where you have a big get 33 points a game(IE Wilt, Kareem, Shaq).....but a 20 pt, 7 ast big could be just as valuable.

[rocker78]

Re: Zone defense... your thoughts?

i think since everyone else uses the zone defense, the nba should use it to. i think the game has gotten alot better with it because i enjoy TEAM ball rather then boring isolations every time down the court.