Wizards training camp: Flip Saunders and the zone defense with the wacky name
by Mike Prada on Sep 29, 2010 5:03 PM EDT
in First-hand reporting
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As the media walked into Wizards training camp today, we were treated to a sight that looked pretty similar to last year: Flip Saunders explaining the matchup zone defense to his team. Saunders has long been a proponent of zone defenses -- he's said repeatedly how much it amuses him that nobody wants to play zone when, back in the day, teams always used to try to pass off "zone" defenses as man-to-man defense.
But the zone defense we saw last year really wasn't all that successful. The Wizards left shooters wide open, surrendered too many offensive rebounds and weren't able to use it except when the man-to-man defense was particularly bad. There was one memorable game against Oklahoma City last year where Saunders only went to a zone because "we can't guard anyone."
So is this zone just the same old matador zone defense we saw last year? Not exactly. After practice, Saunders said the Wizards didn't play the kind of zone defense he would have liked.
"Last year, we played a little bit, but not as much as I would have liked and not the zone that I would have liked. We want to play, as I call it, our hyperbolic perimeter paraboloid transitional floating zone," Saunders said.
Our what?
I was kind of stumped too, so I did a bit of research and stumbled on this 2003 Sports Illustrated article discussing the zone Saunders used back when he coached the Timberwolves.
More than any team, the Timberwolves have taken advantage of the new rules permitting zones-no surprise when you consider that Saunders, while coaching the CBA's Sioux Falls Sky-force in 1994-95, wrote a 45-page primer on the finer points of zone defense. Deploying what Saunders calls a "hyperbolic paraboloid transitional floating zone" (essentially a matchup) about 40% of the time, Minnesota has confounded opponents, holding them to 41.7% shooting through Sunday, third best in the league. Garnett, Smith and improving 7-foot center Rasho Nesterovic can each reach halfway to Duluth, allowing the frontcourt to cover vast expanses. They also provide vital support to the quickness-challenged Szczerbiak, who can use his height and bulk more aggressively on the perimeter knowing that he has help if he gets beaten off the dribble.
Basically, it's a really fancy way of saying "matchup zone." Odd, because it looked like the Wizards were using a matchup zone a lot last year. However, maybe what Saunders really meant is that he has better personnel for the system than he did last year. He talked about how much more athletic and lengthier this year's team is than last year's, and as the blurb above indicates, Saunders likes to use a lot of length on the front line. At one point today, Saunders had Andray Blatche, Yi Jianlian and Hilton Armstrong all on the same team, with Blatche practicing on the perimeter. Maybe that's what he meant.
Either way, the zone defense is here to stay. Saunders said he expects to employ the zone around 20-25 percent of the time, because "when you play zone, it helps your man principles." He said he's excited to put John Wall and his "6'8'' wingspan" on the top of the zone, and added that a zone might be necessary to stop the Miami juggernaut.
"30 percent of the games are going to be in transition, because of missed shots, like 30-35 percent, and the rest is man-to-man, so if we can get it up to 20-25 percent, we can use that as a good base," he said.
More later.
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Man
Honestly, if it STOPS people then im down. And not that it has to do with defense but Epic Vale is killing me on the ‘picks’ he sets. He doesnt ever set em, he just does the motion of setting it and leaves wall out to dry and swarmed by 2 defenders. (there i got it off my chest)
SF
The starting small forward will need to be able to play zone, rebound, hit 3s and be the 3rd scorer. It’s already starting to look like the starting SF will be Yi with Morrison fighting for the back-up role.
How about Thornton?
He’s many levels better than Morrison, and Yi was one of the worst defensive players in the league last season.
So let me get this straight...
In order to play zone we have to put our WORST defensive players out there?
That shouldn't be too hard
That would include most of the roster
by hambonejackson on Sep 29, 2010 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Hyperbolic parabaloid transitional floating zone
Isn’t that the US troop deployment configuration in Afghanistan? I actually think I know what Saunders means by this.He means when Arenas hangs onto the ball too long trying to create a shot for himself and then jacks up a shot right before the shot clock expires and misses, Wall is to race to the teams other point guard to stick with him to either deny him the ball or to slow him down and as the rest of the team are in a horseshoe configuration (the parabaloid) and then reverse the paraboloid as they cross mid court to complete the hyperbola configuration. All the while in transition maintaining a man to man defense.But who is checking for IEDs? Leonosis?
by hambonejackson on Sep 29, 2010 10:25 PM EDT reply actions
I've been banging on about this for a while. But here's the thumbnail sketch:
Right it’s a match-up zone that switches on every possession.
What’s that mean? It means that you play tight man defense until your man leaves your area. Your object is to deny penetration, deny the pass to the interior, and run out to guard any threes. If your man blows past you, trust that the bigs behind you will discourage easy penetration and make him pull up.
The ‘floating’ aspect has to do with the configuration of defenders on the perimeter in part. You cheat to the ball side sagging off your man attempting to guard those same interior passing lanes. Lateral passes are fine, let them burn all the time they want off the clock playing catch with each other, don’t bother trying to steal ’em, but if you can steal to prevent interior passes of slashing penetration, great. First stop your man, then worry about any steal.
On the interior your Bigs front the post, denying passing lanes here as well as intimidating against slashing penetration. One big has the primary responsibility of shadowing the ball movement, threatening to block, and taking up a ton of room. What you want is to encourage the defender to choose to pull up and shoot that low % long two point shot. Let ‘em take that shot for free, don’t chase out too far here, keep withing recovery range of a long step from the paint.
The second Big, weakside big is your primary rebounder here. Though truth be told zones tend to offer many long bounces so it helps to have an active heads-up 2nd line rebounder in your swift SF. If that player can similarly fill space and clog lanes, then gravy.
Flip’s right that early in the year he had poor personnel for a zone. Caron and Twan have always been tweeners at their position, undersized, no great length of wingspan (for a guy who measured at 6’5" Caron has long arms, but compared to the 6’10" SFs in the league he’s at a disadvantage in standing reach and wingspan both). Twan is no intimidating defender in the KG/Sheed free-safety shotblocker role. And come on, Earl the Squirrel can’t prevent the interior pass unless you gave him a couple lacrosse goalie sticks to wave overhead. Remember Flip often used Tayshaun Prince at the top of his zone, not itty bitty Earl.
Now however he’s got options for positive mismatch in length at almost every position:
Wall (has tip-to-tip reach equivalent to a player 3" taller) Gilbert (6’10" wingspan)
Nick Young (7 foot wingspan, equivalent to your avg PF)
Josh Howard (eventually, with his 7’2" span, about the same stretch as a Center)
6’ 11" Dray (who could occasionally be mistaken for Haywood out there).
McGeezus (with the longest standing reach of any active player, and still growing) Plus Hilton Armstrong.
The team can fill space for certain. Add to that heady active smart play by Hinrich, Wall, Booker, and lane clogging bulk with surprisingly nimble feet in the 275 lb Black Angel Seraphin, and there are pieces around which you can begin to plot a scheme.
The rest is simply repetition and iteration and experience as a substitute for innate instinctive understanding in those who have thus far fallen a little short.
If you can keep JaVale from chasing too far out, if Gil focuses on his man and his area more than the ball, if Seraphin picks up quick, if Nick Young isn’t caught dreaming whenever his man doesn’t have the ball, if Yi has the confidence and aggression he showed in summer ball— if somebody, anybody will rebound on defense and box out…
Well we could prove a pretty decent defensive team. On the topside of mediocre. Even players like Gil and Nick have shown they can dial it in at times, if not sustain focus. (Gil was ironclad in USA ball reports suggested; and Nick surprisingly has been a +/- leader for this team). A guy like JaVale has crap habits (jumps on every flinch, chases the abll wherever it is, is reluctant to bang) but unmatched physical tools and is putting on the muscle to begin to bully cats. A guy like Seraphin should be a terrifying force in the paint once he has self-confidence to exert his will. The physical tools are there. Practice and experience may eventually substitute for innate cunning here. All it takes is desire to work.
Flip has a pretty good track record of improving his team’s overall defensive rating. Ultimately I fully expect incremental growth and positive results. Hey Ray Allen eventually became a passable defender, anyone can grow if they work at it.
by doclinkin on Sep 30, 2010 12:19 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Great stuff, Doc.
My main concern is rebounding. The system would seem to put our already challenged rebounders in poor position. Seems like we’d give away a lot of offensive rebounds. Any thoughts on that?
by MR on Sep 30, 2010 6:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Long jumpers result in long rebounds.
Your 2nd line ballhawks are as important as your frontline bangers. But we’re not quite as bad in rebounding as you might suspect.
Dray’s been a pretty decent defensive rebounder, his numbers don’t look great overall since his offensive boards dropped off when he became the primary in Flip’s system. Since he’s got a well-developed midrange game Flip posted him on the baseline off-block or in the high post to take advantage of his ballhandling and footwork mismatch vs most Bigs, and to leave room underneath for Livingston to postup mini guards.
Dray’s been adding muscle, I talked with a ticket rep who said that 7-Day-All-Dray has been the player most consistently in the building in the weight room this summer. Every day all day, unless he’s out at the pool working cardio. That’s a huge change from Dray’s customary summer habit (getting arrested or shot, you know…) there’s hope that he’ll be more willing to mix it up a bit underneath since JaVale is a better fit for that roaming shotblocker.
But even JaVale will stand to improve on this front now that he’s adding a little muscle. Once he’s stronger he won’t be scared to be toppled by low-center of gravity thugs. He’ll begin to enjoy his height advantage, not be scared to get the rug pulled out from under him. He can take a bump and not go flying. I suspect we’ll see him more willing to stand his ground instead of dancing around outside looking for a clear lane to get a running start. But somebody’s got to rip into him to let him know it’s not okay to leak out and start running before the ball is secured. No cherry picking for fast break dunks. Now that he’s likely to get longer minutes maybe he won’t cheat the effort on the low-post duties, he’ll get enough touches regardless. John Wall will see to that. It’s a trust thing.
And once Seraphin gets a comfort zone here it’s Katy-bar-the-door. Big Kevin is like a nimble Jahidi with good hands, and soccer footwork. Pretty intimidating.
Zone defense and offensive rebounding
In transition, after crashing the offensive glass, it’s easier to get back to a spot on the floor than it is to figure out man-to-man defensive match ups. You go from your offensive set play, to offensive rebounding zone-like spacing, to transition spacing that hinders outlet passes and fast breaks, to your defensive zone. It flows together much more smoothly without the often chaotic process of trying to find your man and mark up. Playing zone defense could help us avoid giving up easy baskets in transition and allow us to be more aggressive on the offensive glass. Playing zone could allow us to get some of those rebounds back at the other end of the floor.
7-Day-All-Dray has been the player most consistently in the building in the weight room this summer. Every day all day, unless he’s out at the pool working cardio.
Holy cow.
He did look much bigger on tv, but that’s tv.
Bigger
Dray, JaVale and Yi all appear to be bigger.
Follow me on twitter - @CJ_202SB
by CJ Hempfield on Sep 30, 2010 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions
lookit how smart I is...
I suspect we’ll see him more willing to stand his ground instead of dancing around outside looking for a clear lane to get a running start. But somebody’s got to rip into him to let him know it’s not okay to leak out and start running before the ball is secured. No cherry picking for fast break dunks. Now that he’s likely to get longer minutes maybe he won’t cheat the effort on the low-post duties, he’ll get enough touches regardless. John Wall will see to that. It’s a trust thing.
Then days later in the WaPost:
Saunders has spoken with McGee about becoming a better defensive rebounder this season, so that the team could exploit Wall’s speed and get out more on the break. McGee said he is working on boxing out and establishing better positioning, because he knows Wall can and will find him. “I know if I roll and he throws it up, I’m going to catch it, and if I roll, he’s going to pass it. It’s like instinct,” McGee said.
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