Ditch the zone defense
Have you noticed them? The weird boxy defensive sets? The ones that remind you of Syracuse?
It’s no illusion. The Washington Wizards have been playing a lot of 2-3 zone defense this season. It hasn’t always been terrible, seemingly stumping a few squads, even if just momentarily. However, in the loss to Boston, the Celtics reminded everyone why they rarely see zone defenses in the NBA.
The Wizards went into the half trailing Boston by just two points. When the teams came out for the second half, things changed quickly. Boston came out on a tear, hitting their first nine shots and feasting on the open space that the zone defense gave them. Their lead ballooned to 11.
The run wasn’t a game-ender by any means. The Wizards stayed within striking distance of the East’s top team for most of the game. With just over a minute left, Thomas Bryant hit a free throw to pull within four points, but that’s the closest the Wizards would get.
Even if it didn’t close the door, the second-half run did change the dynamic of the game. Heading into the half, the Wizards and Celtics were trading blows, and the outmatched Wizards were keeping pace. Then, with nine-straight makes to start the second half, the Celtics pulled firmly ahead of the Wizards, making them play catchup the rest of the way.
The two teams were no longer on equal footing. Instead, the Celtics were firmly in control, with the Wizards scrambling to stay close. Brad Stevens easily broke the zone with a few second-half adjustments. Other NBA coaches can—and will—do the same. It’s time to ditch the zone defense, but that might not be possible without a few lineup changes.