Quick Hitters vs. Zone: Decay

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.

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Quick Hitters Basketball Plays

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November 13, 2014

Quick Hitters vs. Zone: Decay
Adam Spinella

Here is another type of quick hitters against a zone that is run in a real tight amount of space, but it keys in on the perimeter defenders not wanting to commit to a player on a middle drive and the middle man occupying himself by standing near two players that are not involved with him at all. The middle man in the zone does not hedge any type of flare screen at all, so when one is set he stays rim protected. To open up the flare, the top of the zone must be concerned with the ball and with the high post at the same time.

quick hitters

Here is the initial alignment against the zone. 1, a good shooter, holds the ball in the middle of the floor. 2 and 5 are spaced on one side, occupying the other top spot defender and the low man. By putting 3 and 4 in a stack just outside the lane, it will not only sink in the low man x3 on that side, but it will have the two top defenders in the zone align as shown. 1 passes the ball to 2, then cuts to the opposite corner. This should drag some attention from x3 as he fills the corner.

quick hitters

When 1 clears past 3, 3 will cut to the nail hole, hoping to draw the attention of x1, while x5 stays low and rim protected. As soon as 3 raises, x3 will pay attention to 1 out to the corner, as this is now his responsibility. 2 needs to take a hard bounce towards the middle, while at the same time 4 flares in for 3 to clear to the perimeter. 2 should hit an open 3 on the wing.

If 2 successfully draws x1 with his dribble and he doesn’t immediately fight over the screen, the decision is on x3 to guard either 3 or 1. One of the two will be open as they play two-on-one on that side of the zone.

Coach Adam Spinella is entering his first season as an Assistant Coach at Culver Academies in Culver, IN. Spinella spent the three years prior as a Student Assistant Coach at Division III Dickinson College. The Dickinson Men’s Team advanced to two NCAA Tournaments and accumulated an overall record of 59-26 (.694) during the three-year span, with the 2013-2014 season ending in the Division III Elite Eight. A native of Bow, New Hampshire, Spinella has a keen interest in X’s and O’s, particularly in professional basketball, and skill development.

quick hitters

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