One defender picks the ball up at the top of the key, two sit around the elbows extended, and two hold the blocks. Like the 3-2, it is an odd front, so the point of the zone lines up in the middle of the floor instead of two guards splitting it.
Why coaches use it
It pressures the perimeter without giving up the rim. The top man can push the ball to one side, the elbow defender jumps the wing catch, and the two of them can trap on the sideline. Teams that want to force a turnover but do not trust their back line play this before they play a 1-3-1.
Many coaches call this zone a 3-2, and many teams who say “3-2” are standing in a 1-2-2. The difference is where the second and third defenders start — up at the arc on the wings, or inside at the elbows. Ask which one you are actually going to see, because the corner is open much earlier against one than the other.
How to attack it
- Two guards up top. One defender cannot cover two. Get the ball to the free one and the front is already broken.
- Sit in the high post. The space behind the point defender and between the two elbow men is the softest part of the zone.
- Ball reversal, then the corner. The elbow defenders have the longest close-out in the zone, and they have to make it twice on a quick swing.
- Short corner. With only two defenders below the free-throw line, the short corner pulls one of them off the rim.
- Screen the front. Setting a screen on the top defender with a second guard turns a two-on-one into a layup line at the free-throw line.