Home » Misc » How to beat the 2 3 zone defense in basketball
How to beat the 2 3 zone defense in basketball
How to Beat a 2-3 Zone
I want to preface this article with this statement:
The 2-3 zone defense should not be allowed in youth basketball.
Instead of listing the reasons why in this article, I encourage you to check out Tyler Coston’s article on the subject which has most of them covered in my opinion.
The 2-3 zone is the most common zone used in the half-court. For better or worse, it’s used by teams of all ages at all levels. So it’s imperative that all coaches are prepared for when their team will face it.
Since most youth teams don’t have the extra time to practice and memorize an entire zone offense, here are 17 strategies you can implement mid-game to help your team beat the 2-3 zone.
1. Set Up in a 1-3-1
The 1-3-1 is the best formation to set up in offensively against a 2-3 zone.
Traditionally, this will mean your point guard at the top, your shooting guard and small forward on the wings, one big on the free-throw line, and one big on the baseline.
This formation is effective because it places your team in the gaps of the zone and forces the defense out of their ideal positions.
When a player receives the basketball on the perimeter, there will often be a clear lane to the basket in front of them that they can attack.
Being in the gaps of the defense can also confuse them as to who should guard the basketball which can lead to open players all over the floor.
2. Beat Them Down the Floor
The easiest way to defeat a 2-3 zone is to avoid playing against it on as many possessions as possible.
Your team can do this by utilizing quick transition basketball to beat the opposition team down the floor.
If your players all run hard down the floor and the basketball is moved quickly, there will often be open lanes for your players to attack the basket before the defense is able to set up their zone.
3. Attack the Gaps
If a player receives the basketball and finds themselves with an open lane to the basket in front of them, they should immediately attack the gap.
One of two things will happen in this situation…
1. The attacking player will split the defense and have a high-percentage shot at the rim. 2. The defense will collapse and take away the shot.
The first option for the attacking player is to finish at the rim. Your players must always be aggressive and looking to score.
If the defense collapses and takes away the drive, this will often mean there are open players on the perimeter for open shots or that when the basketball is pitched out there will be more open gaps in the defense.
A great drill for teaching this action is the ‘Drive and Kick Drill’.
Players will find that, with good spacing, the quicker the basketball is passed around the more gaps will present themselves in the defense.
4. Utilize Pass Fakes
Pass fakes are super effective against a zone because the defense is always anticipating the next move they need to make.
Often a single defender will have the difficult task of guarding two offensive players in their area.
When a pass fake is made, the defender will usually anticipate where they need to rotate to next and start leaning towards their next assignment. This slight movement can lead to open lanes and the defenders taking valuable time to get back into the correct position.
Make sure your players have been taught how to correctly fake a pass without coming off-balance so that they can explode to the ring if the defense goes for it.
5. Put Your Best Passer in the Middle of the Zone
One of the weakest areas of a zone is the free-throw line. When the ball is at this position, the player with the basketball has many options to attack the defense.
Nearly every time I watch a team play against a zone they put their center at the free-throw line in this position without even considering other options.
It’s a mistake to automatically assume your center is the best option for this role.
The most effective player to position in the middle of the zone is often the team’s best player and/or passer… regardless of their height.
This player must be a threat to score and should also be one of your team’s best passers. Get them the basketball at the free throw line and let them create!
6. Move the Basketball (Quickly)
The worst thing you can do against a zone is hold the basketball and allow the defense to fully recover and establish their ideal positions.
In order to beat a zone, you must keep the defenders moving and scrambling to recover. This is achieved by quick passing of the basketball, good spacing between players, and constantly looking for gaps in the defense that can be exploited.
Explain to your players that when they have possession they have a maximum of one second to decide whether to pass, shoot, or dribble.
Keep in mind that the highest percentage shots you will get against a zone occur after one or two ball reversals when the defense is starting to break down and the defenders are fatigued.
7. Attack From the Short Corners
Another great strategy is to attack from behind the zone along the baseline.
If you’re setting up in the 1-3-1, have the baseline player float between the short corners along the baseline depending on which side the basketball is on. Their feet should be nearly out of bounds in an effort to stay as low as possible.
This either forces the defenders to play close to the baseline in order to watch the baseline player, or it allows baseline offensive player to hide behind the sight of the defense.
If the basketball is caught in the short corner, the offensive player has many options to attack the zone…
1. Pass to the offensive player at the free-throw line who will be open diving to the basket. 2. Shoot from the short corner. 3. Pass to a perimeter player since the defense will collapse. 4. Shot fake and attack the rim for an easy basket or a foul.
The player will also be a great scoring option after dribble penetration. When the low zone defenders step up to help on dribble penetration, a simple drop-down pass to the baseline player will often result in an easy score.
8. Create and Take Advantage of Mismatches
One benefit of the opposing team running a zone is that the offense has the ability to decide the matchups on the court.
When coaching against a 2-3 zone, identify the weak links and target these defenders by forcing them to match up against your best offensive players.
For example: If the team your facing has one strong guard and one weak guard, you can send your best guard to the side of the floor that their weak guard is defending each time down the court.
As this matchup favors the offense, your guard can blow past them every time and get into the paint where they can score or create a shot their teammates.
This is also a great strategy when overloading. Overload towards what you consider to be the weaker side of the floor defensively.
9. Screen the Zone
The best thing about screening a zone is that there’s no defender hedging or there to help on the dribbler when they use the screen.
By screening the zone you’ll either get an open jump shot, or the defense will have to rotate to close out which will create open shots and driving lanes on other areas of the court.
Either way, by setting screens on the zone it forces the defenders to help out of their zones.
This will often lead to one of the guards getting in the lane where they can finish with a floater, dump down pass to the baseline, or pass out to a shooter when the defense collapses.
I’ve included some plays that use screening in the report you can download for free below.
10. Overload the Zone
A great way to consistently get high-percentage shots against a zone is to overload one side of the court.
This strategy exploits the fact that in a zone defense each defender has a specific area of the court to guard. The offense should take advantage of this by placing three offensive players on one side of the court guarded by only two defenders.
As long as the three players have spaced themselves out along the three-point line, the two defenders will struggle to challenge the shooters while also preventing dribble penetration.
11. Second Chance Points (Rebound)
Another big weakness of the 2-3 zone is rebounding the basketball. The reason for this is because the players are defending zones and do not have a specific player matchup.
Instead of being able to simply turn, make contact with their player and box out like in a man-to-man, players in a zone must first find an opposition player and establish rebounding position between them and the basket.
This is a difficult task for the zone defenders so there are frequent offensive rebound opportunities (especially from the weak-side) as long as you send players to the glass and they’re relentless in pursuit of the ball.
The biggest benefit of offensive rebounds is that they often lead to high-percentage shots.
12. Don’t Allow Them to Play Zone
This is a controversial strategy… but one that definitely works if you’re willing to implement it.
If your team gains an early lead in the game, consider holding the basketball near half-court so that the defense is forced to discard their 2-3 zone and come out and play you man-to-man.
If they get back into a zone defense, get your point guard to retreat with the basketball back to near the half-court line until the opponent gets out of their zone.
This strategy will only work if the league you’re playing in does not have a shot clock.
Please note: Although effective, this strategy leads to boring, unwatchable basketball (Even ask Dean Smith of North Carolina who’s team held the basketball for nearly an entire half against Duke in 1979).
13. Practice Against a Zone
A simple strategy that’s often forgotten.
It’s a great idea to give your team some experience and confidence when competing against a 2-3 zone prior to coming up against it during a game.
Assign a few 10-15 minute blocks in your practices early in the season to teach your players the strategies in this article that you think will work best for your team.
Since your team will be competing against themselves, it’s not important that your players know how to run the 2-3 zone perfectly. Simply put the players in positions and explain to them that they must guard the area and not a specific player. Most of them will have a good idea of how it works.
Your players will enjoy changing things up at practice and it will give them confidence when they face a 2-3 zone during a game.
14. Make Shots…
Fact: You are going to struggle against a 2-3 zone if you don’t make shots.
It doesn’t matter how well you execute overloading the zone, how often the basketball into the hands of your best passer at the free throw line, or how good your spacing is if your players don’t knock down their shots.
Your team must make perimeter shots if you’re going to defeat a 2-3 zone. This fact alone is the main reason why it’s such a common defense in youth basketball.
If you want to develop great shooters, I highly recommend you check out these shooting drills and also these shooting workouts.
15. Run a Full-Court Press on Defense
Wait… What?
I bet you’re asking… “Why does the particular defense we run matter? I just want to beat their 2-3 zone”.
By using a full-court press, you change the tempo of the game.
If you’re competing against a 2-3 zone, you should aim to increase the tempo of the game since a zone favors a slowed down type of game.
By speeding the game up, the opposition will take quicker shots and there will be a lot more fast-break points where the opposition doesn’t have time to set up their zone.
I’d recommend having a look at either the 2-2-1 press or the 1-2-1-1 diamond press.
16. Don’t Settle for the Outside Shot
Don’t be the team that continues firing away from the outside if the shots aren’t going in.
Weak-minded teams will settle for the outside shot without being patient and working the basketball around for a high-percentage look.
You must get the basketball into the post.
When the basketball is passed inside, it forces the defense to collapse and will result in wide-open jump shots for your team.
If your team does start firing away at too many three-pointers and aren’t working the basketball around enough or getting it into the post, consider calling a time-out and telling the players the basketball must be passed into the post at least once before shooting.
17. Run Set Plays
I never recommend running set plays for the entire game, but if you’re looking for a quick basket against a 2-3 zone, a set play or two might be exactly what you need.
Conclusion
If you’re serious about being prepared, I encourage you to read my article on the 2-3 zone defense to completely understand its strengths and weaknesses.
By understanding how it works, you’ll be taking giant step towards understanding how to exploit the 2-3 zone’s weaknesses.
Don’t allow your team to fall into the trap of doing what the defense wants you to do. Which is settle for the outside shot and play a slow-tempo game.
By using these strategies, you’ll have an arsenal of strategies to defeat the 2-3 zone when you face it during a game.
Attacking a 2-3 Zone - Teach Hoops
Coaching basketball at the youth level invariably involves dealing with zone defenses. The most common zone, 2-3, allows developing teams to hide certain players on the defensive end. It can also frustrate offenses to no end, especially if the offensive players tend to stick to their spots. So, as zones become more and more common even at the game’s highest levels, it’s integral that every coach knows exactly what they want to do when attacking a 2-3 zone.
One of the most common misconceptions to combating a good zone is the reliance on distance shooting. Teams might have a reliable zone-buster on their team, capable of consistently draining three-pointers. But the reality is most defenses would rather their opponent launch from deep rather than attack for higher percentage shots near the rim.
Keys to Attacking a 2-3 Zone
The first, and perhaps most important, key to attacking a 2-3 zone remains not settling for a three-point shot. Of course, if a three-pointer comes as a clean result of an offensive action, then by all means take it. But too often, teams settle for threes against zones because they can’t consistently pressure the paint. Approaching the zone with a one-pass-shot, or ball-reversal-shot, gets the defense off the hook.
Another key to combatting the zone is movement. Many times, the offensive players stand around and the zone shifts with each pass. The offense occupies set positions during the possession in hopes of finding an opening. The reality is, the openings won’t appear until more than just the ball moves. Accompanying a pass with a hard cut, filling the vacant spots, and forcing the defense to account for the movement stresses the rigidity of the zone.
A forgotten key against a zone defense is offensive rebounding. With defenders occupying designated areas instead of checking specific players, boxing out becomes problematic. Facing any zone creates lanes for offensive players to crash the boards on missed shots. The misses often result in scramble situations which could yield good scoring opportunities.
The final key to dealing with this defensive set up is learning how to screen the zone. While ball screens are typically staple counters against man-to-man defense, learning to screen the zone forces the defense to immediately adjust their alignment. If the defense doesn’t adjust, huge openings appear within the zone itself.
Continuity Offense Attacking a 2-3 Zone
Continuity offenses stand as one of the most valuable approaches to attacking a 2-3 zone. These plays and sets create a rhythm and offensive flow that allows the team to stress the opposing defense. Offensive players know where to go as each pass is made within the continuity. The constant flow forces the defense to adjust, not only to each pass but also to each cut.
The set up for this continuity involves using a 1-3-1 counter to the 2-3 zone. 1 brings the ball down, with 2 and 3 on the wings. 4 occupies the high post, while 5 takes the low post. The initial action is a pass to either wing. 4 reads that initial pass, then cuts with the ball to that strong-side corner (or short corner).
From there, 5 presents as a low-post option and 2 cuts across from the opposite wing. 2 flashes to the open elbow area, while 1 makes a flare cut to the opposite wing. 3 reads the movement of the defense before making the next pass. If 2 doesn’t immediately receive the ball at the elbow, they lift to the top of the key.
The continuous element of this continuity offense comes if the defense recovers through the initial movement. 3 gets the ball to 2, who reverses to 1. As the ball switches sides, both 4 and 5 cut to the new strong side of the offense. 4 makes the baseline cut behind the zone, while 5 flashes to the opposite low post.
As the ball reverses, 3 makes the cut across, flashing to the open elbow. 2 makes a flare cut to the opposite wing, away from the ball.
Variations to this Continuity
A variation for this set could involve 5 cutting to the corner or short corner, then 4 cuts into the low post. This would be an option of the 4 and 5 are interchangeable on offense.
Another variation involves using a skip pass. If the defense overplays the elbow cut, or overplays the potential ball reversal at the top, the wing can use the skip pass to the opposite side. As that skip is happening, 4 and 5 make their cross cuts like normal.
A drawback to running continuity will always be the defense learning the cuts that are coming. Adding a slight variation to the progression might catch the defense off guard. Varying this continuity with an overload option should yield good looks.
In the overload, 1 makes the initial wing pass, but instead of cutting away, 1 cuts to the strong side corner. From there, 5 turns and screens the middle of the zone and 4 flashes to the open low post area. 2 can stay wide for a skip pass or cut up to the top of the key.
It’s key for the offensive players to be patient when attacking a 2-3 zone. Force the defense to adjust to each pass and cut before settling for a shot. The initial progression through the continuity might not yield openings, but as the offense moves, the defense must remained disciplined. If the defense is slow to adjust, the openings will be there.
Resources:High School Hoops Podcast:
Ep: 117 Breaking and attacking a 2-3 Zone
If you found this useful, don’t forget to check out additional blog posts at TeachHoops. com. Also, check out TeachHoops on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Triangular offense against 3-2 and 1-2-2 zone defense in basketball
Author: Maxim Gordienko
Hello, dear visitors of basketball-training.org.ua. In today's article, we will once again talk about offense against zone defense. This topic has been raised more than once in referee seminars, but it continues to raise many questions and create problems for the attacking team.
I was prompted to write this material by yesterday's defeat of our team, against which they once again placed a "high" zone with three players at the top and two at the bottom, which we could not beat. I will add that this material will be useful primarily to those teams and players who do not have a stable long-range shot (because we regularly created a convenient position for shooting from the perimeter - but we hit it very rarely). So let's start.
Triangular Offense (non-Lakers)
The essence of an offense against a zone defense is to overload one side of the court and outnumber your opponents. That is, if two opposing players are defending on the right, then you must attack from there with three players. Everything seems simple?
No. The problem of beginning teams that have not yet had time to play each other is that such a cluster of players on several square meters leads to the fact that they will interfere with each other more than help create a threat to the opponent's ring. A good dilemma turns out: on the one hand, to gather a lot of players on one side, and on the other hand, to make sure that they do not interfere with each other.
One solution to this situation is the triangular attack. I note right away that this type of attack is not a panacea, not a universal pill that will allow you to destroy an opponent. But this is an effective way to effectively complete an attack, and if you use it 5-6 times per game, and then use the elements of such an attack 5-6 more times, you will get 10-20 extra points. Agree, it's not bad. Let's watch the video.
[youtube]11d5mbWEi84[/youtube]
A small summary of what you just saw:
Location of attacking players: 2 small players above, to the right and to the left of the imaginary midfield line. One player (third number) is in the corner, the fourth and fifth numbers are in the top and bottom posts, respectively. Important: 3, 4, 5 players are on the same side.
3, 4, 5 numbers are on the side of where the ball is currently located. If the ball goes to the other side, the players go with it, while the 4th and 5th numbers change places.
In the second minute of the video it is explained that if a zone uses a double team (double defense) against the player in possession of the ball (number 1 or 2), then he should not play for his "little partner", because. this will result in the loss of the ball. Instead, he should play a partner in the top post with a floor pass or play with a long pass from a partner in the corner. Note : High post - crossing the free throw line and the 3-second zone line.
Starting at 2:50 minutes, consideration of attack options begins. Everything is clear here, I think it makes no sense to describe.
At 3:25 we are told that when you receive the ball on the perimeter, you should first look at the high post (top post), then at the corner. That is, initially it is more priority to play a partner inside the zone in order to "open" it.
At 3:40 it is shown that the zone can rebuild, and one of the "big ones" will go to close the corner. Then you play the two big ones inside the zone (first pass to the top post).
But at 4:05 they show a combination with which I do not agree. Such a pass to the corner can be intercepted, or rather, it will definitely be intercepted (if the pass goes to a statically standing player). If the pass goes to the corner where the player is just going, then such a development of the combination makes sense.
From 4:45 we are shown that if the pass goes to the player in the corner, then the zone will adapt again and one of the "big" defending team will go to the corner, blocking the three-point shot. The second "big" - picks up the player at the bottom post, and the "small" from the perimeter falls to the top post. And here it is very coolly shown how, due to the competent setting of the back, the “big” attacking team receives the ball in the top post, again creating a “2 against 1” attack situation.
Conclusion
We've looked at one of the basketball zone defenses your opponent can play. Similarly, we have considered only one of the options for attacking such a zone that you can use. We looked at several scenarios (if you have a good player with a stable long-range shot from the corner of the court and if you do not).
But the most important thing is that you need to attack quickly against the zone. The ball must move quickly, as quickly as possible, otherwise the whole meaning of the combination will be instantly lost. A second delay, and you will no longer be able to give a sharp pass. This was not enough for us yesterday.
And on this, albeit not very optimistic, note, I finish talking about offense against a 3-2 or 1-2-2 zone defense. If you have questions or additions - write them in the comments. Join us on social networks Vkontakte, Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
I wish you successful training and I look forward to seeing you again on the pages of this site!
Gordienko Maxim.
Basketball defense techniques and tactics, zone and individual defense
Danila Chezhin
Basketball is a game consisting of attack and defense, and the one who scores the most points wins. To beat the opposing team, basketball coaches go to a variety of tricks. In this article, we will analyze what elements of defensive work are most often found in basketball. Needless to say, protection is one of the key success factors!
Get bonus for betting on basketball
Defense techniques
In basketball there is no division of players into those who participate only in attack or only in defense. All 5 athletes who, according to the rules of the game, can simultaneously be on the court as part of one team, are equally involved in both halves of the court. At the same time, the defense technique in basketball directly depends on the position of a particular player. In the classic game system, 5 roles are distinguished:
point guard;
attacking defender;
small forward;
power forward;
center.
Basketball also uses numbers to designate positions - first, second, and so on.
Defenders number one and two are usually the shortest players on the team. And if when playing in the attack their functionality is significantly different, then in defense both are engaged in approximately the same thing, namely, work on the perimeter against the defenders of the opposing side. To complicate the ball as much as possible, to prevent passes, to prevent a long-range shot from being made - these are the main aspects that are required from the "small" ones in defense.
Small forward is versatile in attack and just as versatile in defense. The tasks of the third number include both helping the "small" ones on the perimeter, and belaying the "big ones" near their own ring. Basketball players of this role must simultaneously be able to move quickly around the court, and be physically strong and resilient in order to impose a fight on the shield if necessary.
"Big", fourth and fifth numbers, power forward and center, especially in modern basketball, often duplicate each other in defense. The task of the players of both positions in defense is to prevent the opponent from taking the rebound (rebound) and to make it as difficult as possible for the opponent to attempt shots from the field.
Free basketball broadcasts
Man marking
Position marking in basketball is called man defense. This tactical pattern implies that each player guards a basketball player of a similar position from the opponent. This approach, however, does not mean that the players simply run after each other. A positional attack, for example, often offers defense exchanges - when, due to setting up a screen, the “big” with the ball remains one-on-one against the “small” and vice versa. The goal of defense in this case is to neutralize the unequal exchange. Either not let it take place at all, or by doubling it, when a teammate joins the custody, throwing his player for seconds.
There are many such schemes in the personal care system. Defense in basketball is no less variable than attack.
Zone defense
Another important defensive tactic in basketball is the zone. Its difference from the "personal team" is that the players adhere to a clear arrangement in their own half. The fundamental goal of basketball players playing zone defense becomes, accordingly, the preservation of their possessions, and not the neutralization of a particular player, as in personal protection.
Zone formations come in many varieties - coaches often use zone variations as a plan B in a bad match. But the most common arrangement is 3-2. Three players are located on the back line - two wingers, whose roles are most often played by light and heavy forwards, and a center between them. Two players are in front, it is clear that these are “small” defenders. The tasks of the first line are to interfere with the movement of the ball, prevent throwing from afar and, if possible, make an interception. The second line is responsible for the opponent's passes under the basket - it is customary to meet them tough in basketball.
Effectively playing zone defense is hard team work. Mutual understanding between athletes should be at the highest level - the five should be like a mechanism. Therefore, personal marking is much more common in basketball. Although there are a lot of mixed options, when elements of the zone fit into the “personal room”, or vice versa, there are also quite a few.
Best basketball bookmakers
1
Legal bookmaker
84
?
10000 RUB 6631 Review To the website
6631 Reviews
10000 RUB Get bonus
2
Legal bookmaker
83
?
2000 RUB 5719 Review To the website
5719 Reviews
2000 RUB Get bonus
3
Legal bookmaker
Real bookmaker
82
?
100000 RUB 3394 Review To the website
3394 Reviews
100000 RUB Get bonus
4
Legal bookmaker
Best odds
80
?
10500 RUB 2430 Review To the website
2430 Reviews
10500 RUB Get bonus
5
Legal bookmaker
79
?
16000 RUB 7540 Review To the website
7540 Reviews
16000 RUB Get bonus
6
Legal bookmaker
78
?
30000 RUB 3978 Review To the website
3978 Reviews
30000 RUB Get bonus
Subscribe to Metaratings. ru
In contact with Telegram
Tags:
Basketball
Rating:
Match Center
live
Football
Russia Cup
FC Ural - CSKA
live
Football
China Super League
Shiijiang Jungchang - Dalian Airbin
live
Football
China Super League
Hangzhou Greentown - Shanghai East Asia
live
Football
China Super League
Henan Jianye - Hubei Orient
live
Football
China Super League
Shenzhen Rabi - Guangzhou Evergrande
16:00
Football
FIFA World Cup
-:-
Denmark - Tunisia
19:00
Football
FIFA World Cup
-:-
Mexico - Poland
22:00
Football
FIFA World Cup
-:-
France - Australia
Related Articles
The main stances of basketball players during the game of basketball Characteristics of a basketball How are points counted in basketball? Quarter in basketball - what is it, how long does it last Characteristics of the basketball court What is a free throw in basketball What is a basketball hoop in basketball Fouls in basketball Referees in basketball and their gestures Basic techniques in basketball Attack technique in basketball second rule in basketball
Recent Articles
Argentina ran into Saudi Arabia - 1:2! Messi will have to go for the title at the 2026 World Cup? Karpin supported Russia's transition to Asia.
When the low zone defenders step up to help on dribble penetration, a simple drop-down pass to the baseline player will often result in an easy score.
The offense should take advantage of this by placing three offensive players on one side of the court guarded by only two defenders.
Don’t Settle for the Outside Shot
Teams might have a reliable zone-buster on their team, capable of consistently draining three-pointers. But the reality is most defenses would rather their opponent launch from deep rather than attack for higher percentage shots near the rim.
Accompanying a pass with a hard cut, filling the vacant spots, and forcing the defense to account for the movement stresses the rigidity of the zone.
Offensive players know where to go as each pass is made within the continuity. The constant flow forces the defense to adjust, not only to each pass but also to each cut.
As the ball switches sides, both 4 and 5 cut to the new strong side of the offense. 4 makes the baseline cut behind the zone, while 5 flashes to the opposite low post.
com. Also, check out TeachHoops on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
So let's start. 
Agree, it's not bad. Let's watch the video. 
Note : High post - crossing the free throw line and the 3-second zone line. 
A second delay, and you will no longer be able to give a sharp pass. This was not enough for us yesterday. 
All 5 athletes who, according to the rules of the game, can simultaneously be on the court as part of one team, are equally involved in both halves of the court. At the same time, the defense technique in basketball directly depends on the position of a particular player. In the classic game system, 5 roles are distinguished: 
This approach, however, does not mean that the players simply run after each other. A positional attack, for example, often offers defense exchanges - when, due to setting up a screen, the “big” with the ball remains one-on-one against the “small” and vice versa. The goal of defense in this case is to neutralize the unequal exchange. Either not let it take place at all, or by doubling it, when a teammate joins the custody, throwing his player for seconds. 
But the most common arrangement is 3-2. Three players are located on the back line - two wingers, whose roles are most often played by light and heavy forwards, and a center between them. Two players are in front, it is clear that these are “small” defenders. The tasks of the first line are to interfere with the movement of the ball, prevent throwing from afar and, if possible, make an interception. The second line is responsible for the opponent's passes under the basket - it is customary to meet them tough in basketball. 
ru 
