Player 1 sprints straight to the cone in front of them before making a cut either way to then receive a pass from one of the players in the corner. Player 1 then goes onto shoot, before collecting their ball and joining the queue in the corner.
The player that gave the pass then runs to the join the queue of players on the half way line.
The ball screen produces almost half of all professional offensive possessions, yet most teams still teach it as a memorised play. The modern approach trains the read - giving players a framework to decide based on what the defence does, not what the coach called.
The closeout is the most repeated defensive action in modern basketball. With fouls per game climbing in the 2025-26 season, coaches must teach defenders to contest the three without surrendering the drive or putting shooters on the line.
The 2-3 zone defence remains one of the most effective defensive systems in basketball when coached and executed properly. This guide covers the fundamentals of running a 2-3 zone, including player roles, rotations, and when to deploy it for maximum impact.