Basketball is an offensively-focused game, but defense is just as important. Being able to contest shots and harass the offense is an important element of any good team, and in modern basketball, there are two main ways teams make that happen.
The following guide breaks down the different defenses in basketball by analyzing the style known as man to man. Studying that scheme, how it’s used, and why it’s effective will show just how much a stout defense matters in an offensively minded game.
The Two Types
In basketball, teams have two options for defense. They are either able to run zone, or they can go in what is known as man to man. Both options have their ups and downs, but there are some key differences that are important to understand.
Zone defense is a scheme where players guard one specific area (or zone) of the court. For example, a player might be in charge of guarding the low block or high elbow. Rather than guarding a specific player on the other team, they just guard anyone who comes into that area.
In contrast, man to man is a one-on-one scheme. Where zone players are assigned a single area, each player in man matches up against a specific opponent and follows them around the court. Wherever they go, their opponent follows. That’s tougher than zone, but it pays off well.
It’s also worth noting that some teams run mixes of the two. Though pretty rare, there are hybrid schemes that integrate zone elements into a traditional man defense, or vice versa.
Man at the Top
A general rule about basketball defense is that the higher the competition gets, the more likely teams are to run man to man. That’s because it’s a much more efficient choice when going up against strong shooters or teams that are much more reliant on the three point shot.
Zones are extremely strong when teams don’t have great shooters and constantly try to go inside, but they start to fall apart when a team can attack them through hitting open shots or quick drives. The better a player can get to the rim or shoot, the worse a zone gets.
That’s why man to man is most often employed in college and professional basketball. As the players are so much more athletic, they have a much easier time getting into the heart of a zone and causing chaos. It’s also much easier for athletes to get open and knock down threes.
Man to man fixes both of those issues. By having a player on another player at all times, it’s much tougher for three shooters to get open for long range shots. It also makes it much harder for players to drive into the key.
Effective, but Flawed
If man to man has a weakness, it’s screens. Every player needs to be guarding someone at all times. While players have their assignment, a good screen or quick offensive movement can cause them to switch onto a bigger or faster player they can’t guard.
That creates a mismatch, and it’s one of the best ways teams can attack man defense. On top of that, man to man defense is quite tiring. It takes a lot of work to keep up with a specific player. If someone gets tired, the entire plan can fall apart.
Even so, those are minor setbacks when compared to the benefits that come with man to man defense. It’s highly effective, and widely used for good reason.
Final Words
Basketball is a game of two different defenses. While zone has its place, it pales in comparison with man to man. Basketball is a high scoring game, and defenses need to work to take that away at all times. With the surge in threes, man to man isn’t going away anytime soon.
