Posted by cusetroop on 5/22/2013 11:42:00 AM (view original):
I took over a team, Keuka, in Phelan, who was already running the 2-3. Plus, as a Syracuse fan I had wanted to run the 2-3. Is this going to put me at a disadvantage? Should I be running the press or m2m?

Run what you want to run. You are at no more a disadvantage than anyone else running any other D. Every D has its weaknesses and strengths. I believe teams running any set can be successful if you know how to run them.

Zone happens to be my favorite D and I don't feel like I'm at a disadvantage because I build my team with respect to my sets. Zone is a great option.

I agree every defense has advantages and disadvantages.

I run M2M or press on all of my teams, and from my perspective this is how it is when comparing the two:

M2M positives: You can try to match your better defenders to their better scorers, and you can use the doubleteam to your advantage. Seems more consistent, probably due to less chance of over fouling good teams.

M2M negatives: Bad defenders can be exploited by good coaches (as the guide says), you don't seem to get quite as many turnovers, and (to me it seems like) you don't have as much chance of upsetting teams who are slight favorites.

Press positives: More turnovers, more chance of close upsets, no chance of weaker defenders being exploited. With good defenders you can take the ball away well, especially from their low BH guys.

Press negatives: You can't put your best defenders on their best players and there is no doubleteam to shut them down either, so you can get lit up by good scorers. Sometimes you can get into foul trouble, and if it's one of your better players you hope your backup is good enough, so you need to be deep to compete well.