Hey all,

I run a zone team (inherited system) and will be facing a Sim AI team tonight that has two great rebounding post players, but they also jack up a ton of 3's. They don't have a great FG3%, but i'm worried about being vulnerable to the three if I run a 2-3. At the same time, I'm also worried about getting absolutely killed on the boards (with a ton of second chance shots for them) if I run a 3-2.

Here is their team page: http://www.whatifsports.com/hd/TeamProfile/Stats.aspx?tid=3115

Here is my team page: http://www.whatifsports.com/hd/TeamProfile/Schedule.aspx?tid=3797

Which defense would you recommend running: 3-2 or 2-3? And what sort of positioning would you recommend? Any other tips/advice you have?

I really appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks!

I think you might be able to get away with the three two due, largely, to the amount your SF has a better REB than his SF.  Three two, the best standard to run it from is probably a minus two, and adjust it upward depending on how three happy your opponent is from the minus two.  Or run a 2 - 3 and double Casados and Bivens, perhaps?  Their three shooting quality drops markedly after those two.

I know I like to pack the paint more than a lot of zone coaches; so far it's worked for me reasonably well.  I would play the 2-3 zone and I'd play it at -1 or even -2.  Their stats imply that they're likely putting up a lot of 3s (which is common for sim teams), but their ratings suggest that that 30% success rate isn't merely a product of very small sample size.  If they want to jack up mediocre 3s I would actively encourage them to do so.

Man...two dissenting opinions. How am I supposed to choose? 

Thanks for the advice though guys. I think I'm leaning towards running the 2-3 now. And I'm intrigued by your idea, a_b, regarding double-teaming Casados and Bivens. Anyone have some thoughts on this? Would it be wise to play the 2-3 at -2 positioning and then double-team Casados? Then perhaps I could ensure that I get plenty of rebounds, while also stopping their primary 3 pt threat.

P.S. a_b, looking forward to our rematch next year in Wooden. I hopefully will have some experience under my belt and be able to give you a better run for your money than I did in our exhibition game this season.

Ok, ended up playing a 2-3 zone, balanced positioning (0). And it worked! Won by 11...

Thanks for the help guys!

Well, I wasn't really disagreeing that much.  One of my options was a 2 - 3 and double.  Because, really, after Cassandos, they can't jack up jack.

Good luck on the season.   PM if you think I can help you with anything.

Yeah true. Thanks for the help man.

I might shoot some questions your way via PM at some point.