I'm trying to maximize what I can do with a young team that has limited talent and bad IQ's for the flex/zone system I've decided to use.

Ronald Carrara (SG) seems like my best player. I have almost no talent at the forward positions and my best PG has 26 ATH and 50's BH & P.

If you're wondering why I picked Flex/Zone, I don't really have a great answer. The team was set up with Fastbreak/Press but isn't deep, doesn't have great speed, and the stamina seems average compared to the teams I have on the schedule. I figured I needed to go in a different direction.

At this point, I'm guessing this will be a down year. But I'm hoping that I can cut a couple players next season and then sign a DII projected JUCO guy or two and turn things around quickly.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice?

Thanks

Flex/zone slowdown and ride out the storm.

Your team is a major project. Cut a few of the worst players this season and build from there. Read the how to win at d3 guide pinned to the top of this forum.

I really like flex\zone, nothing wrong with that. Get strong defenders, ath, reb,def,blk up front. Get shooters, speedy ones... as guards, solid bh and pass will get you a contender. I play 8 or 9 deep with that set up , a lot easier but you got to know if you are 2-3 or 3-2.

Regarding 2-3 or 3-2, how should I choose? Right now I'm playing 2-3 but I'm not sure if that was the right choice. My reasoning (which is probably wrong) was that my forwards suck, so having the SF play down low would hide him better.

But now I'm not sure. Maybe playing 3-2 is a better since my SF's can't rebound much anyway?

2-3 is really 2-2-1 with PG/SG, SF/PF DEF combined and C stands alone.
3-2 combines PG/SG/SF DEF and PF/C DEF.

A weak DEF C, like mine, shouldn't stand alone.

You've got a REB problem. But you know that.

Posted by MikeT23 on 1/11/2017 7:15:00 PM (view original):
2-3 is really 2-2-1 with PG/SG, SF/PF DEF combined and C stands alone.
3-2 combines PG/SG/SF DEF and PF/C DEF.

A weak DEF C, like mine, shouldn't stand alone.

Nor a poor rebounding C, even if his Def is spectacular. Very common mistake a lot of coaches make with zone defense.

Yeah, I don't know this because of experience. I've been told.

Not sure which C he intends to play but neither should be in a 2-3, IMO.

I'm actually playing both, I moved Kevin Packard into the PF position on the depth chart.

I think most vets will tell you his 2 ATH makes him useless at PF. And probably C. Speed isn't important at C but ATH matters.

And, again, I've been told not experienced it. But your team looks a lot like my team last season. Just bad.

Posted by MikeT23 on 1/11/2017 7:15:00 PM (view original):
2-3 is really 2-2-1 with PG/SG, SF/PF DEF combined and C stands alone.
3-2 combines PG/SG/SF DEF and PF/C DEF.

A weak DEF C, like mine, shouldn't stand alone.

Is this true? I've heard of a 2-1-2 zone but never a 2-2-1. In the 2-1-2, the post players form a triangle around the basket. The center isn't alone, but the forwards can be left alone if the shot comes from the corner.


EDIT: Maybe the 2-1-2 is the 2-3? **** if I know.

Yeah, someone will confirm it but that's how HD plays. 2-2-1



Back to ATH, I've gotten plenty of advice. No one has told me to play my 15 ATH PF or 18 ATH SF. My 24 ATH C hasn't gotten much love either.

Posted by MikeT23 on 1/11/2017 7:31:00 PM (view original):
Yeah, someone will confirm it but that's how HD plays. 2-2-1



Back to ATH, I've gotten plenty of advice. No one has told me to play my 15 ATH PF or 18 ATH SF. My 24 ATH C hasn't gotten much love either.

I don't have a ton of options but I'll bench him and see what happens.

This I can help you with from experience. You'll be bad. Nothing you can do.

What I did was play the guys I thought I'd bring back next season to maximize their development. And to find out if I really should be bringing them back. You have no SR but you will be able to cut players and recruit. So, IMO, figure out which guys can't play.

Bad luck : good news you did not pick these players. If you have three speedy guards, good def and ath, you go 3-2. If you have a Sf, good passing one 30+, but build in a pf mode, you go 2-3. Basically, you need 5, pf,c to fill 3 positions, and three guards for the pg, sg spots in 2-3. It's the other way around for 3-2. I am starting the same thing as you in Lakeland, my recruiting was awful but I had to go 3-2 cause I lacked talent upfront. Here are the minimum stats to shoot for when your player is a senior.

3-2

PG ath 40, spd 70 def 50 bh 70 pass 60
SG ath 40 spd 70 def 50 per 80 bh 70 pass 50
SF two types ath 45 spd 55 def 55, per 70 bh 60 pas 40
PF ath 55, reb 75, blk 70, def 55, lp = bonus, pass = bonus
C ath 50, reb 80, blk 80, def 50, lp = bonus.

if you get that type of talent, you will start to compete, after that you need to learn how to hide weaknesses and to recruit better recruits than the minimums I showed you.

In 2-3, you basically need to put a slightly better PF at SF, but do not underestimate sblockings and rebonds in zone... really key.