Ball Screen Continuity & Quick Hitters vs. Zone Defense

with Steve Forbes,
Wake Forest Head Coach;
2022 ACC Coach of the Year;
2020 Hugh Durham Award ;
2020 SoCon Coach of the Year;
former East Tennessee State Head Coach;
2020 & 2017 SoCon Tournament and Regular Season Champions;
former Northwest Florida State Head Coach, Back-to-Back NJCAA Division I National Runner-Up;
nine seasons as a D-I Assistant Coach (with Billy Gillispie, Bruce Pearl, & Gregg Marshall)

A coaching veteran at the junior college and college levels, Steve Forbes brings his expertise in detailing his team's zone offense in this on-court clinic presentation. Coach Forbes discusses his approach to zone offense and presents continuity zone attacks and sets to pick apart zone defenses.

Building Zone Offense

Forbes begins covering his team's zone offense philosophy by placing an emphasis on ball movement. Next, he talks about the importance of using shot and pass fakes to make the zone move. Third, you'll learn why Coach Forbes wants to attack the gaps of the zone by utilizing cuts to create confusion.

Additionally, Forbes discusses his desire to put pressure on the rim - even against zone defenses that traditionally make it their first priority to keep the ball away from the hoop. This includes flashing from behind the zone and getting the ball inside to the post.

You will also come to understand the importance of screening the zone. This creates longer closeouts and causes two defenders to have to cover one player. Ball screens are a big part of Coach Forbes' zone offense approach, as are fade screens to get open shot opportunities.

Continuity Zone Offense

For coaches who want to flow into a half-court offense, Forbes shows two continuity zone offenses. Both offenses rely on ball screens that are set properly against a zone.

The first of these offenses, 'Bounce', starts from a 3-out/2-in look against a 2-3 zone. The emphasis is to have post players set screens for the guards. Coach Forbes takes the time to discuss the importance of not letting zone defenders get underneath ball screens to create confusion in the defense. This situation forces the zone to either have the opposite guard help and potentially leave a shooter open at the wing, or to have the middle player in the zone come up and help.

The second continuity zone offense shown is 'Follow Five'. Out of a spread look, the 5-man is the one setting all of the ball screens. From this look, driving opportunities on ball reversals become part of the zone attack, as the defense comes under pressure to stop dribble penetration. An adjustment of adding a fade screen to get a shooter an open look is also presented.

Set Plays versus Zones

In addition to showing his continuity zone offenses, Coach Forbes presents numerous set plays.

Off of 'Bounce', Forbes demonstrates 'Bounce Down' as a variation to his main ball screen continuity offense. Instead of having the ball-side post player set the ball screen, the screen comes from the opposite side with the other post player going away from the action. 'Bounce Overload' isolates the best shooter on the perimeter opposite the ball in a stack with a post player. A quick-hitter using a step-up ball screen is also shown that forces the defense to either guard against dribble penetration or a 3-point shot from the corner.

For coaches who want to run a continuity offense at all times, this video from Coach Forbes provides the answer for how to do it against zone defenses.

68 minutes. 2019.