The Toughest NBA Team's #1 Defense

   In today’s newsletter, you’ll get access to two of our most recent articles...  In [The Toughest Team in the NBA Swears by Zone Defense - Are You Using It?]( you’re going to find out: - The Zone Defense Contradiction that coaches must answer - Why zones are more effective now than ever before - 3 Surprising Reasons you should play more zone Then in [The 5 Best Questions to Ask Your Child After Practice]( you're going to find out: - The 3 overused questions to AVOID asking your child - How to ask better "values-based" questions - The power of open-ended questions Okay now, onto Part 1 of the content...  The Toughest Team in the NBA Swears by Zone Defense - Are You Using It?  In the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, Eric Spoelstra was asked about how the Heat’s defense was stifling the Celtics offense.  His reply “Our (defense) is a mindset of doing tough things.”  What defense was the question about? Their 2-3 zone.  Good zones are not soft. No good defense is soft.  Does anyone consider the Heat soft? Of course not. They are probably considered the toughest team in the NBA. As soon as someone says “Heat Culture,” you know they are referencing toughness.  What is soft is being a coach who’s afraid to try something different because it might open them up to criticism.   The Zone Defense Contradiction That Coaches Must Answer  If you did a Family Feud style survey and asked coaches to words they associate with “Zone Defense,” it would be interesting to see the results.  I would be willing to bet that the word “soft” (or some variation) would be on the list.  I have heard countless coaches pledge their allegiance to man to man because they find it to be a “tougher” defense.   I’m not sure where this association came from. Perhaps coaches feel it’s easier for players to relax in a zone (I’ve seen plenty of players, mine included, relax in man to man as well).  Regardless of where it came from, this stereotype exists. It prevents many coaches from even considering zone defense.  Now imagine another survey. In this one, coaches are asked the following question - “What type of defense would you prefer to play against, man to man or zone?”  I would guarantee that man to man would be the winner.  Does anyone else see the issue (and, if you’re willing to change your mindset, the opportunity) presented by those statements?  Why Zones Are More Effective Now Than Ever Before  Zone defenses have been around forever. However, from my anecdotal experience, I’d say they are less common than they were in the past.  If that’s true, that’s even more reason you should consider a zone. Just doing something that causes your opponent to have to prepare differently is an advantage for your team.  Further, in the past couple decades we’ve seen a shift towards more of an emphasis on driving as opposed to passing. Zone defenses are designed to shut down driving lanes and [exploit bad passing teams](.  [WATCH here]( as legendary Coach Al Marshall shares some of the reasons he went to the 2-3 Zone that helped him win over 700 games!  3 Surprising Reasons You Should Play Some Zone  1 - It makes your game prep easier - there are only [so many things]( that teams can do against a zone. If you practice defending those [handful of actions]( you’ll be prepared for almost everything you’ll see.  That gives you more time to work on skill development and offensive concepts.  2 - It allows you to dictate where shots come from - no defense takes away everything. Good zones do take away shots at the rim and free throws.  But what about 3’s? Yes, you may give some up - but they’ll be ones you’re okay with. Because players are moving on the flight of the ball, they will be [contested or non-rhythm 3’s]( Those go in at a much lower rate.  3 - It allows you to play your best players more - zones do expend less energy. That doesn’t mean players play less hard, just that they move less.  This allows you to keep your best players on the court for longer periods of time. The benefits of that speak for themselves.  The Hidden Mental Advantage of Playing Zone Defense  Maybe you’re like most coaches in that you’d rather play against man. Well, don’t let your competitors off the hook.  If they don’t like playing against zone, that’s all the more reason to play it! Even if your zone isn’t great yet, you gain a mental advantage simply by putting your opponent into a negative headspace.   As your zone improves, you combine that mental advantage with the physical one created by a zone that moves as 1 and limits teams to contested jumpers.  The 2-3 Zone That Changed A Coach's Career  Al Marshall is a coaching legend in Iowa. In his career, he won over 700 games and 42 District & Conference Championships.   Oh yeah, he also led the state of Iowa in points allowed for 7 straight years, including one season allowing 31.9 PPG. To do that, your team has to be tough!  How did Coach Marshall do this? With the [2-3 Zone]( Prior to the zone, he won about 55% of his games. After he switched to the zone, he won over 80%!  In this video, Coach Marshall systemically covers all areas of the 2-3 zone in a way that allows players to rotate decisively: - Covering the high post - Covering the short corner - Taking away rhythm 3’s - Rebounding out of the zone - How to guard screens Are You Tough Enough To Try Something New?  If you’re willing to reconsider how you define toughness, [Al Marshall’s 2-3 Zone]( may be exactly what you need. It’s a versatile 2-3 zone that’s designed to force teams to take contested mid-range shots, the least efficient shots in the game.  It’s a defense that not only showcases your team’s toughness, but also makes life tough on your opponent. That’s a winning combination!  Plus, for this week only, you can [get 20% off Coach Marshall's entire 2-3 Zone System](  ----------------------------------------  Now onto Part 2 of the content...  The 5 Best Questions to Ask Your Child After Practice  Your questions reveal your priorities.   I often think about this when I talk to my players about the questions they are asked after games.  The top 3 responses, in order of frequency:  1 - How many points did you score?  2 - How much did you play?  3 - Did you win?  What do those questions suggest about what is important?  - Individual accomplishments (as defined only through the lens of scoring) - Winning (which is important but maybe not the most important thing) When players hear those questions, they begin to value those same things.   1 - If I’m not scoring, I’m not good.  2 - If I don’t play a lot, I stink.  3 - If we aren’t winning, what’s the point. . .  As parents, we have tremendous sway over the things our children value. We must take that seriously.  You probably don’t ask your kids those 3 questions I listed above, since you are likely at the game. You already know the answer.  But you probably aren’t at practices. So when you see your child after practice, the questions you ask will help shape their experience.   With that in mind, ask wisely!  5 Post-Practice Values-Driven Questions To Develop Your Child 1 - How did you show great effort? Pretty much every parent values effort. It’s a fair expectation of your child. Thus, an effort based question is a good place to start.  Effort is completely within their control. Asking about it reinforces its importance. Hopefully, they can quickly come up with an answer. If so, that’s great. If not, you should probably do some deeper digging to find out what’s going on.   2 - How were you a good teammate today? You may need to start by defining what a good teammate does - helps their teammates when they are struggling, celebrates their successes, etc.   Once they understand what it means, it’s a great question to ask. Being a good teammate applies in so many areas of life. Getting them to reflect on it now builds the habit of looking beyond themselves.  Over time, your child will start to look for and relish opportunities to serve others. And that’s pretty special!  3 - What’s something one of your teammates did well today? This builds on the last question. Most questions parents ask focus on what their kids did. That’s understandable but also misses an opportunity.   By asking about something another player did well, you are encouraging your child to look for good things happening around them. When they start to recognize those moments, they also are more likely to celebrate them.   Everyone likes being around someone who is positive and encouraging. Asking this question helps develop that in your child.  4 - What’s something hard you tried today? We all want our children to have a [growth mindset]( We don’t want them to be afraid to try hard things.   Unfortunately, it’s becoming more challenging for kids to do this. In our social media world where every mistake is seemingly captured on video, it’s easy for kids to stay safely in their comfort zone.  Push your child to not do this. Asking this question helps them see the importance of doing hard things. When you then celebrate them for trying something hard, it reinforces that belief.  5 - What was something fun that you got to do? Finally, make sure to ask this. If youth sports aren’t fun, that’s an issue. We can all get sucked into the results at times. But ultimately, it’s a game. It has to be fun. If it’s not, your child isn’t going to want to keep playing.   So be sure they know it’s supposed to be fun. Asking about fun reminds them of that.  The Power Of Open-Ended Questions  If you look at those questions, you’ll notice they are all open-ended. In other words, they can’t be answered with a simple yes or no.  If you’re like me, you’ve asked your child, “how was school today?” only to hear, “Good.” End of discussion.  By using open ended questions, you elicit more information.  Using Your Questions To Build Better People  Give these questions a try. At first, they might seem contrived. But they’re not. They actually get at the type of person you want your child to be.  Over time, your child will take notes of what you’re asking about. They’ll pick up on what you value. Then they’ll start to value it, too!   And we all know that being a person of character is a lot more important than how many points you scored. We all just need a reminder sometimes!  All the best,  Jeff Huber Breakthrough Basketball  This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you indicated that you'd like to receive emails and updates from Breakthrough Basketball on 2016-12-16 05:42:39. If you don't want to receive such emails in the future, please [Change Your Email Preferences]( or [Unsubscribe All]( Copyright © Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. All rights reserved. Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. | 5001 1st Ave. SE, Ste 105 #254 | Cedar Rapids | IA | 52402 [email.gif] . It’s our mission to build a strong community centered around basketball, personal development and most importantly - fun! We love to create extraordinary and useful products and share them with you! We love to help people learn how to enjoy the game of basketball at the next level by simply creating the right products that they use in their practices and games. Every day we are building and strengthening partnerships with companies and coaches that are in alignment with our own values. We particularly love working with coaches, players, and parents because through their passion and their craft they help elevate the game of basketball. As much as we care about basketball, we also care about your privacy. Breakthrough Basketball is owned and operated by Breakthrough Basketball. We are committed to advising you of the right to your privacy, and strives to provide a safe and secure user experience. Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, store and use personal information, provided by you on our website. When you visit our Web site you may provide us with two types of information: personal information you knowingly choose to disclose that is collected on an individual basis and Web site use information collected on an aggregate basis as you and others browse our Web site. For example, you may need to provide the following information: • Name • Website URL information • Email address • Home and business phone number It also explains how we collect and use non-personal information. By accessing and using our website, you explicitly accept, without limitation or qualification, the collection, use and transfer of the personal information and non-personal information in the manner described in our Privacy Policy. Please read this Policy on our website(s) carefully, as it affects your rights and liabilities under the law. If you disagree with the way we collect and process personal and non-personal information, please do not use this website. This Policy applies to this website as well as all webpages Breakthrough Basketball hosts. It regulates the processing of information relating to you and grants both of us various rights with respect to your personal data. It also informs you of how to notify us to stop using your personal information. We are located in the United States of America. You may be located in a country that has laws which are more restrictive about the collection and use of your personal information. However, by using our website, you agree to waive the more restrictive laws and agree to be governed by the laws of the United States of America. If you wish to view our official policies, please visit our website.