Basketball teams use a variety of defenses to stop an offense from scoring. One of these defenses is the 1-2-2 zone. This defense requires players to guard an area rather than a man. The 1-2-2 zone is usually employed against good outside shooting teams. It allows the defense to pressure outside the arc and applies effective trapping techniques to the opponent's guards. The main weakness of this defense is that the corners and the high post are vulnerable; therefore, an opposing team playing against the 1-2-2 zone will take advantage of the these vulnerable areas, using specific set plays. An offensive set is the formation that the players will initially line up in. A set should have good player spacing and involves simple motion patterns to exploit the defense.
Set Positions
The point guard and small forward line up at the wings, flanking the point defender in the 1-2-2 zone. The power forward and center line up on the right and left blocks respectively. The shooting guard or best shooter lines up in the corner on the baseline opposite the ball. This set is called two in two out, because there are two players on the block and two players outside the arc evenly spaced. The simple movement from this set will exploit the weakness of the defense in the corners and high post area.
Shooting Guard
The best shooter or shooting guard runs the baseline to the ball side corner. The point guard passes the ball to him and he should be ready to shoot immediately. If he can knock down a couple of shots, the opposition might change the defense, or it will open up his teammates for shots.
Ball Side Block
If the shooting guard has done her job and hit her shots, the defense is forced into a decision. The low block defender on the ball side will have to leave her man and slide up to defend the shooter in the corner. This will leave the offensive low block player on the ball side open for a dump down pass from the shooting guard.
Weak Side
The defensive rotation calls for the low block defender on the weak side to rotate to the ball side and pick up the offensive player on the block. After the dump down pass, if the offensive player feels the rotation, he should immediately pass the ball to the weak side low block player for an easy lay-up.
Variation
On the pass to the corner, the ball side low block player should screen for the weak side low block player. The offensive player that got the screen should immediately cut up to the high post and receive a pass from the corner. This will leave him open for an easy free throw jump shot or a dribble drive to the basket.
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