'Harder Than Man': Why the NBA Fell in Love with Zone Defense This Year

A chess match between coaches within the chess match.McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBAThe NBA Got Some Wild Techs This SeasonJarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim ProtectorsWade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This SeasonWestbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey HussleDevin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in MiamiSteph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing TrollLou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the YearPat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA ShineLeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record BooksYoung's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with LukaLeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New AlbumWade's #OneLastDance Dominated FebruaryWarriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with StephEight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the KnicksTwo Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the PelicansASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes  While most teams use zone strategically, the Miami Heat are setting the curve. "We can get two pretty disruptive guys up front, just to kind of wreak havoc on the ball-handler and the passing lanes."McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBAThe NBA Got Some Wild Techs This SeasonJarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim ProtectorsWade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This SeasonWestbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey HussleDevin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in MiamiSteph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing TrollLou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the YearPat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA ShineLeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record BooksYoung's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with LukaLeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New AlbumWade's #OneLastDance Dominated FebruaryWarriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with StephEight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the KnicksTwo Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the PelicansASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the StakesEach team has a different idea of how and when to zone. They've continued to thrive this season as out-of-the-box thinkers, but whether they are in full-court zone press, 1-2-2 or 2-3 zone, the fundamental tenets on which these defenses are built remain constant.McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBAThe NBA Got Some Wild Techs This SeasonJarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim ProtectorsWade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This SeasonWestbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey HussleDevin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in MiamiSteph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing TrollLou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the YearPat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA ShineLeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record BooksYoung's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with LukaLeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New AlbumWade's #OneLastDance Dominated FebruaryWarriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with StephEight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the KnicksTwo Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the PelicansASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes"We do usually force those guys to put it on the deck a little more and hit driving lanes," head coach Nick Nurse said. "A lot of times, it can be something as simple as pick-and-roll and spacing."McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBAThe NBA Got Some Wild Techs This SeasonJarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim ProtectorsWade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This SeasonWestbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey HussleDevin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in MiamiSteph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing TrollLou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the YearPat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA ShineLeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record BooksYoung's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with LukaLeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New AlbumWade's #OneLastDance Dominated FebruaryWarriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with StephEight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the KnicksTwo Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the PelicansASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the StakesSnyder, one of the league's craftiest tacticians, even acknowledged it can be as simple as just shooting.McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBAThe NBA Got Some Wild Techs This SeasonJarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim ProtectorsWade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This SeasonWestbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey HussleDevin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in MiamiSteph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing TrollLou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the YearPat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA ShineLeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record BooksYoung's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with LukaLeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New AlbumWade's #OneLastDance Dominated FebruaryWarriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with StephEight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the KnicksTwo Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the PelicansASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes"In the NBA, the players are so good, sometimes the best thing you can do is get a shot off and make it," Snyder said.The zone experiment is only the latest example of the game of catch-up that is the NBA.