Attacking Full Court Pressure, Part Five: From Box to Diamond

Last, but not least, we’ve come to the tenth lesson in my series on defeating full-court pressure. Now it’s all about the diamond.

Lesson 10: When facing a full-court matching zone or combination press, tilt the attack box to form a diamond, placing your most dangerous threat in the center of the floor.

Full-court matching zone or combination presses are especially unpredictable. Essentially, they are designed to match your offensive alignment, trapping you immediately or retreating with man pressure until a time and place of their choosing. 

Teams that use these presses are usually extremely fast and experienced, and know how to mask their intentions by varying the level of pressure and the direction from which they exert it. They hope to spark indecision, confusion, even panic, that will result in a flurry of turnovers and quick scores.

By simply tilting the attack box to form a diamond as the ball is inbounded, you force such a defense into an extremely vulnerable 2-2-1 alignment in the middle of the floor.

Essentially you attack the defense with a 1-3-1 alignment, but by moving the wings closer to the ball—creating that diamond shape—you’ll stretch the midcourt defenders to the breaking point. They won’t be able to cover all three of your midcourt attackers simultaneously.

As the throw-in is made, the midcourt attacker away from the ball steps to the middle while the inbounder takes his spot on the open wing. Simultaneously, the midcourt attacker on the ball side steps up to complete the diamond.

If you’re blessed with a third guard or a swing man to serve as the inbounder, the strategy becomes even stronger because it frees you to move a scorer to the middle of the floor. In the illustration below, note how #2, the off guard (often the most dangerous threat in terms of quickness, maneuverability, and ability to attack the rim), has exchanged his inbounding duties with #3, the small forward or swing man. This change in position and responsibility places #2 in the middle of the zone where he can do the most damage.

A pass over the top of the front line defenders immediately leads to a 3-on-2 or 4-on-3 break.

When executing this strategy, be prepared to modify the position of the in-bounds receiver to make movement to the middle easier.

If this happens, align along the lane, eye-to-eye with the in-bounder. Though you’ll receive the ball on the short side, you’ll likely do so in an area farther from the end line with an opportunity to drag the ball back to the middle of the floor.

Don’t be distracted or fooled by the different ways the defense may exert pressure during the throw-in. Stay focused. If you keep your head, it’s really all the same.

If the front line permits the throw-in and waits for you, then dribble the ball toward the middle of the floor and into the “pocket” between the two defenders. Coax them into a trap. If they retreat, then continue your dribble up the middle of the floor, always anticipating the trap.

If one defender retreats or slides laterally, dribble toward him, then back to the center, all the while attempting to tempt the two front line defenders to form a trapping pocket.

If trapped immediately and aggressively, be prepared to return the ball to the in-bounder as he enters the floor.

During the throw-in, they may contest the in-bounder, then match him as he enters the floor or immediately trap the receiver. The options illustrated above then come into play.