How to attack zones online

[Tigers3]

Okay so I've come to notice that 90% of the players online now play some kind of swarming zone defense as opposed to regular man to man. I've always been good at running plays on offense and finding open looks but I haven't been able to have success against zones. Does anyone have any advice on how to score consistently on those players that just use zone all game and run around swarming on defense?

[funkworthy]

Without running plays:

you need a PG with good handles, the first rule is that you can't make super predictable passes, so you tend to dribble around more, sometimes in circles. I'll run with my pg across the court above the 3 point line back and forth until I'm chased by three guys, then make a pass to an open 3 point shooter, and if the D closes out too quick, drop it in the post or move it around the perimiter. Make the passes that are available, move the ball around and you can usually find an exploit.

Try to be patient on offense. Often time these are the same cockstackers that come running out to put full court pressure on you and your instinct may be to turbo charge into the 4 on 5 half court while their user controlled player is still flailing like an *** in the backcourt. This works sometimes, but I find they can work you into a rage frenzy that leads to turnovers. Feeding the troll, essentially. If you have a good secure PG just hit triangle when you need to and dribble a bit, watch the D swarm like goddam insects with no method and try to quell your rage and execute. If you are able to use the full 24 moving the ball around without giving up a picked pass, you can find an open shot. It ain't really satisfying, and it's barely basketball strategy, but hell, it's the way it is on online quickmatch. also, if you just dribble a lot securely, they'll usually swipe like hell at you and you can end a lot of quarters in the bonus.

Running plays:

Any play that gets shooters in corners. Celtics have a screen play that sends Pierce or Terry from the top of the key and then to a corner. The beauty of this play is that the AI chooses the corner, and it always chooses the weakside. Since the 1 3 1 usually ends up with 4 guys on the strong side, when Peirce trots to the corner he is always open. I've PUNISHED some dudes doing this. The corners are the weaknesses in the zones, so try to figure out what plays and sets put your shooters there.

I'm looking forward to more tips because we really need to crush the souls of these cheesers.

[Mobster06]

With a Slashing Guard and alot of shooters. Drive and Dish but dont necessarily make the predictable pass. Do something safe but unpredictable like a pass to the corner on the opposite wing. Use the LB (on xbox) and right stick to tell shooter which direction to cut. After 2 or 3 open threes, opponents usually play man or try a new zone.

[Illuminatos94]

Use a Horns play to get your SF/SG in the corners. Pass to one of them and when he tries to collapse on you swing the ball to player in the opposite corner for a wide open three.

Rinse and repeat until he switches back to man or in my case quits and sends you a message like this

[IYoDa]

You guys may call me a cheeser but I'm new to this mode.
It's difficult for me playing man to man as I just can't get the hang of constantly switching players.
I came up against a team that had, and no bs,
PG - Magic Johnson
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Kevin Durant
PF - Lebron James
C - Dwight Howard

The dude kept shooting 3s with durant and Lebron or driving with mj and Lebron.
My centre is Udonis Haslem and he has bruiser and brick wall.
He stopped mj and Lebron most of the time in the 1st so the dude just started bombing 3s.

So I used 3-2 zone all game, switching defenders to keep him outside and forcing turnaround fadeaway 3s.
I kept him to 15 total points in the second half but still got slaughtered.

Since then I stay on 3-2 defence every game when I see a line up with ray allen or steph curry or durant or Lebron as this works for me.

Yes it may be cheese but I don't want to lose every single game for fear of being called a cheeser.

[thedream2k13]

defensive awarness by bigs online is a joke. I can actually WALK into the paint on a 2-3 zone

[OkayC]

Quote: Originally Posted by IYoDa

You guys may call me a cheeser but I'm new to this mode. It's difficult for me playing man to man as I just can't get the hang of constantly switching players. I came up against a team that had, and no bs, PG - Magic Johnson SG - Michael Jordan SF - Kevin Durant PF - Lebron James C - Dwight Howard The dude kept shooting 3s with durant and Lebron or driving with mj and Lebron. My centre is Udonis Haslem and he has bruiser and brick wall. He stopped mj and Lebron most of the time in the 1st so the dude just started bombing 3s. So I used 3-2 zone all game, switching defenders to keep him outside and forcing turnaround fadeaway 3s. I kept him to 15 total points in the second half but still got slaughtered. Since then I stay on 3-2 defence every game when I see a line up with ray allen or steph curry or durant or Lebron as this works for me. Yes it may be cheese but I don't want to lose every single game for fear of being called a cheeser.

Nothing wrong with running a zone when the people your facing are cheesing themselves. half the time people run zones because man to man is a joke in and of itself.

[Chocolate Chip]

my problem with zone is that its too overpowered. Defenders close out on the shooters too quickly.