The two-1-2 press isn’t a typical alternative for many basketball coaches.
Whereas it undoubtedly has some similarities to the 1-2-2 press and the 2-2-1 press, the 2-1-2 has simply sufficient variations to make most coaches shrink back from it.
Nonetheless, it may be argued that the variations of the 2-1-2 press truly MORE efficient.
As a result of the 2-1-2 press is about as much as reduce the most important weak point of most zone presses and in addition to power groups to beat it in a approach most gamers are instructed to keep away from.
Under you will see an in depth breakdown of the 2-1-2 press, together with its guidelines, its setup, and find out how to run it successfully.
Objectives of the 2-1-2 Press:
The two-1-2 press primarily has 2 targets:
1. Hold the ball out of the center
Most coaches educate their groups to break a zone press by getting the ball to the center of the ground. From right here, they’re able to collapse the press and sometimes create a bonus scenario after it’s handed out.
With most zone presses, after a reversal or two, the defenders are late to cowl the center and there’s a massive gap for the offense to relocate to and obtain a go.
However because the 2-1-2 press places a defender within the center from the beginning, the center is roofed from the start and the rotations are shorter to maintain it that approach all through the complete possession.
2. Pressure the offense to dribble up the sideline
The opposite factor most coaches educate their groups is to keep away from dribbling the ball up the sideline due to how simple it’s to get trapped there.
However as a result of the 2-1-2 press takes away any go to the center from the very starting, groups are compelled to search for the sideline to get the ball throughout half court docket.
And as soon as groups do begin dribbling up the sideline to advance the ball, this press permits defenders to get traps set both within the frontcourt or backcourt from quite a lot of totally different gamers.
2-1-2 Press Guidelines
a. No center passes
Once more, the design of this press is to maintain the ball from the center of the ground.
With the 2nd line of the press organising masking the center at the start, there ought to be no actual alternatives for the offense to discover a gap within the center to take advantage of.
b. Don’t get beat sideline
With the center taken away, the offense goes to be compelled to aim to interrupt the press by dribbling it up the sideline.
This may create an enormous benefit for the protection if they’re able to reduce off the dribble and get a authorized entice set.
So no matter participant is rotating over to get the ball stopped and provoke the entice should get their exterior foot out of bounds and forestall the ball from being dribbled previous them up the sideline.
c. No layups
With two bigs behind the press always, there is no such thing as a cause that the offense ought to have the ability to get to the rim for a layup.
Even when the offense is ready to dribble its approach via the press, there ought to nonetheless be a put up ready within the lane to contest any try the offense takes.
d. No fouling
Tight protection and trapping could make defenders susceptible to getting fouls known as.
It’s crucial that the urgent gamers consistently present their fingers to the officers to forestall any low-cost hand-check calls from being whistled within the full court docket.
As well as, as soon as the entice is about, the gamers should hold their fingers excessive and hold themselves from swatting or slapping on the ball. Most steals from a entice are made by the gamers not concerned within the entice after a deflection, in order that must be the aim of the entice.
2-1-2 Press Setup, Roles, & Obligations
Center Line:
Discovering the fitting middle-line participant would be the most important component to the 2-1-2 press.
X3 must be your most agile participant and capable of transfer nicely back and forth and anticipate the place the subsequent go is headed. A participant with size at this place is an additional advantage.
X3 ought to start someplace across the entrance of the half-court circle within the backcourt.
The preliminary accountability of X3 is to maintain the ball from being handed to the middle of the ground, so X3 should discover and deny any offensive participant close to the center.
Then, because the ball is handed in, this participant must soar towards the ball to be ready to set a entice whereas additionally preserving the ball out of the center.
As soon as the offense begins advancing the ball up the sideline with the dribble, that’s when X3 runs over to chop off the sideline, get the ball stopped, and be the preliminary trapper.
It’s important for this participant to ensure to not depart the center too quickly or it should create a big hole for the offense to throw the ball to the center of the ground.
Additionally, this participant should take a very good angle far sufficient forward of the dribbler so there may be sufficient time to get to the sideline and get set to cease the ball legally with out committing a foul.
If the ball will get thrown over X3’s head up the sideline, a second entice can get set within the frontcourt between X3 and one of many posts.
Entrance Line:
The entrance line ought to be the remaining two guards.
X1 and X2 ought to be fast gamers who’re good at guarding the ball. Quickness and power are added advantages for these positions.
These 2 ought to be located across the elbows because the press begins.
Because the ball is inbounded, whichever participant is guarding it ought to present sufficient ball stress to maintain the offense uncomfortable and in addition steer the dribbler towards the sideline. Letting the ball go center will make it tough to get a entice set.
Because the ball does get dribbled up the sideline, the participant on the ball should proceed to information and steer the ball towards the sideline to X3 to get the entice set. Then because the ball will get stopped, this participant should full the entice with out fouling.
The participant not guarding the ball ought to drop towards the center of the ground and be prepared to exchange X3 as quickly as that participant leaves to entice. This participant should be sure to not drop too far too quick as they want to have the ability to come up and stress the ball if it will get reversed.
Again Line:
The again line ought to include your two tallest gamers.
X4 and X5 ought to be lengthy and hopefully fast sufficient to have the ability to get from the sideline to the lane relying on the situation of the ball. Having shot-blocking capacity is an additional advantage to those positions.
The again line ought to start within the frontcourt, someplace across the 3-point line.
Because the ball is inbounded, the ball-side deep participant ought to transfer towards the sideline and presumably even up the ground. This participant is seeking to take away any sideline go and power the offense to beat the press with the dribble.
The weak-side deep participant ought to get close to the free throw line and be looking out for any deep go to try to get a quick break rating. Because the ball will get superior up the ground, the weak-side defender ought to proceed to drop to forestall any simple scores towards the press.
If a go is made up the sideline, these deep gamers might be concerned in a entice with X3.
The right way to Run the 2-1-2 Press
Inbounding & Advancing:
The protection has the selection whether or not to have X1 and X2 deny or not. The extra essential half is that these two information whoever catches the ball up the sideline.
Sometimes, X1 and X2 would play behind and inside any offensive gamers in order that it’s simpler to push them towards the sideline to make their preliminary catch.
On the catch, X1 places stress on the ball to make the offense uncomfortable and in addition encourages them to dribble up the sideline.
Once more, they need to be sure to affect the offense to assault up the facet of the ground.
The purpose guard shouldn’t be allowed to survey the court docket and as an alternative be made to really feel that dribbling up the sideline is the one possibility.
As X1 pushes the ball up the sideline, X2 drops again slightly towards the center of the ground.
X2 is principally taking part in between the middle circle and any reversal go.
They wish to be shut sufficient to the reversal go that they will apply fast stress and never let the offense dribble up via the center of the ground.
On the identical time, X3 inches out barely away from the middle of the ground to organize to remove any sideline go. The extra athletic this participant is, the farther away they will place themselves to make the go look open earlier than working over for a steal.
Behind the press, X4 will transfer up and out towards the sideline to remove any deep passes up the sideline.
That leaves X5 left to rotate again to close the lane to be the participant accountable for contesting any photographs taken on the rim.
Ball Reversal:
A ball reversal is unquestionably not the top of the world on this press because it means the offense is continuous to make use of their 10-second depend with out actually advancing the ball.
On the reversal go, X2 will take the ball. Nonetheless, the trail right here is essential as they need to nonetheless be guiding the offense to dribble up the sideline. So a slower method that enables the offense to proceed to dribble laterally is good.
Because the ball is being reversed, X3 ought to be working to remain consistent with the ball and preserving the center of the ground coated.
Because the ball is reversed to the opposite facet of the ground, the targets ought to once more be forcing the offense to dribble it up alongside the sideline.
First Lure:
If X1 does the job and forces the offense to dribble up the sideline, it’s time for X3 to dash to the sideline to get able to entice. They have to try and get their exterior foot out of bounds to chop off any sideline drive.
X1 ought to proceed to protect and information the offensive participant proper to the ready X3 to allow them to set a entice proper alongside the sideline.
This entice can happen in both the frontcourt or the backcourt relying on how rapidly X3 is ready to get into place alongside the sideline.
However both approach, it should hopefully happen as near the 10-second line as attainable.
To set one of the best entice attainable, X3 ought to be perpendicular to the sideline with the surface foot on the road to forestall any house for the offense to make use of to drive.
On the identical time, X1 ought to be instantly on the hip of the offensive participant to forestall any type of crossover to the center of the ground.
If each gamers do their jobs, the outcome ought to be a good entice alongside the sideline the place the offense could have very restricted choices.
Because the entice is going on, X2 ought to be in the course of the ground to remove any direct go there. This participant should be very conscious of any potential flashes to this space and in addition bear in mind that the center participant may very well be in entrance or behind the 10-second line.
X4 strikes as much as instantly take away any participant up the ground close to the sideline. This can be a nice alternative for a steal because the offense received’t see X4 flying in to remove that participant numerous occasions and throw a high-arcing go.
X5 rotates again close to the lane to guard the basket. There isn’t any cause that the offense ought to ever have the ability to throw a deep go over the top of this participant for a simple layup.
Second Lure:
Sometimes, the offense goes to finish a go up the sideline earlier than X4 can get there to choose it off. However this doesn’t imply that the press must be known as off.
The truth is, this entice can truly be efficient as most occasions the offense will not be anticipating it to occur there and it’ll typically be within the fingers of a participant who isn’t assured with the basketball.
If a go is accomplished deep up the sideline, X4 should get in entrance of the ball and reduce off the sideline, very like X3 did within the preliminary entice.
Because the go went over X3, this participant is accountable for following the ball and finishing the entice alongside the sideline.
It’s possible that the offense will attempt to assault the basket rapidly on this sideline go, so X3 should instantly dash and comply with the ball as quickly as it’s handed.
X5 will proceed to remain within the lane and shield the basket, which can change into way more vital now because the ball is a lot nearer.
The entrance line of the press, X1 and X2, should dash again to the frontcourt and discover any potential retailers for the offense and take them away. They need to begin by wanting within the center after which working their approach down towards the basket.
Benefits of the 2-1-2 Press
1. Robust center protection
Holding the ball out of the center is a vitally vital aim of any press.
With the design of the 2-1-2 press, this aim ought to be achieved every time the opponent makes an attempt to interrupt it.
By stopping the ball from attending to the center, groups are compelled to take extra time to advance the ball throughout half court docket, giving the press extra possibilities to work.
2. Good trapping alternatives
With the center taken away, groups are compelled to assault the press up the sideline.
This enables the protection to rotate and get nice traps set alongside the sideline, whether or not it happens within the frontcourt or the backcourt.
And with the entice occurring alongside the sideline, it offers the offense fewer passing choices and the next probability of turning the ball over.
3. Constant basket protection
Since there are 2 bigs behind this press, it permits 1 of them to all the time be deep and forestall any potential uncontested layup from occurring.
It doesn’t matter what facet of the ground the ball is on, there’ll all the time be 1 massive rotating to the lane to be there to make the offense must work to attain ought to they really break the press.
4. Low threat press
The setup of the 2-1-2 press ought to stop numerous simple appears by the offense.
However, nevertheless, it ought to permit the protection to power tempo and create some turnovers whereas implementing it.
So the risk-reward for the 2-1-2 press appears to be very favorable for the protection.
Conclusion
The two-1-2 press does an incredible job of flustering an offense by forcing them to interrupt a press by doing one thing they’ve been instructed they shouldn’t:
Dribble up the sideline as an alternative of getting the ball to the center.
The two-1-2 press is a superb change-up press to make use of at the side of one other press to maintain the offense guessing.
When you’ve got some athletic guards who can stress the basketball and a few posts who can cowl numerous floor, the 2-1-2 press could also be one thing you wish to check out.
