
10.11.2025
George Vaz
On a recent member post (thanks to Brian Loomis), it got us thinking about a problem a lot of us have come up against at different points in our career…
We spoke about this challenge the U16 girls team at the London Lions Academy had on episode 108 of the Transforming Basketball Podcast.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7zrbZFYku2kAHsN0kWLKTS
Brian noted, “Recently, we faced a team running a 2-2-1 trap zone, and they did a great job applying perimeter pressure and closing up interior gaps. It left us stuck—not many open lanes, no space to operate, and limited creation off the dribble.”
I’m sure many of you have been in the same situation:
So, how do we respond?
Let the players experience and solve the problems they’re seeing in games:
Box 1-on-1 – Beat the Pressure
Rules:
Scoring: First to 5 wins
Constraints:
1-on-2 – Get to the Half-Court
Rules:
Scoring: First to 5 wins
Constraints:
Look at this small-sided game I created to prepare our team for an upcoming game against a team that plays a 1-2-2 zone press.
You don’t need a team full of shot creators or lights-out shooters to find success. With the right structure, intentional constraints, and game-like training environments, you can build a team that reads, moves, and finds ways to break down even the toughest defenses.
The key is shifting your mindset from “running plays” to “creating problems” for the defense. Concepts always trump plays.
Thank you Brian for sharing this original question inside our membership community.





