Thanks for this. The statistics are a little hard to compare at this stage since most teams aren't efficient against a good zone earlier in the year and we also haven't played a high volume of good teams yet. But what really interests me in this comparison is the reason why Donovan has been using zone more often.
The biggest reason in my opinion is the length we can play with across the board, but especially in the backcourt. I can only think of one season when our entire guard rotation was 6'2" or taller (2002-03, with 6'4" Nelson, 6'3" Hamilton, 6'2" Roberson). But this year we have a 6'2" Wilbekin, 6'2" Boynton, 6'3" Rosario, and 6'4" Frazier. That makes for a much better front of the zone. Add the length and athleticism of Prather and Yeguete to the wings, along with a 6'10" Murphy, and you have the makings of a very effective zone. They are big enough to deny entry passes and perimeter looks, but quick enough to deny penetration and to recover against ball rotation. That is also why this group reminds me so much of Syracuse group a couple of years ago, which in my mind may have been Boeheim's best matchup unit (at least since I've been following hoops the last 20+ years).
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