The article is somewhat useful in describing what the Pistons do. I've tried several games to chart how successful they were in the zone versus man-to-man, and it can be a real chore to tell, especially on short possessions. If Prince comes out on top then it's pretty obvious, but half the time when they're zoning that doesn't happen. The bit about staying with an opponent heading towards the ball and switching off one heading away from the ball might help figure it out. Anyway, I don't know whether the Ben Wallace zone torpedo story from last year is true or not. Certainly a lot of people claim so. But with his speed and jumping ability, it's scary to think how successful a zone might be if Ben bought into playing it. You could probably put him on top and let him chase. Take that jump-shooters. I think a big reason for the Pistons success this year is playing the zone. They sure could have used it in the ECF last year. Maybe in this case, it's the team that learned from mistakes.
Thanks for the link. I love hearing what they have to say about the Pistons in other cities, especially when it is good. "The key, though, is the constant court communication it requires, so no—Rasheed Wallace isn't yelling at the referees all the time." Sam Smith
