Team's tactics

Tactics for the particular match should be chosen considering your opponent’s playing style. You can try to find out your opponent’s playing style by watching its matches live or following matches’ chronology. One can also find a lot of information in the page of Teams’ statistics, where shot stats is provided. Therefore you can see if your opponent likes to play low post game or attack from behind the arc.

You have to choose tactics of team’s offence and defence for every match. Team tactics influence up to 10% of the match’s result.
After analyzing opponents’ matches’ stats and players that played in them, it is possible to guess the opponent teams’ tactics of offence and defence.

Defence

2-3 zone

When using 2-3 zone, two of your players are guarding at the 3-point line. The other three players are to guard closer to the basket.

This defence is useful when your opponent scores most of his points from under the basket – most of your players will be near the basket and your big men (center, power forward, small forward) will usually not leave this area.

This defence is not appropriate when your opponent tends to score lots of points from the 3-point line. The attacking team tends to lose their defenders and get more open shots from 3-point line.

When using 2-3 zone defence, it is easier for your players to collect defensive rebounds.

Man-to-man

Using man-to-man defence players are constantly guarding man-to-man.

This kind of defence is most effective, when opponent team is frequently shooting 3-pointers. The opposing team will get considerably less chances for open shots than when playing against the same team with zone defence (especially 2-3 zone).

When using man-to-man defence players get tired a bit sooner than using zone defence.

Personal defence is very ineffective when opposing team makes most of its shots from under the basket.

If your players are more athletic than the opponent’s, personal defence is much more effective.

3-2 zone

This defence strategy is something between personal and 2-3 zone. It is the best variant when you can not determine whether your opponent will attack from 3-point line or score from the low post.

Using 3-2 zone slightly increases mid-range shot defence as well.

Offence

Offensive tactic determines which players must have the ball most frequently but it does not mean that they will always attack. Depending on the tactics, the team is trying to create opportunities for certain players to score.

On big men

When using On big men offence, players try to pass the ball to the big men in the low post. The big men are trying to go to low post them selves as well. Team mates are trying to create as many chances for their big men to attack as possible.

On guards

When using On guards offensive tactic, the ball most frequently ends up in guards’ hands. Their actions highly depend on the players’ personal tactic settings - they can attack from 3-point line, make drives to the basket or pass the ball to other players.

On three pointers

Using On three pointers offence, makes players to work for open shots from 3-point line or to create good opportunities for team mates to attack from three point range as frequently as possible.

Normal

When using Normal offence, none of offensive basketball elements are emphasized. It is most difficult to select the best defensive tactic against this kind of offence because the offensive team tends to shoot from all areas of the court.

However when using Normal offence, sometimes players might get confused and start chaotic game. So, team’s effectiveness in attacking may be a little bit lower.

Pace

Fast - players get tired quickly. It also makes opponents a bit more tired, too. The chance to make mistakes also increases with fast pace. However, it allows players to reach the other side of the court more quickly and start the attack more quickly. With fast pace, passes are made quicker, so there are more chances to create a good situation for shooting.

Slow - players get tired much slower. However, attacks take a lot of time and often a good chance for shooting may not appear. In this case, there are less risky or hurried passes, therefore the number of mistakes is also smaller.

Normal pace is the middle between fast and slow.

Fast break attempts

You can determine how often your team should run fast breaks, trying to score easy points.

This setting influences tiredness of players. The team that will constantly try to organize fast breaks will get tired faster (even if they won't be successful). Often fast breaks will also make opponents a bit more tired. However, attackers will get tired more. So, the manager should consider the use of fast breaks and the possible tiredness of his players.

More successful fast breaks are done when the team is using man-to-man defense or 3-2 zone. Also, when the opponents are more tired or less athletic.

When the fast break is not successful, it may become positional attack.

Other team tactic settings

When trailing at the end of the game, teams frequently try to save themselves, by intentional fouls. Sometimes this tactic ends up in victory. However if the opponent scores the free throw shots, you can end with the final result of much bigger difference in match result.

If it is important not only to win or lose the match but also to do it with as little difference as possible, sometimes it is useful to deselect the option of making intentional fouls in the end.