Box-and-One is a type of defensive strategy that is used in basketball.
It is a mix between the Zone Defense and the Man-to-Man Defense. In a Zone Defense, each player is responsible for guarding a specific area on the court. In a Man-to-Man Defense, each player is assigned to guard a specific player on the other team.
How the Box-and-One Works
In a Box-and-One defense, four players play zone defense and position themselves in a box shape to protect the basket.The two taller players usually stand right under the basket, while the two shorter players stand closer to the free-throw line. The fifth player plays man-to-man defense and guards the best offensive player on the other team.
The box-and-one is often used against teams that have one really good scorer. The goal is to make it hard for that top player to score by always having someone guarding them, while the other defenders protect the basket.
A variation of the box-and-one is called the "Diamond-and-One" defense. In this setup, the four-zone defenders position themselves in a diamond shape instead of a box.
Weaknesses of the Box-and-One
One weakness of the box-and-one is that it leaves an opening in the middle of the "box" on defense.Since no one is guarding this area, the other team can pass the ball there for an easy shot. Because of this weakness, the box-and-one is not used very often in professional leagues like the NBA.
Box-and-One in the NBA
Even though it's rare, the box-and-one has been used in some important NBA games.In the 2019 NBA Finals, the Toronto Raptors used a box-and-one defense against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
The Raptors' defense stopped the Warriors from scoring for over 5 minutes in Game 2. The Raptors lost that game but later used the box-and-one again to help them win the championship in Game 6.
The Raptors also used a box-and-one defense in the 2020 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics. They used it to guard the Celtics' top scorers, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker, in different games.
The Raptors won the games where they used the box-and-one but ended up losing the series.
The box-and-one is a special defense used to stop teams with one great scorer.
It combines zone and man-to-man defense to make things harder for the top offensive player. While it has some weaknesses and isn't used often in the NBA, it has helped teams win important games.