I have a new idea.
(I'm not sure whether it has already been implemented or not.)
The concept of "open shot" could be divided into different levels, and both defense and shot blocking could have varying effects depending on the level of openness.
In theory, zone defense tends to result in larger open shots more often than man-to-man defense, but it also tends to have more help defense.
Shot blocking would have less impact on wide-open shots compared to less open ones, which can also be seen as another way to counter shot blocking.
This might make zone defense more realistic and may offer a chance to achieve better balance between man-to-man and zone defense.
If multiple levels of open shot still cannot solve the problem, then I wonder whether the game engine has a limitation or issue in how it handles shot selection.
We know that altered shots and blocked shots are not reflected in the PP100. (278646.879)
But I’m not sure whether the game engine considers the defender’s shot-blocking ability when determining shot selection.
More precisely, do players tend to choose shots that seem like good opportunities before considering the defender’s shot-blocking ability, but turn out to be bad ones after taking it into account—worse than another shot that originally didn’t seem as good without considering the defense?
If the answer is yes, then it seems that facing a 3-2 zone defense combined with 2 defense-focused big man might be more disadvantageous for the offense.
As for possible solutions, I’m not sure.
The only thing I can think of is that shot selection should at least take into account a rough estimate of the defender’s shot-blocking ability.
I want to add a bit more to explain my thoughts.
The combination of a 3-2 zone defense and two defense-focused big men doesn't seem to be as strong in real life as it is in the game.
I think one possible reason is that some weaknesses of the 3-2 zone might not be shown well by the engine
— for example (my examples may be wrong): open space near the free-throw line, or leaving players open in the corner for threes.
Because of this, the 3-2 zone might end up being more effective than it should be.
That made me think — if "open shots" had different levels (where defensive skills affect each level differently), it might show the weaknesses of the 3-2 zone better than just having one single "open" category.
On the other hand, I think the current game engine mechanics already allow the offense to tend to attack those weak spots.
The only concern is whether shot selection might ignore the defender's blocking ability, leading to a wrong judgment about what is actually a good shot.
Even though there are other mechanics that could be adjusted, this might still put the offense at a bit of a disadvantage.
The BBs stated that Standard and m2m are the strongest tactics according to the GE. Every other offense and defense has its benefits, but also weaknesses.
I also think man-to-man defense should be the strongest defensive tactic.
But right now, it doesn't seem to be the case.
Apart from the change of focus in defense, one benefit of a zone defense is that it allows a certain degree of role-splitting among defenders.
But the trade-off is that rotations can never be perfect.
So I think zone defenses and man-to-man should be made more balanced.