46 Games Down: 7th Ranked Defense

Folks like to paint sengun and green as legit traffic cones on defense yet the stats say otherwise.

 

We may have the 7th ranked defense and 19th ranked offense, but what we really need is to replace Sengun with a big, lumbering “rim protector.” Right? Right???

 

I’ve witnessed Dirk’s whole career minus first 2 years. He was never significantly worse in playoffs. If you are talking about being a champion, I think there are more to it then being the best team, you also need to fit a narrative or even sometimes beat it. Dirk was supposed to be a champ long before (I am the biggest stan of Wade but Zebras worked overtime in 2006 for that) but had to wait for his turn.

Aside from the example, we are looking at this very differently I suppose. Playoff performance is where I set my level of satisfaction from a team and players. Therefore want to see them in action before the extensions. Agree to disagree.

 

Playing effective Defense gives a team a chance to be competitive in practically every game they play. Offense comes and goes, players get on hot streaks and cold streaks.

But when the defense is on, teams can still eek out wins with rudimentary offensive production.

 

This is the way. People said the same about Embiid and Jokic. Jokic wins. Now, they talk about Embiid.

I will say certain types of players are harder to build around. If Sengun gets to that level, I suspect he will be harder to build around in a theorectical sense. The Rockets already having a bunch of guys that may fit with him may make that point mute if those guys develop as well.

 

Funny the Celtics have been on the cusp of winning but failed in the last 5-6 years under Brad Stevens and then Ime and Mazzulla.

 

It is arguable because Jason Kidd his former teammate called Luka much better and in another tier than Dirk......

 

imagine how good our defense would be if we could hit 3's

 

Takes me to the year 2018 until those 0-27 nights happened deep in the Playoffs.

 

Energy Vampire.

 

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2024.html

 

I think they've won enough in the postseason and come close enough that people think it is a real possibility that the Celtics could win it all. They made it to the finals and lost to the Warriors. If they make it to the finals again, unlikely a team as good and as seasoned as the Warriors are there. Also, they've made conference finals often. Only need to get by Heat who don't look as good this year (granted Heat have been hurt).

 

This is something that needs more attention. There are times where we'll be halfway through the second quarter and we'll be losing 27-37, then Ime will call a timeout and start yelling about the defense. We have 27 points in the second quarter! This is not a defense problem! Our offense is a way bigger problem right now and it seems like everybody only wants to talk about defense.

Right now we just automatically lose if the other team has a good shooting night. Our record when our opponent has an offensive rating above 115 is 2-16. And 115 isn't even that good! Our record when our opponent has an ORTG over 120 is 0-13. I'm not saying we have to excuse bad defense but in todays NBA teams are going to score points. Sometimes the other team is going to make tough shots, they're going to get calls, and they're going to score a lot. In those games you have to be able to keep up. And currently we are never able to keep up. We either shut them down entirely or we lose.

We cannot go into every game with the approach of "we must turn your offensive production into the detroit pistons, or else we lose." That's not a reasonable way to approach games.

 

That's a clear block. Feet aren't set. Curry isn't even facing Beverly. Curry doesn't go vertical for block. Shouldn't get FTs.

This wasn't always called this way, but hard to say that doesn't meet the rules for a blocking violation. Of the way rules are officiated versus wording regarding why the NBA defenses have it harder, I'd go after moving screens. Switching is so necessary today because it is so easy for a screener to screen without getting an offensive foul. Defender has to flop to get a moving screen call.

 

Actually if you watch he’s a good one on one defender. It’s his awareness on team defense that sucks.

 

I think the complaint here (or at least my complaint with this play) is that the rules are the problem. Like if this is a clear block based on the rules as they are written then the rules need to be changed.

 

I'm expecting the Rockets to come back from Allstar kicking arse and already knowing people's names.

 

Not sure about how the rule is written. But I think the complaint is that the offensive player intentionally runs into a defender and he gets the call. They call it "initiating contact." In the spirit of the game, whoever initiates contact should not get the call.

This is not just the Silver era thing. Superstar offensive players always get that kind of calls. DWade used to get free throws by jumping into defenders. Now even a guy like Pat Bev gets that. It makes playing defense almost impossible.