The Trust of Defense
May 25, 2010
One of the oft-ignored but important reasons the Spurs only (and it’s wonderful to type only right there) won 50 games this year was their defense. Looking past the misleading opponents PPG stat, which was 96.3, the Spurs had a 104.5 defensive rating, which was good for 8th in the league. Defensive rating divides the average opponent points per game by the average pace. Simply put, the Spurs allowed their opponents to score between 104 and 105 points per 100 possessions.
Since their title run in 2007 (the last time the Spurs had a defensive rating of under 100), the Spurs have begun to stumble. The last three seasons have seen a defensive rating of 101, 104.3 and 104.5. Obviously there are a few reasons for this. The first of which is the fact that the scope of the NBA has changed. When the Grizzlies gift-wrapped Paul Gasol to the Lakers in January of 2008, San Antonio could no longer afford to play 4/5 on the offensive end. This forced RC Buford’s hand to trade Bowen, Oberto and Thomas for Richard Jefferson. With Bowen gone, we no longer had a phenomenal perimeter defender and the opposing players could easily get into the paint (see Nash game 1).
Another reason is that the Spurs have lost inches on their average height. In 2007, Oberto was the starting “center”. This year McDyess got the starter position. For the Spurs 4 championship runs and their string of amazing defensive runs, they have always had a 7 footer to help Duncan out down low. Whether it was a hall of famer, like David Robinson, or Oberto. The main purpose for these guys would be to guard the opposing big man or be a weakside shot blocker. Unfortunately, last season and this season, the Spurs didn’t have that shot blocking. The only player to consistently block shots has been Tim Duncan. He’s also the only player that is able to guard down low. McDyess tried, but he’s slightly undersized to be guarding the starting centers of the league.
What makes a great defense? Is it ability? Is it height? While both of those are good answers, the only thing preventing a team from being good defensively is trust. Why is trust so important? Let’s take a look at the all-star game. In itself, this is the biggest exhibition game in basketball every year. But if you notice, there’s no defense being played. Some of this has to do with the fact that the fans want to see high scoring games, but it’s also because the players have never played before. They don’t have the experience to that allows them to trust the other person to make the right play. The same is prevalent in pick up games at your local gym. No one wants to pressure the ball-carrier because if they get burned, they lose a point. Better to let him shoot over you, than to let him get to the basket because your center didn’t rotate over.
The Celtics, when they finally decided to trust each other, have become the best defensive team in these playoffs. The Magic all trust that Dwight Howard will be the defender he was created to be. Because of age, Tim Duncan has fallen off enough that he is only the third best defensive center in the league. He can only be considered 3rd best (behind Howard and Perkins) because Bogut and Ming got injured. Duncan, through age and fatigue, has lost a step or two on defense. Unfortunately, this lends itself to being untrustworthy.
Suddenly, the other players on the Spurs don’t trust each other as much as they used to. Previously, as long as the opposing slashers were funneled towards Duncan, things would end up ok. Now? Age has turned into a lack of trust. If the perimeter defenders don’t stay in front of their guys, it gets Duncan in foul trouble. And no one wants that. In any case, to get back to a championship, the Spurs need a better defensive rating. Being the #1 defensive team in the nation doesn’t cut it anymore. They need to be the best they can be and the only way that’s gonna happen is with the trust to return.
