Al Jefferson (2nd best defensive bigman in the NBA?)
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InGameStrategy
Well-Known Member
And imagine how much better he would be if he just tried (and/or if defense was enforced, resulting in his butt hitting the bench for a possession or more if he was dogging it, eventually leading to him starting to buck up and play respectable D).
That's why I believe the coach assumes a lot of the blame for crappy defenses as I said above (Thibodeau; Brooks).
Favors Flave
Well-Known Member
I agreed with everything except Blake Griffin and bosh. They are horrible defenders, especially Griffin. he puts no effort on D at all
Gyp Rosetti
Banned
This sounds about right. Jefferson's d is highly underrated and a huge reason for our playoff succ....oh...wait.
I think Jefferson's defensive problems come from him being slow footed. I think he puts forth an honest effort for the most part.
InGameStrategy
Well-Known Member
Really? My eyes tell me differently, with repeated recollections of AJ barely moving at all.
Maybe it's a lack of focus or poor positioning mixed with subpar effort, but in any case, these are skills that can be refined (and enforced) by better coaching--and weren't under Sloan, nor by Jefferson's previous coaches. This is where the jump from high school to the NBA hurt him.
Somehow, players such as Jefferson and Boozer can be plenty nimble and energetic on offense but "slow-footed" on D. Imagine that. They don't work on their D, and they try less.
If you want slow-footed (despite moderate effort), a better example would be Mehmet Slowkur.
Yes, because defense is reactionary. Offensive moves are things that are timed to precision.
D
Deleted member 848
Guest
Sooo Prodigy, when are we going to see the Big Al 2011 Season Mix??
InGameStrategy
Well-Known Member
Um, defensive moves (blocks, steals, boxing out, even just staying in front of your man) need to be timed to precision; the key difference is that they are not as planned. IMHO, NBA players don't like to play defense because it tends to have less glory tied to it--and because it's probably harder work; Jefferson is no exception.
But I continue to be puzzled how you would think that AJ's defense is due to being slow footed (when your philosophical retort really didn't address the notion that running offenses "to precision" would also require some agility).
From bleacherrreport:
While the author confirms your claim that reaction is part of defense (something that I was not disputing), his assessment is more akin to focus and discipline, not quickness of step. While Jefferson is no gazelle, the bigger problem is the effort and focus on defense (and maybe the mental skill of D), not the agility.
From NBC Sports:
Here, John Krolik does mention slowness but leaves it to interpretation as to whether that "slow-moving" is by choice or by chance. His subsequent comment ("doesn't expend much energy") still suggests that the the problem (including AJ's slowness) is due to lack of effort.
From Tim Kawakami, beat writer for the Warriors, who "awarded" AJ a spot on his No-Defense Team in 2008:
Kawakami makes no mention of speed or agility and attributed Jefferson's poor defense primarily to effort ("energy").
But these sources aren't necessary. You might want to check your television or computer screen for distortion, because it was clear on my screen that the core of AJ's defensive weakness is effort and focus (and maybe skill), not agility. While Jefferson has clearly improved offensively, I haven't seen the same progress on the less glory-laden defensive side.
Consistent with the treatment of other big-man cornerstones in recent times, Sloan (and his successor) didn't enforce the D. With even more frontcourt options than before, it's time to do so. A 20/10 player isn't as valuable if he's giving up points on the other end.
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The Thriller
Well-Known Member
I think all of our players are perfect and that's why we went so far in the playoffs last year.
Love the 82 games stats garbage. Those only go to prove anything you want them to prove.
I seriously remember David Locke going off on his 82games/per 48 mins stats nonsense proving that AK47 was better than Lebron mother farving James.
Never again, will I listen to more nonsense from Locke or those stats.
They'll prove whatever you want them to prove.
But my eyes tell me differently. Noah, Chandler, and Dwight Howard are better defenders. There are more, but the argument today is if he's the second best defending big in the league. No, he is not.
Love the 82 games stats garbage. Those only go to prove anything you want them to prove.
I seriously remember David Locke going off on his 82games/per 48 mins stats nonsense proving that AK47 was better than Lebron mother farving James.
Never again, will I listen to more nonsense from Locke or those stats.
They'll prove whatever you want them to prove.
But my eyes tell me differently. Noah, Chandler, and Dwight Howard are better defenders. There are more, but the argument today is if he's the second best defending big in the league. No, he is not.
D
Deleted member 848
Guest
First of all, Boozer was tied with Ibaka overall; his spot-up defense is what seems to propel him (strange, maybe hes a bit more nimble, jumps to contest shots more often). His pick and roll defense and isolation defense were monumentally worse, which seems correct to me and all of our knowledge of Boozer. This data seems quite accurate; Ibaka and AK both have reputations for being good rotational/help defenders, stats that cant really be measured.