Enes Kanter, a Good Defender: Jazz Defense Uncoded

[Sexual Favors]

I highly suggest you read this Salt City Hoops article by Clint Johnson.

https://saltcityhoops.com/utah-jazz-players-and-opponent-field-goal-percentage/

Lots of good data in here. Some of it tells us what we already know (Rudy is awesome,etc.), while some of it may surprise some of you. I highly suggest you read it, but for those who won't, I've cherry-picked a few interesting quotes:

All things considered, the Jazz’s front court is protecting the hoop surprisingly well. Within 10 feet, Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, and even Enes Kanter all fall in the top half of Western Conference starters at their position in defending their man near the hoop.

and this is what I've been saying for a year plus:

The Jazz back court is atrocious at keeping their men from getting exactly what they want going toward the hoop. The point of attack against opponents primary ball handlers is routinely caving. As a result, the front court players are trying to help, resulting in their inability to recover to the perimeter. Jazz front court players are being sniped to death in the scramble.

The Jazz’s bipolarity of inside/outside defense is unique among the worst defenses in the west... Where no front court player on either the Wolves or Lakers holds their man to lower than average shooting within 10 feet of the hoop, both Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter accomplish this.

In that way, they are most similar to the New Orleans Pelicans, who have yet to leverage the interior combination of Anthony Davis and Omer Asik into even an average team defense.5

To those of you who have clamored to get rid of our 6'11", 7'1.5" wingspan having, 9'1.5" reaching, 32.5" jumping, smooth shooting, free-throw hitting, elite foot-working, mobile, floor stretching, defensive board getting, offensive rebounding magnetic, 22 yr old Is-Tan-Bull monster--do these numbers change your mind?

I think all us agree, Dante has the potential to be a really good defender, and Alec has almost identical measurements. When Dante grows up, and if only Alec would try... We could be pretty good.

 

[Sexual Favors]

Let me be clear, Enes still has his work to do, but he is a lot better than some of you give himcredit for.

He is no longerthe numero uno culprit.

 

[Jeffrey32]

Maybe Jazz should switch to a zone defense and force outside shooters to beat them? QS give Jim Boeheim a call.


Sent from the JazzFanz app

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

For a while there, it seemed that opposing teams were going right at Trey Burke, using him as bait to get one of our other guys out of position on defense and putting us a step behind on defensive rotations.

 

[MT Steve]

Even so, Kanter's defense in December was a night and day difference from his defense in November.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Not near a good defender.

Approaching average? Sure.

 

[Tarkanian]

Approaching average? Sure.

you don't get that treatment from furious Jazzfanz, if you are average or close.
He is not a finished product but he is not the guy solely responsible for team's defensive woes, as you guys incessantly reminded.

 

[GVC]

Not sure the raw data provides enough context here. If, for example, bigs can improve their opp fg% and hurt their perimeter teammates' opp fg% by sticking to their men instead of providing appropriate/adequate help defense. Providing the frequency of each shot type (also available at nba.com) would have improved the analysis (if only a little).

 

[NAOS]

Regardless of specific flaws in the study, it does confirm what the eye-test has been saying: OUR PERIMETER DEFENSE SUCKS ***.

 

[The Blue Elephant]

Reminded me of when I made this thread https://jazzfanz.com/showthread.php?19045-Enes-Kanter-even-bigger-beast-defensively-then-offensively

Couple years ago Enes Kanter was able to keep his opponent Per very low.

 

[One Brow]

I rarely see people complaining about Kanter's on-ball defense. The issue has always been his help defense and his pick-and-roll defense.

 

[Dumb Bloke]

Regardless of specific flaws in the study, it does confirm what the eye-test has been saying: OUR PERIMETER DEFENSE SUCKS ***.

Pleas tell us one more time.

You act like perimeter defense is the only thing that matters in basketball. Trade Trey get rid of Burks acquire 3 and D blah blah blah.

There are other ways of doing it. Look at the Warriors. They are n1 defense with Lee Curry and overrated Thompson. Know why? They pressure you so much on offense that teams have to respect it and dont send rebounders or cutters.

Jazz have enough defense. Problem is clearly pace and no offensive defensive pressure. Quin needs to speed it up and use Trey as the offensive weapon he was in college.

 

[Sexual Favors]

I rarely see people complaining about Kanter's on-ball defense. The issue has always been his help defense and his pick-and-roll defense.

He has actually been good at help D recently, making the rotation on time. It has been the lack of trust on D, and weakness of the backcourt, that has led to nobody rotating to pick ups our bigs man. This is actually what the article is saying.

 

[Sexual Favors]

Not sure the raw data provides enough context here. If, for example, bigs can improve their opp fg% and hurt their perimeter teammates' opp fg% by sticking to their men instead of providing appropriate/adequate help defense. Providing the frequency of each shot type (also available at nba.com) would have improved the analysis (if only a little).

Most studies are incomplete and contain other variables. Although not definitive, it can still offer insight.

 

[Hantlers]

Pleas tell us one more time.

You act like perimeter defense is the only thing that matters in basketball. Trade Trey get rid of Burks acquire 3 and D blah blah blah.

There are other ways of doing it. Look at the Warriors. They are n1 defense with Lee Curry and overrated Thompson. Know why? They pressure you so much on offense that teams have to respect it and dont send rebounders or cutters.

Jazz have enough defense. Problem is clearly pace and no offensive defensive pressure. Quin needs to speed it up and use Trey as the offensive weapon he was in college.

1) Your premise has merits, but a lot of your points are wrong.

2) Lee sucks at defense, but he also hasn't been playing as of late. Bogut drives that defense. If he's healthy and playing, good defense. If not, then it's clearly not as good.

3) Thompson is not an overrated defender. He has great hands, hustles a lot, and stops his man more than his man stops him. He's not the defender his dad was, but he's pretty dang good.

4) Trey won't speed it up. That's on him, not Quin. Quin obviously wants to run a high paced offense, but Burke won't do it.

 

[fishonjazz]

1) Your premise has merits, but a lot of your points are wrong.

2) Lee sucks at defense, but he also hasn't been playing as of late. Bogut drives that defense. If he's healthy and playing, good defense. If not, then it's clearly not as good.

3) Thompson is not an overrated defender. He has great hands, hustles a lot, and stops his man more than his man stops him. He's not the defender his dad was, but he's pretty dang good.

4) Trey won't speed it up. That's on him, not Quin. Quin obviously wants to run a high paced offense, but Burke won't do it.

Good post