How Bad will the Jazz Defense Be This Year?

[HeatCheck]

I will say I do think currently NAW is our best perimter defender. For a while I thought it was THT, but I think THT is more specialized in his defensive strengths whereas NAW is a bit more well rounded.

I do feel like NAW could turn the corner at some point. Could be a really valuable role player if his jumper ever comes around. Could be our poor man's Lonzo.

I like NAW as a POA defender.
His passing is nothing like Lonzo though.

 

[One Brow]

Keep in mind Gay has played most of his minutes with Kessler this season.

So, that's why Kessler's numbers are that good? If you're in the lead, you're usually not riding someone else's coattails.

 

[Eddie Zero]

bbbbb-bad bbbbbb-bad bbbbbb-bad- bad in the zone

 

[MTS]

So, that's why Kessler's numbers are that good? If you're in the lead, you're usually not riding someone else's coattails.

Wow.

Okay so first, let's get a couple obvious points out of the way:

1. Playing mostly in lineups featuring a great defender will boost your on/off defensive metrics.
2. Rudy Gay is not in the same stratosphere as Walker Kessler on defense.

And let's get another point out of the way that I think anybody watching will agree with:

3. Teams have gotten a lot smarter about attacking the Jazz with Kessler in the game over the past few weeks, whereas at the start of the season guys were attacking him on drives quite often and getting shut down.

The conclusion: Playing mostly with Kessler during ONLY the early part of the season will make your on/off defensive metrics look great compared to the rest of the team, including Kessler himself. It does not mean Rudy Gay has been a good defender - as the eye test would also confirm, quite frankly.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I can't even imagine how stupid somebody would have to be to think that Rudy Gay is a better defender than Walker Kessler.

Almost as stupid as they would have to be not to read the sarcasm

 

[SoberasHotRod]

- My main take away from this is that Rudy Gay's defensive numbers are most likely based on bad opponent 3pt% which is typically luck based, and certainly not anything Rudy Gay is helping with.

 

[One Brow]

Playing exclusively with Kessler during ONLY the early part of the season will make your on/off defensive metrics look great compared to the rest of the team, including Kessler himself. It does not mean Rudy Gay has been a good defender - as the eye test would also confirm, quite frankly.

So, Kessler has even better on/off metrics than Gay over the part of the season where they played together? Because, under your explanation, we should see a defensive drop-off when Gay is on the floor and Kessler is not.

As for the eye test, eyes tend to be subjective and prey to confirmation bias.

Almost as stupid as they would have to be not to read the sarcasm

Spoilsport.

 

[One Brow]

View attachment 13464

- My main take away from this is that Rudy Gay's defensive numbers are most likely based on bad opponent 3pt% which is typically luck based, and certainly not anything Rudy Gay is helping with.

Certainly, the sample size is small enough that this is possible.

 

[MTS]

So, Kessler has even better on/off metrics than Gay over the part of the season where they played together?

See point 3 in my post.

Because, under your explanation, we should see a defensive drop-off when Gay is on the floor and Kessler is not.

Gay has played most of his minutes with Kessler and has since been injured. The data on Gay w/o Kessler does not exist in a meaningful sample size.

 

[One Brow]

You didn't understand my post. Read it again.

I understood it. It was quite simple, easy to read, and contained straight-forward thinking that was not in any way complex or nuanced. It was an easy read. That's why I didn't point out any questionable parts, and only noted the obvious conclusion, which you seem reluctant to confirm.

 

[MTS]

I understood it. It was quite simple, easy to read, and contained straight-forward thinking that was not in any way complex or nuanced. It was an easy read. That's why I didn't point out any questionable parts, and only noted the obvious conclusion, which you seem reluctant to confirm.

See my edited post and try again.

 

[One Brow]

Gay has played almost all of his minutes with Kessler and has since been injured. The data on Gay w/o Kessler does not exist in a meaningful sample size.

Sometimes math is not my strong point. When I saw in SoberasHotRod's post that Gay had played 110 minutes with Kessler on-court, and 78 minutes off court, I completely missed that 110 minutes was a substantial amount of time, and 78 was completely insubstantial.