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From The Eastside with Love
Not for money just helping build the brand. A couple of coli members have volunteered.
Random NBA Observations 2016 - 2017
- Thread starter Big Jo
- Start date
Reid2Achieve
Superstar
NBA.com has a ranking of point guard defenders based off the eye test from 3 writers and DRPM. Refer to the article for more details and methodology.
Defensive Pointers – NBA.com: Hoop Magazine
Defensive Pointers – NBA.com: Hoop Magazine
The Elite
1. Chris Paul, 6.055
At this point in his career and age, many would expect Paul to be running solely on reputation but the metrics still love him. He seldom guards the tough PG counterparts for long stretches but when he has to he rolls up his sleeves on key possessions. Paul always shows good decision-making on the defensive end, rarely leaving his team in a bad spot.
2. Patrick Beverley, 5.115
Beverley has the tenacity all defenders aspire to. He has so much fight in him on any given night that he’s in the heads of the NBA’s best before the game even tips off. He’s as tough as it gets in this game and he isn’t afraid of anything.
3. Marcus Smart, 4.755
Smart may come off the bench but he’s one of the League’s most feared defenders. He blasts through screens and has the strength to fight off opponents from three different positions.
4. Ricky Rubio, 4.56
Strictly as a defender, Rubio has immense value. He sees the floor so well and has a competitive ire not often broadcasted loud enough.
5. George Hill, 4.51
Even in an injury riddled season both the panel and the metrics gave Hill an awful lot of love. Not even accounted in this ranking is the +7.5 differential to the Jazz’s DRTG when Hill is on vs. off the floor.
6. Kyle Lowry, 4.14
Lowry’s hot shooting is one thing but his defense sets him apart from Eastern Conference peers. Lowry is broad and can body bigger guards while using unheralded quickness to stay in front of smaller ones.
7. Jrue Holiday, 3.775
Holiday was a surprise this high but here he sits. Holiday is rarely mentioned with the NBA’s best but his positive DRPM and his +7.6 DRTG differential speak highly of him.
8. Tyler Johnson, 3.67
Johnson is quickly growing a reputation as a defensive stalwart. He fights for his minutes and his reputation is hard earned especially in the shadow of defensive sensation Justise Winslow.
9. Matthew Dellavedova, 3.38
New uni, same Delly. The Bucks nabbed themselves a championship-tested competitor to play next to superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Dellavedova can sometimes be overly aggressive defensively, but his effort level is amongst the elite.
10. John Wall, 3.37
Wall might be sliding into the last top 10 spot, but he has long been a noted two-way player. He shadows his man incredibly well while on ball and is always on the lookout in passing lanes.
These are your shutdown guys. These are the individuals that got love from both the numbers and the eyes of your local hoopheads.
You could argue point guard defense isn’t as consequential to the team on a whole as that of wings and big men but these 10 have concrete value and demonstrate it on a nightly basis.
Not surprisingly Chris Paul is the alpha, looking at the top 10 does anyone stand out?
Middle of the Pack
11. Ish Smith, 3.33
Smith graded out very well. Which isn’t something you can say for teammate Reggie Jackson. Smith scored well in DRPM, DRTG differential, and his low score from the panel
12. Elfrid Payton, 3.25
Payton was one of the few players who scored significantly better from the panel than he did via the numbers. His average of seven from the panel carried him above several players who had better defensive numbers.
13. Jeff Teague, 3.085
Teague is having a very strong push of late, he may not be the equal of departed George Hill but he’s shined in his own right.
14. Steph Curry, 3.11
Curry graded out slightly above average but the metrics still favor him. He’s an often misunderstood defender who at times lack physicality but makes up for it with sharp play in the passing lanes and active hands on and off ball.
15. Russell Westbrook, 2.8
Westbrook has been heavily criticized this season. The effort is not there and you can understand to some extent why. His play style is taxing and the extra push on offense has sapped him some on defense. Despite the fall off, both the panel and the numbers had him just above average.
16. Mike Conley, 2.685
Conley falling as far as he did might be surprising but both his DRTG differential and DRPM were negative. The panel’s feelings on his reputation saved him from dropping further.
17. Jeremy Lin, 2.65
Lin stands out in Brooklyn for a number of reasons but part of it is his solid defensive play while on the ball. Lin was a positive in terms of both DRTG differential and DRPM.
18. Kemba Walker, 2.505
Walker is an interesting case, he works very hard on defense and seems to be fundamentally solid. However, he lacks the size and strength to truly limit the elite ball distributors currently in the association.
19. Rajon Rondo, 2.505
Rondo admitted when coming to Dallas that he hadn’t focused on defense in some time. Although amidst so many troubles it’s easy to label him a liability the numbers disagree. He’s average to below average at this point in his career.
20. Eric Bledsoe, 2.38
Bledsoe, once thought as true positive on defense, has slipped some. The Suns on a whole don’t play a good deal of defense and actually have a better DRTG when he sits.
21. Ty Lawson, 2.19
Lawson, while also undersized, grades out better than his teammate Darren Collison. Lawson can get bullied, but he’s also very good at slipping the screen.
22. Deron Williams, 2.165
The former superstar is enjoying a quiet fall from grace, no longer beaten by the media for failing to carry a team he’s treading water in Dallas at both ends. Both metrics had him as a negative, his former reputation might have boosted him a tad too high.
23. Tim Frazier, 1.845
Frazier steered the ship admirably but he’s a subpar NBA defender and his strides as a player offensively have not been met at the other end.
24. D’Angelo Russell, 1.845
The good news is Russell scored better than fellow sophomore Emmanuel Mudiay. The bad news is he still scored poorly. Russell still gets lost and the effort is still a question mark but he’s grown some under new coach Luke Walton.
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
25. James Harden, 1.805
Contrary to YouTube and Vine, Harden isn’t dead last. He also is a ways off from Westbrook, but being in this tier is a win for the MVP frontrunner.
26. J.J. Barea, 1.72
Barea was bizarre. He had an insanely inexplicable +9.5 DRTG differential but a -0.56 DRPM. The panel also had him fairly low. This should be interesting to watch when he returns to a contributing role in Dallas.
27. Reggie Jackson, 1.64
Jackson had the worst DRTG differential of all 38 players (-10.9). Things aren’t overly stable right now in Detroit and part of that can be attributed to the shaky and stubborn play of Jackson.
28. Derrick Rose, 1.565
Rose hasn’t been bad this year, he also hasn’t been good. He has contributed some on offense but still finds himself as a subpar defender. Both metrics pegged him near the bottom and only Woo’s 5.5 individual ranking saved him from falling into the next tier.
The wide middle range covers the pretty good defenders all the way to the bad defenders. Westbrook who has garnered a ton of criticism defensively this season still finds himself in the upper half of the list. Alternatively, the League’s other MVP frontrunner (Harden) finds himself in the bottom third, narrowly avoiding the depths of defensive depravity.
Interestingly, the reigning back-to-back MVP still sits comfortably at 14. Ish Smith is way above his front man, and potential buy-out candidate Rondo is dead middle.
Traffic Cones
29. Emmanuel Mudiay, 1.52
Mudiay has a lot of question marks midway through his second season. The shooting was always a point of emphasis but defense was supposed to be something he brought on a nightly basis.
30. Darren Collison, 1.49
Collison has never been a great defender, size is an issue, motor is an issue, and playing in Sacramento with a number of negative defenders doesn’t help.
31. Goran Dragić, 1.44
Dragic had the second worst DRTG differential (-9.7), his highest mark from the panel was a 5.5. Although he’s having an underrated overall season his defensive performance has not been a high point.
32. Sergio Rodriguez, 1.37
Rodriguez finds himself at the bottom of the list around the same time he’s losing his starting job in the NBA. He was the lowest marked player on Gallagher’s individual list at 2.5 out of 10.
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
33. Kyrie Irving, 1.365
Irving is not a strong defender, he will be picked on from time-to-time and in the Finals last year there were stretches where the Warriors knew exactly who to attack. That said, there’ still a fair gap between him and the bottom three on this list.
34. Lou Williams, 1.27
Williams brings a spark off the bench but according to this list, that spark is one-sided. Williams was one of the few near the bottom who had a positive DRTG (+4.3), whether it’s an outlier or a sign of the Lakers poor production from the starters, you decide.
35. Tony Parker, 1.255
Parker has always been the weak spot in the Spurs barricade. Given his age and lack of Duncan to lean on, he may be near his basement. Spurs fans hoping Mills eventually becomes the starter are very likely citing Parker’s defense for provocation.
36. Dennis Schroder, .735
Schroder did not get a positive score from the panel or from the numbers. It’s even more puzzling, given how strong the defensive presences of Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard are.
37. Damian Lillard, .695
Lillard is unexpectedly right near the bottom. His -9.6 DRTG differential is tied (Thomas is the other) for third worst of all those listed.
38. Isaiah Thomas, -0.375
Thomas is in trouble any time his man has the ball. He gives better than he gets, but his size and lack of discipline constantly find him reeling. Thomas, like his comparable Allen Iverson, is fortunate to have positive defenders around him.
The scrap bucket. Hyperbole is just that and in the entertainment business there will always be a smorgasbord of exaggeration. No NBA player in earnest is ever really a pylon or any other sarcastic quip, it’s just the nature of commentary to cater to extremes. That said, the players in this tier are liabilities at the current level they participate in on defense.
The younger guys in this tier still have time, Mudiay, for example, offers the physical tools to grow into a more prominent defensive role.
Size is also a factor, players like Thomas and Collison are always going to be limited trying to body the giants running across the Association.
In conclusion, this list isn’t a be-all or end-all to the conversation. There is no absolution when it comes to defensive critique. This, like many others, being just one look into the kaleidoscope.
All stats as of Jan. 6.
The War Report
NewNewYork
LeBron looking like Freeway. :shaqlol2:
That draft had no clear number 1 ever since Noel went down with injuryStill it was an incredible reach by the Cavs.
I will never forget sitting there looking at the draft assuming we'd get Oladipo, Noel or Mclemore (he was seen as a good prospect at the time) and than they picked Bennet and I was like who the hell is that...Every mock I saw had him below #8....Most of us became content with selecting Noel because he was the best player in the draft even if we had to wait a year we still had Kyrie Waiters and Tristan....(Damn we had struggle hopes)
OJ DA JUICEMAN and TITTY BOI WOULD
MooseMouthMthafuga
Veteran
I wonder how hurt Ben Simmons really was?
The NBA is so full of politics.
I believe a lot of the shyt is scripted.Not the games, but trades/draft picks(who goes where), and all that kinda stuff.
I know for sure players know months ahead of time when & where they're being traded.
My brother was in a local rap group with a nicca who was banging Raja Bell's wife(When he played for the Suns).
He told us Raja was going to be traded to the Charlotte Bobcats 3 months before it happened.
They have shyt mapped out ahead of time.Big business.
The NBA is so full of politics.I believe a lot of the shyt is scripted.Not the games, but trades/draft picks(who goes where), and all that kinda stuff.
I know for sure players know months ahead of time when & where they're being traded.
My brother was in a local rap group with a nicca who was banging Raja Bell's wife(When he played for the Suns).
He told us Raja was going to be traded to the Charlotte Bobcats 3 months before it happened.
They have shyt mapped out ahead of time.Big business.
All the supposed best point guards in the league other than Chris Paul are all ranked fairly low in this article
Maybe they were discussing the trade for months on end?I wonder how hurt Ben Simmons really was?
I believe a lot of the shyt is scripted.Not the games, but trades/draft picks(who goes where), and all that kinda stuff.
I know for sure players know months ahead of time when & where they're being traded.
My brother was in a local rap group with a nicca who was banging Raja Bell's wife(When he played for the Suns).
He told us Raja was going to be traded to the Charlotte Bobcats 3 months before it happened.
They have shyt mapped out ahead of time.Big business.
MooseMouthMthafuga
Veteran
I been telling Suns fans Eric Bledsoe's defense fell off 2 seasons ago.
He plays the game like a poor man's Russell Westbrook on offense now.
30% 3pt shooter
....delusions of being an elite scorer
Nothing but a 2nd/3rd tier PG.
MooseMouthMthafuga
Veteran
Maybe they were discussing the trade for months on end?
Yeah but it's crazy how it never leaked to the public.
The War Report
NewNewYork
This whole Rondo fiasco is low-key hilarious
chicago brehs, whats happening up there
It's like Rondo is still not aware that he's not a starting caliber PG any more. If you can't shoot, you become an extreme liability at the PG position. It's a new day.
Insun Park
Fukk Em
Toronto need to chill with that Huskies shyt
If they're gonna change the name and logo than change the name and logo already and be done with it
If they're gonna change the name and logo than change the name and logo already and be done with it
