How to beat the Raps ... a scouting report

[raptors999]

Even with average to below average defender playing average defense isn't that difficult. Knicks are terrible but were keeping games close for most of the first couple months. As long has you prevent easy layups and rebound anyv team can be average

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...knicks-defense

[yabadabayolo]

Personnel & effort is the problem?

Again, Casey can design a Raps defense with Jose and Bargs that performs better than the one with the personnel that we have today? Are there 2 worse defenders at their position in the NBA than those 2 guys? I mean, seriously.

Wasnt bargs injured for most of that year, so thats a moot. And beyond joses defensive shortcoming, he tried his ass off on D. He was just never good but the effort was there.

[yabadabayolo]

Another one to explain would be the Pistons this season after the Josh Smith trade. Yes, Smith is a knucklehead on offence, but he is a former NBA all-defensive team member, so you can't argue that he doesn't have defensive BBIQ or physical capability.

Yet the Pistons apparently have improved a mind-blowing 10 pts in DRTG, since J-Smoove moved on. 105 to 95 post-trade, after losing their best defensive player.

This argument is even better than the Blazers. You have worse defensive personnel, and the team still improves. And you also have SVG, btw.

Josh never had a good defensive IQ. He was always stupid but his crazy athletisim made up for it. Now it looks as iff he lost alot of it.

And its only a stretch of games where the pistons defense has gotten betetr. You can say the same about the stretch of games when gay was traded. Our defense was amazing back then. So I guess that kinda shows that casey can adapt too. He cahnged his defensive to top 10 right after gay was traded...

[3inthekeon]

But even so, you're still left with 4 guys in the starting lineup with really bad defensive reps. Drummond was considered a very low IQ player, despite his athletic gifts, up until the last few months. Jennings, Monroe & Singer are basically one-way offensive players.

Bad defensive reps by who? Jennings was the only bad defender last year. The other 3 were fairly neutral.

Jennings is still bad, but a lot better than last year, Singler is still about the same. Drummond and Monroe are now good. SVG has made a believer out of me.