Everything Defense

[KeonClark]

Amazing how much this year is starting to mirror last year. No matter what happens, it'll be interesting.

I see barely any similarity, aside from a couple weeks of shoddy defense

[JimiCliff]

I see barely any similarity, aside from a couple weeks of shoddy defense

A couple of weeks? 5 weeks now.

[KeonClark]

A couple of weeks? 5 weeks now.

Ok, but that team was .500 in the 2nd half. They also had lowry go into the trash bin. This team had concerns, that team had major problems and the writing was on the wall. The John wall.

[OldSkoolCool]

That's not how any of these numbers work at all or what they evidence or purport to demonstrate.

The numbers quoted say subbing a poor defender for a good defender at the PF (helper) doesnt have as much of a positive effect as subbing a poor defender for a good defender on the wing.

Now, I dont think there is a gap between Patt and Ross/CoJo defensively...so I am more inclined to think that Ross/CoJo are better at containing penetration and sag less on defense than DD does...and that ability to get the initial stop is more important than the ability of the help defense.

What do those numbers tell you?

**the gap defensively between Scola and Patterson is much bigger than DD to Ross/CoJo...so we would expect that subbing Patterson in would have the bigger effect, yet it doesnt. This would suggest there is another driving force...and I say that other factor is containing guards and less sagging at the perimeter has more of an impact on team defense than the quality of the help defense.

[OldSkoolCool]

How to build a championship defense

http://www.hortonbasketball.com/#!Ma...f26284d03985fb

Important to note how poorly Toronto ranks here in the article

all NBA offenses, regardless of scheme, place a sizable emphasis on pick and rolls and three-point shot creation. The best offenses are able to maximize the value of each pick and roll and create a large number of makeable threes for their best shooters.

Not surprisingly, the list is comprised of some of the league’s best overall teams ............all but two of the 11 best defenses rank in the top 10 in defensive pick and roll points per possession, with Cleveland and Toronto being the only exceptions.

The next part of the defensive efficiency equation is defending the three-point line. I prescribe to the school of thought that it is more worth your effort to try to limit the other team’s three-point attempts than it is to try to minimize three-point percentage.

As it stands, 10 of the 11 best defenses rank in the top 10 of at least two of our three defensive efficiency indicators. Three of those teams, including the two best defenses, rank in the top 10 in all three categories.

The lone outlier to this theory are the Toronto Raptors. Toronto is middle of the pack or worse in our three major defensive efficiency indicators but still boast the ninth most efficient defense in the NBA. Maybe their ability to limit paint points (4th overall) and fast break points (6th overall) are the major keys to their defense.

Hmmm

Definitely check out the article to have a look at the graphics and see where the Raps rank...but be warned it isn't pretty

It has been previously highlighted here that our three point defense is cause for concern and it seems like it could be an actual problem...

Our overall defensive efficiency could be a pace issue? Defending the paint has definitely been a strong suit for us, as has second chance points and our limited turnover limits transition buckets....a combination of those 4 things props us up perhaps?

I dunno

[GLF]

How to build a championship defense

http://www.hortonbasketball.com/#!Ma...f26284d03985fb

Important to note how poorly Toronto ranks here in the article











Hmmm

Definitely check out the article to have a look at the graphics and see where the Raps rank...but be warned it isn't pretty

It has been previously highlighted here that our three point defense is cause for concern and it seems like it could be an actual problem...

Our overall defensive efficiency could be a pace issue? Defending the paint has definitely been a strong suit for us, as has second chance points and our limited turnover limits transition buckets....a combination of those 4 things props us up perhaps?

I dunno

Don't even need to read it. I've been saying our defense has fallen off and our poor 3 point defense which has been a problem all year will be the death of us

[GLF]

How to build a championship defense

http://www.hortonbasketball.com/#!Ma...f26284d03985fb

Important to note how poorly Toronto ranks here in the article











Hmmm

Definitely check out the article to have a look at the graphics and see where the Raps rank...but be warned it isn't pretty

It has been previously highlighted here that our three point defense is cause for concern and it seems like it could be an actual problem...

Our overall defensive efficiency could be a pace issue? Defending the paint has definitely been a strong suit for us, as has second chance points and our limited turnover limits transition buckets....a combination of those 4 things props us up perhaps?

I dunno

And this was written in feb so we most likely aren't even 9th in overall efficiency anymore.

[OldSkoolCool]

Ya the data used in the article is all pre all-star weekend...and we know how things have dipped

What the article didn't do was correlate their thoughts on how the PnR defense and three point defense (both attempts and percentages) has fair in the playoffs of old

Seeing how lazy I have been it would be nice to see how each of the teams ranked that reached the conference finals in each year to kinda put some validation to the data

[MixxAOR]

http://www1.vantagesports.com/Articl...stXiMAADoSue4m

INTERPRETING THE DIMENSIONS OF KEEP-IN-FRONT%

The Raptors, for instance, hold the 26th lowest Closeout KIF% at 18.3 percent as well as the 29th in Man-to-Man KIF% at 47.7 percent

[OldSkoolCool]

2015 Playoffs conference finals teams - Regular Season

Team	Paint FG%	Opp 3PA	Opp 3FG%
Cavs	27th	15th	9th
Hawks	13th	30th	7th
Warriors	8th	7th	5th
Rockets	19th	17th	1st

2015 Playoffs conference finals teams - Playoffs

Team	Paint FG%	Opp 3PA	Opp 3FG%
Cavs	6th	7th	2nd
Hawks	5th	6th	13th
Warriors	4th	3rd	1st
Rockets	14th	13th	7th

2014 Playoffs conference finals teams - Regular Season

Team	Paint FG%	Opp 3PA	Opp 3FG%
Heat	17th	27th	18th
Pacers	1st	5th	4th
Spurs	6th	1st	9th
OKC	2nd	28th	14th

2014 Playoffs conference finals teams - Playoffs

Team	Paint FG%	Opp 3PA	Opp 3FG%
Heat	6th	9th	15th
Pacers	14th	14th	7th
Spurs	5th	7th	5th
OKC	3rd	5th	5th

Huh, pretty well a scatter plot

I'll keep digging but the data so far says

For the regular season correlating to playoff success: "if you have Lebron or Durant, you can do anything you want, otherwise you need to be in the top 10 in the league at defending the three point line in attempts and % as well as the paint"

To win it all: "top 5 across the board"

Need more data to look at it but I don't think simplifying things to three basic stats paints enough of the picture as the article suggests...though it may not be a bad start

[OldSkoolCool]

http://www1.vantagesports.com/Articl...stXiMAADoSue4m

INTERPRETING THE DIMENSIONS OF KEEP-IN-FRONT%

Interesting how we are average at screen KIF%, and the best in the league at help side KIF%...our ICE coverage seems to be effective and our help appear to be very good at containing penetration to the rim (even if the shot is made over them)

But our man to man and closeout KIF%'s both suck...the full quote

The Raptors, for instance, hold the 26th lowest Closeout KIF% at 18.3 percent as well as the 29th in Man-to-Man KIF% at 47.7 percent but make up for it with the league’s highest Help KIF%. With an above-average defense (0.98 Points Against per Shot, 12th lowest this season), it makes a lot of sense that the Raptors closeout more aggressively (lowering their chances of a KIF) and are more willing to let the help defense stop opposing players. The result is Jonas Valanciunas and Bismack Biyombo ranking 1st and 2nd in Helps per 100 Chances this season and the Raptors ranking 6th in Effective Help Rate at 53.7 percent.

Defenses with similar low marks in Closeout KIF% and Man-to-Man KIF% like the Rockets struggle with a Help KIF% that is five percentage points lower than the Raptors. While Houston is still in the top ten in Help KIF%, their ability to stop opponents has been spectacularly bad across the board, which is reflected in their league-low overall KIF% of 53.8 percent

Two systems where they run people off the line by aggressively closing out...the one with elite help side defense is propping up the defensive rating while the other is getting murdered.

I think it is time to start really giving props to the two headed defensive beast that JV and Biyombo has become.

[KHD]

Interesting how we are average at screen KIF%, and the best in the league at help side KIF%...our ICE coverage seems to be effective and our help appear to be very good at containing penetration to the rim (even if the shot is made over them)

But our man to man and closeout KIF%'s both suck...the full quote



Two systems where they run people off the line by aggressively closing out...the one with elite help side defense is propping up the defensive rating while the other is getting murdered.

I think it is time to start really giving props to the two headed defensive beast that JV and Biyombo has become.

I don't know if being #1 and #2 in helps / chance is a good thing. I guess so?

One thing i've noticed is JV's help defence has been better this year... he's able to force a floater or jumper without abandoning his mark entirely. It's like the good kind of no-man's land.

Biyombo doesn't have the size to do it, and it has burned us on occasion. But in certain matchups he'll excel too.

anyway, i'm not sure that aggressive closeouts are sufficient to explain why we don't keep guys in front. It's only part of that story.

[OldSkoolCool]

Im giving JV and Biz props for handling the most opportunities at the top KIF% rate in the league while also keeping us at 6th in Opp FG%

That deserves credit

[ogi]

Last 10 games we hold the 6th best in drtg and 6th best ortg

[S.R.]

Last 10 games we hold the 6th best in drtg and 6th best ortg

That's the best news of the day. Hold top 10 at both ends and I'll feel a lot better about the playoffs.