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  • Defense Predictions

    You know, as much as we've put down the Raptors defense over the few past years we Raptors fans are pretty guilty ourselves of being predominately offense minded as well. One browse through the board and you will note that many more threads have an offense focus than a defense focus and for example, even when looking at player predictions we see first and foremost offensive stats. Maybe it's the culture of the fans league wide now or maybe we Raptors fans have been conditioned to value offense far more than defense due to the fact that most wins over the past eight years have come by way of outscoring the opponent as opposed to out defending the opponent. This thread is all about defense. Please answer the poll above and please share your list of who you feel will be the top three defenders on the club this season. Also by all means share anything else you want to get into in terms of defense. Don't like Andrea's help defense? Then let's hear it. Worried about Amir getting into foul trouble due to his sometimes lack of control? Lay it on me. Defense, defense, defense.
    21
    Andrea Bargnani
    14.29%
    3
    Julian Wright
    14.29%
    3
    Ed Davis
    23.81%
    5
    Jarrett Jack
    0.00%
    0
    Amir Johnson
    19.05%
    4
    Linas Kleiza
    0.00%
    0
    DeMar DeRozan
    4.76%
    1
    Sonny Weems
    19.05%
    4
    Leandro Barbosa
    4.76%
    1
    Other
    0.00%
    0

    The poll is expired.


  • #2
    How are you determining defensive effectiveness?

    Are you using any quantifiable data or just observation in the eyes of the viewer? Or maybe some other method such as coaches polls etc?

    Thanks
    Avatar: Riverboat Coffee House 134 Yorkville Ave. billboard of upcoming entertainers - Circa 1960s

    Memories some so sweet, indeed

    Larger Photo of the avatar



    “As a captain, I played furiously. I drew a lot of fouls, but I brought everything I had to every practice and to every game. I left everything on the court because I simply wanted the team to win”
    Quote from well known personality who led their high school team to a state championship.

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    • #3
      Only 3 votes so far, but I can't understand how anyone would expect Ed Davis to be a good defender next year. NBA defense is about positioning, timing and anticipation, and all three of those are functions of familiarity with the schemes you're running and where your teammates are going to be; you simply can't expect a rookie surrounded by poor to average help to be a good defender in his first season unless he's got Dwight Howard-esque physical tools. Davis is going to be tossed around down low and he's going to be out of position the majority of the year. He may very well develop into a good to excellent defender, but it's going to require a few years of bulking up and on-the-job learning before it happens. Sorry to burst any bubbles.

      At this point I feel like I'd be beating a dead horse talking about the Raptors' defense. They just don't have the players required to be a good defensive team. They have some players with the potential to be good defenders but until they employ a point guard and a center that can both play at least average defense, the team will be constantly exposed and forever rotating, a step or more behind the ball.

      I know a lot of people think the team will surprise and run it's way to a decent record, but I disagree. It's hard to run when you're forever inbounding the ball after makes and can't dominate the defensive boards after misses.

      Comment


      • #4
        Best Perimeter Defender = Sonny Weems
        Post Defender = Amir Johnson, Solomon Alabi (If he gets a chance to play)

        Andrea Bargnani can defend big men one on one probably the most effective however has no clue how to rotate/help.

        Jarrett Jack is a solid defender but gets beaten easily by the top PGs which forces big men to rotate. If Barbosa wanted to play defense he can keep up with these PGs so it's gonna be very interesting next season. Very excited this year. More running, no more offense going through RuPaul.

        So to answer the question, the Raps top three defenders in my opinion

        Sonny Weems
        Amir Johnson
        Jarrett Jack

        Comment


        • #5
          Lark Benson wrote: View Post
          Only 3 votes so far, but I can't understand how anyone would expect Ed Davis to be a good defender next year. NBA defense is about positioning, timing and anticipation, and all three of those are functions of familiarity with the schemes you're running and where your teammates are going to be; you simply can't expect a rookie surrounded by poor to average help to be a good defender in his first season unless he's got Dwight Howard-esque physical tools. Davis is going to be tossed around down low and he's going to be out of position the majority of the year. He may very well develop into a good to excellent defender, but it's going to require a few years of bulking up and on-the-job learning before it happens. Sorry to burst any bubbles.

          At this point I feel like I'd be beating a dead horse talking about the Raptors' defense. They just don't have the players required to be a good defensive team. They have some players with the potential to be good defenders but until they employ a point guard and a center that can both play at least average defense, the team will be constantly exposed and forever rotating, a step or more behind the ball.

          I know a lot of people think the team will surprise and run it's way to a decent record, but I disagree. It's hard to run when you're forever inbounding the ball after makes and can't dominate the defensive boards after misses.
          1. I agree with the general thrust of your post
          2. I do think that it is possible that the Raptors defense could be better in 10-11 than it was in 09-10, but will most likely still be in the bottom half in points allowed per game.
          3. You don't need to dominate the defensive backboard to run That is a big fallacy. If you force your opponent into a lower shooting percentage then even though you may not dominate the defensive boards there will be more defensive rebounds than if your opponent shoots a lot better against you. Also, you can run more if you generate more turnovers that stay in bounds. Of course it helps to be a great defensive rebounding team to run but it is not necessary.
          Avatar: Riverboat Coffee House 134 Yorkville Ave. billboard of upcoming entertainers - Circa 1960s

          Memories some so sweet, indeed

          Larger Photo of the avatar



          “As a captain, I played furiously. I drew a lot of fouls, but I brought everything I had to every practice and to every game. I left everything on the court because I simply wanted the team to win”
          Quote from well known personality who led their high school team to a state championship.

          Comment


          • #6
            JalenRose5 wrote: View Post
            Best Perimeter Defender = Sonny Weems
            Post Defender = Amir Johnson, Solomon Alabi (If he gets a chance to play)

            Andrea Bargnani can defend big men one on one probably the most effective however has no clue how to rotate/help.

            Jarrett Jack is a solid defender but gets beaten easily by the top PGs which forces big men to rotate. If Barbosa wanted to play defense he can keep up with these PGs so it's gonna be very interesting next season. Very excited this year. More running, no more offense going through RuPaul.

            So to answer the question, the Raps top three defenders in my opinion

            Sonny Weems
            Amir Johnson
            Jarrett Jack
            Barbosa is a better perimeter defender I think

            Comment


            • #7
              I voted Davis. Watching his Tar Heel days makes me think that Easy E wont be "easy" to get buy.
              What if... Blazers had drafted both Drexler, Jordan?

              From 1992 Beginner's Guide to the NBA Finals, The Oregonian's special section. Published 6/3/1992.

              Michael Jordan was the #3 pick in the 1984 draft, after Portland selected Sam Bowie second.

              Comment


              • #8
                I voted for Julian Wright although I wonder if he will get enough playing time to really make an impact. Overall though, I don't think the Raptors are going to be much better defensively than last year if at all.

                JoePanini wrote: View Post
                Barbosa is a better perimeter defender I think
                Although Barbosa has averaged a steal over the course of his career and is very quick, he isn't that great at defending. He gambles on defense and has trouble keeping players in front of him. Although I'm not big on stats determining the value of a player, he has a DRtg and DWS identical to what Bargnani posted last year.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Buddahfan wrote: View Post
                  How are you determining defensive effectiveness?

                  Are you using any quantifiable data or just observation in the eyes of the viewer? Or maybe some other method such as coaches polls etc?

                  Thanks
                  Anything goes.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Lark Benson wrote: View Post
                    Only 3 votes so far, but I can't understand how anyone would expect Ed Davis to be a good defender next year. NBA defense is about positioning, timing and anticipation, and all three of those are functions of familiarity with the schemes you're running and where your teammates are going to be; you simply can't expect a rookie surrounded by poor to average help to be a good defender in his first season unless he's got Dwight Howard-esque physical tools. Davis is going to be tossed around down low and he's going to be out of position the majority of the year. He may very well develop into a good to excellent defender, but it's going to require a few years of bulking up and on-the-job learning before it happens. Sorry to burst any bubbles.

                    At this point I feel like I'd be beating a dead horse talking about the Raptors' defense. They just don't have the players required to be a good defensive team. They have some players with the potential to be good defenders but until they employ a point guard and a center that can both play at least average defense, the team will be constantly exposed and forever rotating, a step or more behind the ball.

                    I know a lot of people think the team will surprise and run it's way to a decent record, but I disagree. It's hard to run when you're forever inbounding the ball after makes and can't dominate the defensive boards after misses.
                    While I certainly didn't pick Ed Davis, and agree his lack of bulk means he's going to get pushed around a lot for his first couple of seasons, I completely disagree with your assumption he's going to be a poor team defender at first. He'll no doubt struggle at first, but team defense is about instincts. You need to be able to anticipate where you need to be without thinking about it, and while Davis is a rookie, he's got better defensive instincts than a lot of veterans. A good, smart defensive player can be plugged in anywhere and be able to succeed. Davis will need time to adjust to the speed of the NBA, but I think he'll be one of the better Raptor defenders fairly quickly.
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