Whose Defense is Better?

[NameOfTheGame]

Well, after this game, I guess it's pretty easy to criticize our D.

I'm not just speaking of right now, at this point in the season, who's playing better defense.

It's fairly clear to me that Boston is playing better defense...but if we're trying to implement, more or less, their defensive scheme/design, as many here have pointed out, do we just not have the personnel to run it right?

Whose defense is better? Is it just our guys not playing hard enough on D for this game? Or is it just that they simply have a better designed defensive framework? This is a serious question...

Even if Pop is going crazy about how his players aren't playing D or whatever...is it the scheme? is it the players' effort? is it the personnel? what do any of you think it is?

[Spurs Brazil]

Boston D is much better than us.

Yesterday and today were terrible. We were always a step late

[Warlord23]

Is this a serious question. We let a Boston team minus KG and Perkins shoot 61%. And they did it by shooting jumper after wide open jumper against our confused "defense"

[NameOfTheGame]

i didn't make it clear enough but i was asking more about our defensive scheme/design vs. boston specifically (but generally speaking as well)

i guess this question is for those who are actually somewhat familiar with what we're running on D and some idea of whether it's poor implementation or execution or what

[cd98]

I'm not sure the Spurs have the personnel to be a top 5 defense. If we can't get a top 8 and keep our offense, we are in trouble.

[SouthTexasRancher]

i didn't make it clear enough but i was asking more about our defensive scheme/design vs. boston specifically (but generally speaking as well)

i guess this question is for those who are actually somewhat familiar with what we're running on D and some idea of whether it's poor implementation or execution or what


Take your time and think it over. Then get back to us next year when you can convert your train of thoughts and trains of thought into something less than a novel titled 'War & Peace'. TIA...!

[NameOfTheGame]

Take your time and think it over. Then get back to us next year when you can convert your train of thoughts and trains of thought into something less than a novel titled 'War & Peace'. TIA...!

"War and Peace" analogy for like...6 lines? (Okay, 9 lines.) Oh well...I'm just asking a question

[frodo]

boston has the best defensive coach that's why they play better d than most other teams.

[SouthTexasRancher]

"War and Peace" analogy for like...6 lines? (Okay, 9 lines.) Oh well...I'm just asking a question


No problem....you left yourself open there and I was just having some fun. Nothing personal.

What I will say about our defense against anyone right now. I trust Pop to put in the various schemes he deems best for the players on our roster in any given year. Presently there are several players who are behind where us fans would like. I feel good about Pop & crew bringing us around come playoff time. We also could use some help in the paint. We stink at the present time. Blair needs 3-4 more inches. McD needs to be 5 years younger. TD needs to be 3 years younger and Tiago needs playing time. Bonner is a 6'10" shooting guard who doesn't play in the paint. :toast

[spurtech09]

why in serious trouble?its not the end of the world...damn spurs fans take everything too serious

[NameOfTheGame]

No problem....you left yourself open there and I was just having some fun. Nothing personal.

What I will say about our defense against anyone right now. I trust Pop to put in the various schemes he deems best for the players on our roster in any given year. Presently there are several players who are behind where us fans would like. I feel good about Pop & crew bringing us around come playoff time. We also could use some help in the paint. We stink at the present time. Blair needs 3-4 more inches. McD needs to be 5 years younger. TD needs to be 3 years younger and Tiago needs playing time. Bonner is a 6'10" shooting guard who doesn't play in the paint. :toast

Ah...you're going with the ill-fitting personnel route.

I don't know...I like to think we have okay personnel, and it's more of a fault with the "system." Pop's gonna have to tweak it a lot more. Because the players, aside from the last two games, seem to be putting forth effort. Maybe not maximum effort...but good enough for it being the first half of the reg. season.

[duncan228]

Spurs’ defense comes up lacking against Celtics (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/01/05/spurs%e2%80%99-defense-comes-up-lacking-against-celtics/)
Jeff McDonald

...“Defensively, we were bad on both nights,” Duncan said.

...“It seems like there are portions of the game we’ll have one guy, sometimes two, who are unknowing in how they should react,” Popovich said. “It’s a perseverance thing. We’ll stick with it and try to get better.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/01/05/spurs%e2%80%99-defense-comes-up-lacking-against-celtics/

[in2deep]

:lmao what?

Boston has the #1 D in the league

Spurs are barely in the middle of the pack

[Sense]

The Spurs have no defense... and by the way they looked both nights, that's not good..

If this keeps up, even with more regular season wins... we'll be lucky to make it to the get past the Semi's.

[portnoy1]

i didn't make it clear enough but i was asking more about our defensive scheme/design vs. boston specifically (but generally speaking as well)

i guess this question is for those who are actually somewhat familiar with what we're running on D and some idea of whether it's poor implementation or execution or what
I think its personnel frankly. I think at times Pop is trying to combine havin a solid defense and solid offense at the same time. 3-4 years ago you had the big 3 an Horry/Bowen. With that group you had Horry a floor spacing big/mobile shotblocking big and Bowen a 3pt shooting/perimeter defender. That gave the Spurs a versatile defense and a open offense.

Now you have the big 3 and then defensively you have a Mcdyess/Hill but then on offense you have a Bonner and Neal. Thats why Pop ends up going with either Bonner or RJ at the 4 spot; to get a floor spacer and height (Bonner) or a floor spacer and defensive mobility (RJ). Honestly, Andrea Bargnani from Toronto would be a good fit for what Pop is trying to accomplish on both sides of the ball.

Bargnani like Bonner can shoot the 3 at a high percentage for a big guy. However unlike Bonner he has an awesome first step when he drives to the rim, especially after a pump fake. Defensively he averages a block
and a half a game. And has quick lateral movement and super long arms to defend the face up bigs. The one major downside about him is rebounding, he is better than Bonner but IMO still not good enough for his size.

But if Pop can play Bonner an average 22minutes a game (most minutes for a big next duncans 29mpg) then surely I would think he could find time for a younger, quicker player like Il Mago.

[Agloco]

The Spurs have no defense... and by the way they looked both nights, that's not good..

If this keeps up, even with more regular season wins... we'll be lucky to make it to the get past the Semi's.

Or, if you prefer to look at the glass as being half full:

The Spurs still had a chance to win both games despite that horrible D. I'm thinking that both games were outliers tbh (for all three teams).

[41times]

This is what should be concerning for Spurs fans. Their defense is average now.

All those Championships were won because you could lock down on teams/people when you needed to.

Now the Spurs score 106 a game instead of 96 and they give up 100 instead of 92.

In a strange reversal the Mavs now give up only 93 ppg instead of 98.

If you believe that Defense wins Championships (some do some don't) Then Pop better figure out some magic scheme by the end of the season.

[TampaDude]

this is what should be concerning for spurs fans. Their defense is average now.

All those championships were won because you could lock down on teams/people when you needed to.

Now the spurs score 106 a game instead of 96 and they give up 100 instead of 92.

In a strange reversal the mavs now give up only 93 ppg instead of 98.

If you believe that defense wins championships (some do some don't) then pop better figure out some magic scheme by the end of the season.

^ truth

[DMC]

League > Spurs on D

[ohmwrecker]

The rotation D of the Spurs bigs must improve. That is the most glaring issue to me. It starts with Duncan.

[DMC]

The zone needs to go. You don't start the zone midway through the season. It's likely because the man to man is suffering, but zone is horrific.

[wunderkindepiphany]

specify which two teams you're talking about. I'm guessing Spurs and Celtics. If so, the Celtics defense is currently more consistent.