Kori Ellis
06-12-2005, 01:48 AM
It's all about the 'D'
Finalists defy league's desire for more offense
Web Posted: 06/12/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA061205.1S.BKNspurs.pistons.adv2.305a88cb9.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Devin Brown's NBA career began with a pat on the back from Gregg Popovich and two simple words of instruction: Enjoy yourself. Five minutes later after Philadelphia's Eric Snow back-doored him for a layup, Brown received some additional advice from his new coach.
If you want to play, you have to play some defense! You're not in college anymore!
A 23-year-old rookie who had grown up in San Antonio dreaming of someday suiting up for the Spurs, Brown nodded politely. A week later, after Houston's Cuttino Mobley hit three 3-pointers over Brown in the fourth quarter of another exhibition game, Popovich called timeout and again yanked him from the floor.
The message, this time, was more succinct.
"If you don't play defense," Popovich said matter-of-factly, "I'm going to cut your ass."
More than two years later, heeding Popovich's orders has allowed Brown and his teammates to preserve not only their rears, but also their championship hopes. After proving they could outscore the league's most prolific offensive team in the Western Conference finals, the Spurs once again are using the NBA Finals to show off their defense.
The Spurs won Thursday's opener by limiting Detroit to 69 points, the fourth fewest in a Finals game. It's a trend the Spurs would like to see continue when the series resumes tonight at the SBC Center.
Not only have they never allowed 90 points in three trips to the Finals, the Spurs have held their opponents to fewer than 80 in seven of those 12 games.
"Everything," Tony Parker said, "starts with defense."
That's probably not good news for NBA commissioner David Stern. The league has spent the past few years tweaking its rules to increase scoring and improve shooting percentages only to get a championship series that features the two top-ranked defensive teams locked in a halfcourt struggle.
Thursday's most dominant player through the first three quarters,
Pistons coach Larry Brown said, was Bruce Bowen, who didn't score a single point. What Bowen did do was harass Detroit's starting shooting guard, Richard Hamilton, into missing 14 shots.
"You know, their coaches, I think, emphasize the importance of stopping people," Larry Brown said. "I think that's a priority with Pop, and the players have bought into that."
The players also have no choice. Popovich won't compromise his defense-is-what-we-do mantra for anyone. Danny Ferry, whose lack of athleticism made him a poor on-the-ball defender, succeeded in the Spurs' help-oriented system.
Even Glenn Robinson has worked to shed his reputation as a player who shoots first and guards never. He blocked three shots in six minutes Thursday and gave Denver forward Carmelo Anthony occasional trouble in the first round.
"There are rules we adhere to on the defensive end of the court," Brent Barry said, "that are just as strict or just as rigid or planned out as what we'll execute on offense."
Nazr Mohammed, aware of Popovich's reputation, wasn't surprised by what he found after the Spurs acquired him from New York midway through the season.
"When you have the No. 1 defensive team in the league, you expect everything to be about defense and it was," Mohammed said. "Every time we watched film, we watched defensive edits. We hardly watched offense.
"That helped me because it was a lot of what I went through my first couple years in the league."
Mohammed's coach those first two seasons? Larry Brown.
Popovich's mentor, not surprisingly, stresses the same values as his protégé. Detroit has allowed an average of 85.8 points in the postseason, the fewest of the league's 16 playoff teams. The Pistons finished second to the Spurs in scoring defense during the regular season.
"I've never heard so much defense terminology in my life," said Pistons forward Antonio McDyess, who signed with the team last summer. "When I first came here, that's all (Brown) kept saying: Defense, defense. If you're not defensive-minded when you first come into a situation and you keep hearing it and keep hearing it, you (take) that mentality."
The league, hoping to provide a more aesthetically pleasing product, has tried to take a more offensive approach. Referees were told this season to pay closer attention to contact made by perimeter defenders such as Bowen. Partially as a result, scoring increased almost four points per game.
Beauty, though, according to the Spurs, is in the eye of the beholder.
"I think when it comes down to it, when you see two good teams with talented players on the court, defense is just as fun as offense," Mohammed said. "Of course, you want to see guys flying through the air dunking. Seeing a guy like Ben Wallace or Rasheed (Wallace) jump up and block a shot gives me the same feeling if I were a fan."
To get to the Finals, the Spurs beat Denver, Seattle and Phoenix, all transition-oriented teams ranked in the top 11 in scoring. They even played much of the conference finals at the Suns' frenetic pace, scoring at least 55 points in the first half of three of the series' five games. On Thursday, the Spurs were stuck on 55 at the end of the third quarter.
"I think it makes this team a lot different from years past," Tim Duncan said. "We can adapt to a lot of different situations, although we are most comfortable in this situation where we have a little more control."
That said, the Spurs will continue to try to push the ball as much as possible. Unlike their first three series, however, they are facing a team just as committed to getting back on defense.
Near the end of Saturday's media session, a reporter from France's Canal+ TV network asked Bowen to sell his viewers on why they should watch the Finals. Bowen leaned into the microphone, stared into the camera and delivered his spiel.
"If you understand the game of basketball, this is what it's all about it," he said. "Both coaches, both staffs, both teams understand that defense wins championships. Offense may win some games for you. But defense wins championships."
Finalists defy league's desire for more offense
Web Posted: 06/12/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA061205.1S.BKNspurs.pistons.adv2.305a88cb9.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
Devin Brown's NBA career began with a pat on the back from Gregg Popovich and two simple words of instruction: Enjoy yourself. Five minutes later after Philadelphia's Eric Snow back-doored him for a layup, Brown received some additional advice from his new coach.
If you want to play, you have to play some defense! You're not in college anymore!
A 23-year-old rookie who had grown up in San Antonio dreaming of someday suiting up for the Spurs, Brown nodded politely. A week later, after Houston's Cuttino Mobley hit three 3-pointers over Brown in the fourth quarter of another exhibition game, Popovich called timeout and again yanked him from the floor.
The message, this time, was more succinct.
"If you don't play defense," Popovich said matter-of-factly, "I'm going to cut your ass."
More than two years later, heeding Popovich's orders has allowed Brown and his teammates to preserve not only their rears, but also their championship hopes. After proving they could outscore the league's most prolific offensive team in the Western Conference finals, the Spurs once again are using the NBA Finals to show off their defense.
The Spurs won Thursday's opener by limiting Detroit to 69 points, the fourth fewest in a Finals game. It's a trend the Spurs would like to see continue when the series resumes tonight at the SBC Center.
Not only have they never allowed 90 points in three trips to the Finals, the Spurs have held their opponents to fewer than 80 in seven of those 12 games.
"Everything," Tony Parker said, "starts with defense."
That's probably not good news for NBA commissioner David Stern. The league has spent the past few years tweaking its rules to increase scoring and improve shooting percentages only to get a championship series that features the two top-ranked defensive teams locked in a halfcourt struggle.
Thursday's most dominant player through the first three quarters,
Pistons coach Larry Brown said, was Bruce Bowen, who didn't score a single point. What Bowen did do was harass Detroit's starting shooting guard, Richard Hamilton, into missing 14 shots.
"You know, their coaches, I think, emphasize the importance of stopping people," Larry Brown said. "I think that's a priority with Pop, and the players have bought into that."
The players also have no choice. Popovich won't compromise his defense-is-what-we-do mantra for anyone. Danny Ferry, whose lack of athleticism made him a poor on-the-ball defender, succeeded in the Spurs' help-oriented system.
Even Glenn Robinson has worked to shed his reputation as a player who shoots first and guards never. He blocked three shots in six minutes Thursday and gave Denver forward Carmelo Anthony occasional trouble in the first round.
"There are rules we adhere to on the defensive end of the court," Brent Barry said, "that are just as strict or just as rigid or planned out as what we'll execute on offense."
Nazr Mohammed, aware of Popovich's reputation, wasn't surprised by what he found after the Spurs acquired him from New York midway through the season.
"When you have the No. 1 defensive team in the league, you expect everything to be about defense and it was," Mohammed said. "Every time we watched film, we watched defensive edits. We hardly watched offense.
"That helped me because it was a lot of what I went through my first couple years in the league."
Mohammed's coach those first two seasons? Larry Brown.
Popovich's mentor, not surprisingly, stresses the same values as his protégé. Detroit has allowed an average of 85.8 points in the postseason, the fewest of the league's 16 playoff teams. The Pistons finished second to the Spurs in scoring defense during the regular season.
"I've never heard so much defense terminology in my life," said Pistons forward Antonio McDyess, who signed with the team last summer. "When I first came here, that's all (Brown) kept saying: Defense, defense. If you're not defensive-minded when you first come into a situation and you keep hearing it and keep hearing it, you (take) that mentality."
The league, hoping to provide a more aesthetically pleasing product, has tried to take a more offensive approach. Referees were told this season to pay closer attention to contact made by perimeter defenders such as Bowen. Partially as a result, scoring increased almost four points per game.
Beauty, though, according to the Spurs, is in the eye of the beholder.
"I think when it comes down to it, when you see two good teams with talented players on the court, defense is just as fun as offense," Mohammed said. "Of course, you want to see guys flying through the air dunking. Seeing a guy like Ben Wallace or Rasheed (Wallace) jump up and block a shot gives me the same feeling if I were a fan."
To get to the Finals, the Spurs beat Denver, Seattle and Phoenix, all transition-oriented teams ranked in the top 11 in scoring. They even played much of the conference finals at the Suns' frenetic pace, scoring at least 55 points in the first half of three of the series' five games. On Thursday, the Spurs were stuck on 55 at the end of the third quarter.
"I think it makes this team a lot different from years past," Tim Duncan said. "We can adapt to a lot of different situations, although we are most comfortable in this situation where we have a little more control."
That said, the Spurs will continue to try to push the ball as much as possible. Unlike their first three series, however, they are facing a team just as committed to getting back on defense.
Near the end of Saturday's media session, a reporter from France's Canal+ TV network asked Bowen to sell his viewers on why they should watch the Finals. Bowen leaned into the microphone, stared into the camera and delivered his spiel.
"If you understand the game of basketball, this is what it's all about it," he said. "Both coaches, both staffs, both teams understand that defense wins championships. Offense may win some games for you. But defense wins championships."