Kori Ellis
10-13-2004, 02:20 PM
Pistons', Spurs' defenses still great
Teams allowed 84.3 points per game last season
By Sean Deveney
Updated: 2:52 p.m. ET Oct. 13, 2004
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6239540/
At first blush, it might look like Pistons coach Larry Brown and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich are running much the same stuff on defense. They're both lifelong coaches, they have worked together -- including this summer when Popovich was an assistant to Brown on the U.S. Olympic team -- and both point to North Carolina guru Dean Smith as the inspiration for their teams' styles of play. No wonder the Pistons and the Spurs were the two most dominating defenses in the league last season, each team allowing just 84.3 points per game.
That should not change much this season. Expect the Spurs and Pistons, once again, to be Nos. 1 and 2 in defense -- and because they are the best defensive teams, we expect them to meet in June for the NBA championship.
Much of the Spurs' success comes from the consistency the team has developed under Popovich's direction, despite a roster that fluctuates from year to year. But the Spurs return the same starting lineup this year and should avoid the early-season slump they have fallen into in the past. Similarly, it took the Pistons a while last season to adjust to Brown's system, and the midseason addition of Rasheed Wallace forced another adjustment. After winning the NBA title and having a full training camp together, this year's Pistons should be well-versed in Brown's ways.
Though Brown and Popovich share defensive roots -- and though the results are almost identical -- their defensive schemes don't have much in common. Brown tries to push the offense into doing things it does not want to do by using ball pressure; Popovich tries to chew the 24-second clock by forcing the ball to the baseline. A close look at the assignments of the players on the floor shows that the defenses of these two close friends -- and probable NBA Finalists -- are quite different.
SPURS DEFENSE
Guards:
Spurs guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have a straightforward assignment -- do not allow penetration into the middle. Popovich has been known to yank a guard from the game immediately after the guard allows a player into the paint. Spurs guards are taught that, to keep an opponent from the middle, they should always shade a half-step in that direction. That encourages opponents to drive away from the middle.
Small forward: Bruce Bowen might be the best chaser in the league. He grabs, fights through screens and is not afraid to be physical. He is a perfect fit for the Spurs because one of the tenets of Popovich's defense is never to allow corner 3-pointers -- thanks to Bowen's tenacity, the Spurs rarely do. For most teams, it is the job of the defender in the corner to step toward the middle and interrupt penetration. But the Spurs are so ardent about preventing corner 3s that Bowen is assigned to remain in the corner, with the big men rotating to stop players driving to the basket.
Power forward, center: When the Spurs' defense is working, the power forward and center rack up blocked shots. The guards keep the ball out of the paint, forcing penetration to the baseline, where offensive players are trapped and vulnerable to having their shots blocked. Nesterovic averaged a career-high 2.0 blocks last season despite being slow-footed on help defense. Pick-and-rolls present a problem for the Spurs, though, because Ginobili and Parker are not strong enough to fight through screens and Tim Duncan and Nesterovic are not nimble enough to jump out to the ball and get back to their positions.
PISTONS DEFENSE
Guards:
The goal of the Pistons' backcourt is to play as tight on the ball as possible, forcing the ballhandlers to pass -- this disrupts the offense, gets the ball to less sure-handed players and, ideally, causes turnovers. Because they play tight on the perimeter, the Pistons are suffocating on 3-pointers but tend to give up more penetration. Still, Chauncey Billups is 6-3 and strong at the point, and Richard Hamilton is 6-7 at shooting guard; both defend pick-and-rolls well.
Small forward: Tayshaun Prince is a good fit for Brown's system because he has a tremendous wingspan. When the guards pressure the ball and force quick passes, the Pistons try to read the passing lanes and get deflections -- Prince's long arms help with that. He can cheat into passing lanes but still has the length and agility to bounce back to his man and put a hand in his face. Prince is very difficult to shoot over, as Kobe Bryant will attest.
Power forward, center: The tight play of the Pistons' guards puts pressure on the team's big men, but Detroit is fortunate to have two of the best help defenders in the league roaming the paint -- Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace. Rasheed averaged 2.0 blocks after he joined the Pistons last season, and Ben averaged 3.0 for the year. Teams can penetrate against Hamilton and Billups, but then they must deal with the Wallaces. The Wallaces also are very good at defending pick-and-rolls because each is athletic enough to flash onto the ballhandler and recover to guard his man.
Teams allowed 84.3 points per game last season
By Sean Deveney
Updated: 2:52 p.m. ET Oct. 13, 2004
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6239540/
At first blush, it might look like Pistons coach Larry Brown and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich are running much the same stuff on defense. They're both lifelong coaches, they have worked together -- including this summer when Popovich was an assistant to Brown on the U.S. Olympic team -- and both point to North Carolina guru Dean Smith as the inspiration for their teams' styles of play. No wonder the Pistons and the Spurs were the two most dominating defenses in the league last season, each team allowing just 84.3 points per game.
That should not change much this season. Expect the Spurs and Pistons, once again, to be Nos. 1 and 2 in defense -- and because they are the best defensive teams, we expect them to meet in June for the NBA championship.
Much of the Spurs' success comes from the consistency the team has developed under Popovich's direction, despite a roster that fluctuates from year to year. But the Spurs return the same starting lineup this year and should avoid the early-season slump they have fallen into in the past. Similarly, it took the Pistons a while last season to adjust to Brown's system, and the midseason addition of Rasheed Wallace forced another adjustment. After winning the NBA title and having a full training camp together, this year's Pistons should be well-versed in Brown's ways.
Though Brown and Popovich share defensive roots -- and though the results are almost identical -- their defensive schemes don't have much in common. Brown tries to push the offense into doing things it does not want to do by using ball pressure; Popovich tries to chew the 24-second clock by forcing the ball to the baseline. A close look at the assignments of the players on the floor shows that the defenses of these two close friends -- and probable NBA Finalists -- are quite different.
SPURS DEFENSE
Guards:
Spurs guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have a straightforward assignment -- do not allow penetration into the middle. Popovich has been known to yank a guard from the game immediately after the guard allows a player into the paint. Spurs guards are taught that, to keep an opponent from the middle, they should always shade a half-step in that direction. That encourages opponents to drive away from the middle.
Small forward: Bruce Bowen might be the best chaser in the league. He grabs, fights through screens and is not afraid to be physical. He is a perfect fit for the Spurs because one of the tenets of Popovich's defense is never to allow corner 3-pointers -- thanks to Bowen's tenacity, the Spurs rarely do. For most teams, it is the job of the defender in the corner to step toward the middle and interrupt penetration. But the Spurs are so ardent about preventing corner 3s that Bowen is assigned to remain in the corner, with the big men rotating to stop players driving to the basket.
Power forward, center: When the Spurs' defense is working, the power forward and center rack up blocked shots. The guards keep the ball out of the paint, forcing penetration to the baseline, where offensive players are trapped and vulnerable to having their shots blocked. Nesterovic averaged a career-high 2.0 blocks last season despite being slow-footed on help defense. Pick-and-rolls present a problem for the Spurs, though, because Ginobili and Parker are not strong enough to fight through screens and Tim Duncan and Nesterovic are not nimble enough to jump out to the ball and get back to their positions.
PISTONS DEFENSE
Guards:
The goal of the Pistons' backcourt is to play as tight on the ball as possible, forcing the ballhandlers to pass -- this disrupts the offense, gets the ball to less sure-handed players and, ideally, causes turnovers. Because they play tight on the perimeter, the Pistons are suffocating on 3-pointers but tend to give up more penetration. Still, Chauncey Billups is 6-3 and strong at the point, and Richard Hamilton is 6-7 at shooting guard; both defend pick-and-rolls well.
Small forward: Tayshaun Prince is a good fit for Brown's system because he has a tremendous wingspan. When the guards pressure the ball and force quick passes, the Pistons try to read the passing lanes and get deflections -- Prince's long arms help with that. He can cheat into passing lanes but still has the length and agility to bounce back to his man and put a hand in his face. Prince is very difficult to shoot over, as Kobe Bryant will attest.
Power forward, center: The tight play of the Pistons' guards puts pressure on the team's big men, but Detroit is fortunate to have two of the best help defenders in the league roaming the paint -- Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace. Rasheed averaged 2.0 blocks after he joined the Pistons last season, and Ben averaged 3.0 for the year. Teams can penetrate against Hamilton and Billups, but then they must deal with the Wallaces. The Wallaces also are very good at defending pick-and-rolls because each is athletic enough to flash onto the ballhandler and recover to guard his man.