Bill Schoening: Bruce, The Ultimate Stopper!

[Spurs Brazil]

http://www.nba.com/spurs/timeout/20secondto.html
Bruce, The Ultimate Stopper!
by Bill Schoening | March 31, 2008


He doesn't score 25 points a night.

He won't dazzle you with behind the back passes or electrifying slam dunks.

Even though he's one of the best defensive players in the league, he doesn't swat a lot of shots into the seats.

What Bruce Bowen does is much more understated, but his contributions are are an important ingredient in the Spurs' success. Bruce accepts his assignment and handles it with a grim determination. It's often the most difficult job in the arena on a given night...that is to slow down the likes of Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Tracy McGrady or Kobe Bryant.

Bowen understands his role, and he relishes in it. He knows he won't be able to always stop the top scorers in the league, but he can make life difficult for them. With his constant pestering and harrassing style, Bowen sometimes gets under the skin (and into the head) of his foes.

McGrady had a shadow Sunday afternoon at the AT&T Center...a shadow that followed him everywhere and forced him into a 5-for-22 game that was among the main factors in a Spurs victory. It's the type of defensive performance that should earn Bowen serious consideration for defensive player of the year honors in the NBA.

[Brutalis]

What's with all this 'Bowen shut down TMac' crap?

I watched the game. He got burned 309490385 times and put on a poster twice.

I know BB is great and stuff but why reference the Rockets game..

[DAF86]

What's with all this 'Bowen shut down TMac' crap?

I watched the game. He got burned 309490385 times and put on a poster twice.

I know BB is great and stuff but why reference the Rockets game..

Mcgrady had two big dunks but shot 5/22 from the field and i think that bruce had something to do with it

[FromWayDowntown]

Bruce can only be considered a great defender when he limits great scorers to no points.

[alamo50]

It's a controversy he never won defensive player of the year yet.
He needs to get the defensive player of the decade award in 3 years!

[BruceBowenFan]

It's a controversy he never won defensive player of the year yet.
He needs to get the defensive player of the decade award in 3 years!
:tu

[ducks]

What's with all this 'Bowen shut down TMac' crap?

I watched the game. He got burned 309490385 times and put on a poster twice.

I know BB is great and stuff but why reference the Rockets game..
duncan and mike finley ,tp and manu missed shots yesterday to
but they won the game

bb had a hell of a game yesterday

[Cry Havoc]

What's with all this 'Bowen shut down TMac' crap?

I watched the game. He got burned 309490385 times and put on a poster twice.

I know BB is great and stuff but why reference the Rockets game..

Yes, as we all know, posters are what makes a player great, not consistently good play. :rolleyes

[Kori Ellis]

Bruce sucked on a few possessions against T-Mac in the first half. After the second dunk, Pop even pulled him for it. Some of the early problems had to do with a lack of help D though. However, in the second half, he played him pretty much face up and he did a really good job on him.

I don't think that Bruce will ever get DPOY because most people voting just don't get it. They look more at blocks and steals.

However in past years, Bruce has been first in number of votes in the Defensive Team voting. Since these votes are by coaches rather than the media, that actually should mean more than the media-voted DPOY award.

[howbouthemspurs]

Bowen has been the best defender in the last half decade in the league.. he needs to get the hardware.. he deserves it.

[BlackSwordsMan]

What's with all this 'Bowen shut down TMac' crap?

I watched the game. He got burned 309490385 times and put on a poster twice.

I know BB is great and stuff but why reference the Rockets game..
5-22 seems like a shut out to me

[Kori Ellis]

That is incorrect.



The voting panel consisted of the NBA’s 30 head coaches, who were asked to select NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams by position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players from their own team. Two points were awarded for a First Team vote and one point was awarded for a Second Team vote.

[Kori Ellis]

NEW YORK, April 30, 2007 – Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs highlight the 2006-07 NBA All-Defensive Teams, the NBA announced today. Duncan leads all players with his 10th selection, while his teammate Bowen, the leading vote-getter, earns his seventh appearance.
Also selected to the First Team is 2006-07 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets at center, his third such honor. Rounding out the First Team are guards Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who earns his seventh selection, and Raja Bell of the Phoenix Suns, making his first appearance on an All-Defensive team.

Bowen’s and Duncan’s defense helped the Spurs hold opponents to 90.1 ppg (first in NBA) and .433 from the field (third). San Antonio has finished in the top five in both categories in each of Duncan’s 10 seasons. Camby led the NBA in blocks (3.30 bpg) to go along with 11.7 rpg (tied for fourth in NBA). Bryant ranked 17th in steals with 1.44 per game, while Bell often matches up against the opposition’s best offensive player.

The NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of Chicago teammates Ben Wallace and Kirk Hinrich, New Jersey’s Jason Kidd, Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince and Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett.

The voting panel consisted of the NBA’s 30 head coaches, who were asked to select NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams by position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players from their own team. Two points were awarded for a First Team vote and one point was awarded for a Second Team vote.

Attached are the results for the 2006-07 NBA All-Defensive Teams:

2006-07 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM: Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Forward Bruce Bowen, San Antonionio 19 4 42
Forward Tim Duncan, San Antonio 16 4 36
Center Marcus Camby, Denver 11 12 34
Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 14 4 32
Guard Raja Bell, Phoenix 7 11 25


2006-07 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Center Ben Wallace, Chicago 12 9 33
Guard Jason Kidd, New Jersey 8 7 23
Forward Tayshaun Prince, Detroit 7 7 21
Forward Kevin Garnett, Minnesota 8 4 20
Guard Kirk Hinrich, Chicago 7 4 18

http://www.nba.com/news/alldefensive_070430.html

[Kori Ellis]

That is incorrect. The all NBA, and all defensive NBA teams are also choosen by the 128 media members with votes at the same time the MVP, 6th man, most improved, and other awards are decided.

People forget that Bruce finished second in last year's DPotY talk, and Tim third. But as far as I know the coaches have no say in defensice or all NBA teams.

So, you are incorrect. DPOY is voted by the media, along with MVP, 6th man, etc.

All NBA teams, Defensive Teams, etc are voted by the coaches - which is what I said.

[tp2021]

That is incorrect.

OWNED by Kori!

[BlackSwordsMan]

Bowen got robbed of defensive player of the nba last year.

[BlackSwordsMan]

Then again so did nash

[timvp]

Ouch. That was vicious.

[diego]

yeah, but that list is kind of whack. the dropoff from camby/duncan/bowen to the guard spots is huge. i don't consider bell and kobe the best guard defenders, bell especially seems like a bad choice, and everyone knows kobe can be a great defender, but is very inconsistent. i think i'd have gone with kidd and battier instead.

bottom line bruce is the guy that makes his living on it and has shown tenacity and versatility over a long period of time, he deserves to win it already.

[diego]

nevermind duncan!

[greens]

It's very obvious that Bruce does not get enough credit, not even from some of the Spurs fans...

However, the important thing is that the his teammates and his coach know exactly what he brings to the table...

[JPB]

[QUOTE=Kori Ellis]Bruce sucked on a few possessions against T-Mac in the first half. After the second dunk, Pop even pulled him for it. Some of the early problems had to do with a lack of help D though. QUOTE]

Exactly.

Bruce did a good job forcing T-Mac to penetrate but other guys stick to their guy instead of helping block the arc.

But T-Mac had some good passes when help came, specially to Scola, so Pop asked "the frustrator" to stay in front of him.

[JPB]

What's with all this 'Bowen shut down TMac' crap?

I watched the game. He got burned 309490385 times and put on a poster twice.

I know BB is great and stuff but why reference the Rockets game..

That's what is unfair for good defensers like BB.

You're doing a great job, limiting your guy at 5/22 but all you see in recap is the 2 poster dunks he had.

To be fair, TV also showed "highlights" of Bruce agressive defense on T-Mac during a timeout

[polandprzem]

All NBA teams, Defensive Teams, etc are voted by the coaches - which is what I said.

just defensive lineups

[Brutalis]

My fault I did not look at the box score to realize.

[Rique]

Do you think Bruce has a good chance of getting it this year? This year, it doesn't seem like anyone is really sticking out as a DPOY. Camby plays for a team which opponents feel they can score at will upon. Ben Wallace....is done. Maybe someone from Boston, but I think Bruce has a good shot this year.

[san antonio spurs]

My fault I did not look at the box score to realize.
I hope you are just kiddin' us for april fool day. If it's not the case your are losing credibility. You bash a player based on highlights??
Even worse, the stats are what may convice you about the value of Bruce Bowen??
You are calling out people for saying crap when in fact you didn't watch the game?
Are you out for troll status??

[peskypesky]

What's with all this 'Bowen shut down TMac' crap?

I watched the game. He got burned 309490385 times and put on a poster twice.

I know BB is great and stuff but why reference the Rockets game..

Those dunks are partly the fault of the help defense. Bowen can't always keep a guy like TMac from getting past him. It's going to happen. But the help defense needs to be there as a second line of defense.

Two dunks? So what. Only 5-22 is a lot more important.

[nfg3]

Bruce will probably never get the award which he richly deserves - I guess the voters are just a little "desensitized" by his style of play.

[timvp]

I don't dought that the coachs might have some say in the all NBA and defensive teams, but the media are still 128 voters to the NBA coaches 30 voters.Again, read:


The voting panel consisted of the NBA’s 30 head coaches, who were asked to select NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams by position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players from their own team. Two points were awarded for a First Team vote and one point was awarded for a Second Team vote.

What part of that paragraph don't you understand? The form you saw was for defensive player of the year.

[Kori Ellis]

I actually know several media voters. In the past 10 years I have seen the actual forms the media fill out while I don't dought that the coachs might have some say in the all NBA and defensive teams, but the media are still 128 voters to the NBA coaches 30 voters. If I am not mistaken Bill Schoening and Sean E. are media voters, next time you're in press row you can ask one of them. I also believe there is a member of the express news who has a media vote, but I am unsure of who that is if there is such a person.

I don't know what you aren't understanding. The media votes for MVP, DPOY etc. The coaches vote for Defensive Teams, which my point of my original post in this thread. (I think they both might vote for All NBA teams - I don't know, I didn't look it up). Here's last year's Defensive Team voting ...

The voting panel consisted of the NBA’s 30 head coaches, who were asked to select NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams by position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players from their own team. Two points were awarded for a First Team vote and one point was awarded for a Second Team vote.

Attached are the results for the 2006-07 NBA All-Defensive Teams:

2006-07 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM: Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Forward Bruce Bowen, San Antonionio 19 4 42
Forward Tim Duncan, San Antonio 16 4 36
Center Marcus Camby, Denver 11 12 34
Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 14 4 32
Guard Raja Bell, Phoenix 7 11 25


2006-07 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Center Ben Wallace, Chicago 12 9 33
Guard Jason Kidd, New Jersey 8 7 23
Forward Tayshaun Prince, Detroit 7 7 21
Forward Kevin Garnett, Minnesota 8 4 20
Guard Kirk Hinrich, Chicago 7 4 18


Other players receiving votes, with point totals (First Team votes in parentheses): Shane Battier, Houston, 17 (6); Shawn Marion, Phoenix, 15 (5); Chauncey Billups, Detroit, 13 (5); Ron Artest, Sacramento, 12 (4); Gerald Wallace, Charlotte, 11 (2); Alonzo Mourning, Miami, 9 (4); Devin Harris, Dallas, 8 (2); Tyson Chandler, New Orleans/Oklahoma City, 8 (2); Josh Howard, Dallas, 7; Emeka Okafor, Charlotte, 6 (1); Luol Deng, Chicago, 5 (2); Rasheed Wallace, Detroit, 5 (1); Dwight Howard, Orlando, 5 (1); Andrei Kirilenko, Utah, 5; Josh Smith, Atlanta, 4 (1); Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 4 (1); Richard Hamilton, Detroit, 3 (1); Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana, 3 (1); Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia, 3; Deron Williams, Utah, 3; Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers, 2 (1); Dwyane Wade, Miami, 2; Trenton Hassell, Minnesota, 2 (1); Tony Parker, San Antonio, 2; Caron Butler, Washington, 2; Chris Duhon, Chicago, 1; Allen Iverson, Denver, 1; Udonis Haslem, Miami, 1; Richard Jefferson, New Jersey, 1; Chris Paul, New Orleans/Oklahoma City, 1; Andre Miller, Philadelphia, 1; Joel Przybilla, Portland, 1; Francisco Elson, San Antonio, 1; Chris Bosh, Toronto, 1; Gilbert Arenas, Washington, 1.

[ClingingMars]

lol brutalis and phila got owned

BB 4 DPOY!!!

-Mars