Let’s Talk About Defense

[Spursfanfromafar]

A look at these videos suggest two things - complete lack of court awareness on defense for some and slow footedness and poor reaction time for others. The first is understandable for a very young and inexperienced squad. Pop and his assistants have their job cut out. But the second part is worrisome. No coach is going to improve McDermott ever. But it is perplexing for any coach to deal with the often miscuing Keldon Johnson and a Malaki Branham. It was easier for the Spurs to carry poor defenders like Belinelli, Roger Mason, Gary Neal, Finley etc as they had the personnel to compensate for them. But in a team full of inexperience and /or incompetence..it's a very difficult ask for a rookie all-time defender to make up for the heavy weakness.

[scott]

I think it all comes down to one simple fact: our players aren’t very good defenders. We vastly overrate Devin and Sochan’s defensive prowess. They may be some of the better defenders on the team, but they still aren’t that great.

Wemby is having a huge impact on D simply by virtue of his freak size and instincts. It doesn’t appear he really even knows how to play defense on this level yet, which is crazy to think about how good of a defender he will eventually become if he’s already a league leader in OPP FG% and Blocks now.

[spurraider21]

i do find it funny that making a 3 over victor is the 2023 version of dunking on yao

[ambchang]

Or there is simply no trust amongst teammates on the defensive end.

[offset formation]

I think it all comes down to one simple fact: our players aren’t very good defenders. We vastly overrate Devin and Sochan’s defensive prowess. They may be some of the better defenders on the team, but they still aren’t that great.

Wemby is having a huge impact on D simply by virtue of his freak size and instincts. It doesn’t appear he really even knows how to play defense on this level yet, which is crazy to think about how good of a defender he will eventually become if he’s already a league leader in OPP FG% and Blocks now.

We suck. Hard. Defensive rating without Wemby on the court remains at near recod setting levels of inep ude. After we set the record last year. It's ing pathetic. I expected the biggest turnaround this year to be defensively. And I was dead wrong. Were an abomination STILL. And that comes back to coaching OR drafting.

Even Udoka has Sengun playing some D this year after everyone talked about how bad he was. Might be time for a roster overhaul and I'm not kidding. At some point, your defensive rating is who you are. Going on 2 years of historic suckage should tell us what we need to know. Johnson. Vassell. Collins. All need to step it up ASAP.

At some point you simply cannot win by outscoring everyone and at some point, your defensive prowess cannot be 1 man. And at some point, you can't rely on scoring to grace over Wemby's bench minutes, too.

[offset formation]

Or there is simply no trust amongst teammates on the defensive end.

Coaching concern? Drafting concern?

At some point, your defensive effort is what it appears to be. And we're hovering around all-time league worst for a second year in a row.

[TimmyBuckets]

Keldon is crap on D and Sochan is mid to crap on rotations and D overall. Zach can’t guard a big to save his life. Vassell and Wemby are the only starters worth a dime on D. It’s a lack of discipline and learning the nba thing but it’s a talent thing more than anything.

[scott]

Tidbit from the latest ESPN power rankings (where the Spurs rank 27th)

The Spurs have shown signs of growth in the past month. Since Tre Jones entered the starting lineup Jan. 4, San Antonio is 5-6 when both Jones and Victor Wembanyama play. The new starting lineup of Jones, Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Jeremy Sochan has a plus-12.7 net rating in 129 minutes -- sixth in the West among all five-man groups to play at least 100 minutes this season. On top of that, the team's defensive rating of 116.8 is 14th in the league since Jones began starting. -- Lopez

[Dejounte]

Tidbit from the latest ESPN power rankings (where the Spurs rank 27th)

The Spurs have shown signs of growth in the past month. Since Tre Jones entered the starting lineup Jan. 4, San Antonio is 5-6 when both Jones and Victor Wembanyama play. The new starting lineup of Jones, Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Jeremy Sochan has a plus-12.7 net rating in 129 minutes -- sixth in the West among all five-man groups to play at least 100 minutes this season. On top of that, the team's defensive rating of 116.8 is 14th in the league since Jones began starting. -- Lopez

In The Last 11 Games, Collins And Branham Have Played Less. They’re Giving Too Much Credit To Tre.

[scott]

I didn't read it so much as giving the credit to Tre for defensive improvement, but rather just a time market. Spurs playing above median defense is a sight for sore eyes.

[RC_Drunkford]

the D could even improve more by having another shotblocker at C

[couchman]

Tre has been an above average defender in the league before this season, despite everyone saying how he was too small or whatever.
Obviously he could be hunted by the right teams, but in general he is not the defensive liability many have said he is.
Moving Tre to the SL has helped us at PF because Sochan is a better defender than Collins.
Tre in the SL also opened up more time at backup PG that Wesley has taken over, and he may be our best POA defender.
Then Collins gets hurt and Barlow comes in as a competent big who can switch on PnR and not get immediately cooked by smaller players.
Suddenly I've seen signs of us defending people sometimes!! It's about time

[poopbox]

In The Last 11 Games, Collins And Branham Have Played Less. They’re Giving Too Much Credit To Tre.

Exactly this. Defense got better primarily cause we stopped playing our two worst defenders.

[BackHome]

I just hope Pop does not start drafting Forbe clones just because we have our defensive unicorn in Wemby