If Bonner is a cut above anybody on defense that person doesnt belong anywhere near the game of basketball
Not that what John Hollinger says is gospel, but the guy watches basically every minute of every player in the NBA. Which Spurs fans can't say they do with Dirk, and vice versa with Mavs fans & Bonner. And here's what Hollinger says about each:
Nowitzki has improved greatly as a defender in recent seasons and is now capable of playing quality post defense or stepping out on the perimeter to help against the pick-and-roll. His lateral movement remains suspect and gets him in trouble against quick forwards at times, but he has a nice strip move he uses on opposing post players, he's an excellent defensive rebounder (12th at his position in defensive rebound rate), and he blocked shots at an above-average rate for a power forward.The biggest obstacles to more minutes for Bonner are his defensive limitations. He's 6-10 but doesn't elevate and isn't particularly mobile, so it's tough to find acceptable matchups for him. Additionally, he doesn't provide much in the way of help-side defense or shot blocking. He is physical, however, and does a decent job on the glass.
I can't even say how many times I've seen Dirk use that strip move to knock the ball out of his opponent's hands & out of bounds. It doesn't count as anything in the stat sheet, but it basically saves 2 points every time he does it, and he usually gets that strip a few times every game.
According to Hollinger, Dirk was fifth in the league in swipe efficiency last year. He's money with the swipe.
mono sighting!
and some people wonder why they get labeled by what team they root for.
Not only that, you'd think that someone who supposedly likes Duncan would know the exact opposite is true.
then again, you are a suns fan.
Blocking shots is mostly good timing and not athleticism, but lots of blocked shots isn't necessarily a sign of a good defender. There's tons of really ty defenders who still can block shots. Amare for example. And I think Birdman's defense is incredibly overrated just because he gets highlight reel blocks. Overall he's an average defender at best. Lots of times going for blocks means you're taking risks by putting yourself out of position.
and some people wonder why they get labeled by what team they root for.
Not only that, you'd think that someone who supposedly likes Duncan would know the exact opposite is true.
then again, you are a suns fan.
The Spurs are near the bottom of the league in blocks every year.
Last season:
Suns - 420 blocks
Spurs - 329 blocks
Good call z0sa that blocks = good defense.
I never said blocks = bad defense, I said blocks don't = good defense, big difference.
Blocks = more about good defense than athleticism.
Not blocks = good defense.
intelligence not your strong point?
huh? You should re-read my post. I never said no blocks = good defense, and I said blocks were more about athleticism than defense.
you can't go both ways.Blocking a lot of shots has a lot more to do with good athleticism than good defense.
Either any dumbass who can jump high and run fast can block shots all night, or the reality: averaging blocks favors timing and positioning far more than athleticism.
Which is why i mention Tim. He has NEVER used athleticism to block shots. I mean, we're talking maybe a handful. For the past 7 years he hasn't jumped higher than a phone book to block a shot.
apparently it isn't yours since you're completely missing the point of everything being discussed here.
How do those two posts contradict each other? God dam you're stupid.
Sure it can go both ways.
Chris Andersen = any dumbass who can jump high
Tim Duncan = good timing & positioning
In 2007-2008 the Suns were 2nd in the NBA in blocks. It must have been due to the great positioning and timing that team had on defense.
That same season, the Spurs were 24th in the NBA in blocks. That's cause of the crappy position and and timing they have on defense.
anderson has impeccable timing and positioning. They are required to block shots. Being an high flying athlete is not.
In fact, there's way more shot blockers in the "dumbass who can jump high" category than in the "good timing" category. Most shotblockers these days are of the "dumbass who can jump high" variety. Birdman, Josh Smith, Tyrus Thomas, Samuel Dalembert, etc.
There's very few big men who can hold their ground while still being effective shot blockers. Tim Duncan is of course the Jedi Master of this. There's a few others that are good at this too, but it's really a lost art these days in the NBA.
Most shot blockers these days rely almost solely on their athletic ability and give up everything in terms of position because they all want to make it onto SportsCenter. That's why the majority of them are in reality, average to below average defenders.
So you're saying Amare Stoudemire had good positioning and timing during the 2007-2008 season when he averaged 2.1 blocks a game?
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