McDonald: Spurs' Bogans a master of the art of irritation

[Mel_13]

Kobe might be 6'6" but he plays bigger than that. , BB had trouble with him. Don't kid yourself. In order to contain Kobe or Lebron ( he can't gaurd Lebron) the Spurs are going to need someone other than Bogans.

Name the players in the NBA that can contain Kobe and/or LeBron.

Now which among those are available in a trade?

Right now Bogans looks like the best player on the roster to guard Kobe and RJ looks like the best player on the roster to guard Lebron. It's not a matter of kidding oneself, very few players in the NBA can contain either of players.

[Kent_in_Atlanta]

Kobe might be 6'6" but he plays bigger than that. , BB had trouble with him. Don't kid yourself. In order to contain Kobe or Lebron ( he can't gaurd Lebron) the Spurs are going to need someone other than Bogans.

OF COURSE Bowen had trouble with Kobe. He's probably one of the 5 most gifted offensive players in the history of the NBA. There is no containing him. All you can do is make him work a little harder, make him expend more energy, and force him take a few more shots to get his points. That's what Bruce did to Kobe with regularity. I'm anxious to see how how Bogans does.

We're going to need more than Bogans?

Who do you suggest? Who are the Spurs going to bring into the fold that is going to do a better job on Kobe than Bogans?

[xtremesteven33]

Bogans would be irrelevant in guarding Kobe. Kobe doesnt play perimiter anymore, he likes to stay down low now and I would assume that he could get his shot off of a shorter defender pretty easy, such like a Bogans.

This is when I really miss Bowen. Bowen knew Kobe like no other defender. It sucks to think that Kobe is less mobile now than past years when Bruce would chase him like a fly around the court.

If Bowen were still playing I think he could still give Kobe problems given his length,familiarity, and less energy chasing him around like before.

[weebo]

Well, if you all are banking on Bogans to be the second coming of BB, then we're ed. RJ on Lebron!? LOL Give me a break...Lebron has torched RJ with severe regularity. I can't suggest anyone now. What's the point? The roster isn't changing anytime soon.

[benefactor]

Well, if you all are banking on Bogans to be the second coming of BB, then we're ed. RJ on Lebron!? LOL Give me a break...Lebron has torched RJ with severe regularity. I can't suggest anyone now. What's the point? The roster isn't changing anytime soon.

Go ahead and jump off the cliff then. As a matter of fact, just stand near the edge and I will push you.

[MaNu4Tres]

Well, if you all are banking on Bogans to be the second coming of BB, then we're ed. RJ on Lebron!? LOL Give me a break...Lebron has torched RJ with severe regularity. I can't suggest anyone now. What's the point? The roster isn't changing anytime soon.

So I guess the game has changed to a one on one tournament opposed to 5 on 5?

[weebo]

Bogans would be irrelevant in guarding Kobe. Kobe doesnt play perimiter anymore, he likes to stay down low now and I would assume that he could get his shot off of a shorter defender pretty easy, such like a Bogans.

This is when I really miss Bowen. Bowen knew Kobe like no other defender. It sucks to think that Kobe is less mobile now than past years when Bruce would chase him like a fly around the court.

If Bowen were still playing I think he could still give Kobe problems given his length,familiarity, and less energy chasing him around like before.

+1

I'm one of those that think that BB was given a raw deal last year and let go too soon. Sure, he may have lost a step, but was still savvy enough to compete against guys like Kobe. Anyway, I guess the FO knows than I do by burying scrubs like Marcus Haislip and Malik Hairston for the rest of the season.

[weebo]

So I guess the game has changed to a one on one tournament opposed to 5 on 5?

Once the perimeter defense breaks down the interior is sure to follow.

[Kent_in_Atlanta]

Well, if you all are banking on Bogans to be the second coming of BB, then we're ed. RJ on Lebron!? LOL Give me a break...Lebron has torched RJ with severe regularity. I can't suggest anyone now. What's the point? The roster isn't changing anytime soon.

Bruce Bowen should have won the Defensive Player of the Year award a couple of different times. I think he was penalized for his "dirty player" reputation.

Anyway, it would be nice to have the league's premier defender in the fold, as we did when Bruce was here... but Bogans is good enough to earn his way on an all-defensive team. Having one of the better perimeter defenders in the game, who will be permitted to expend 90% of his energy on the DEFENSIVE end of the floor... will have to be good enough.

And as I said before... whatever the defensive gap is between Bowen and Bogans, he might make up for on the other end of the floor. He appears to have more offensive skill than Bruce ever did.

[weebo]

Bruce Bowen should have won the Defensive Player of the Year award a couple of different times. I think he was penalized for his "dirty player" reputation.

Anyway, it would be nice to have the league's premier defender in the fold, as we did when Bruce was here... but Bogans is good enough to earn his way on an all-defensive team. Having one of the better perimeter defenders in the game, who will be permitted to expend 90% of his energy on the DEFENSIVE end of the floor... will have to be good enough.

And as I said before... whatever the defensive gap is between Bowen and Bogans, he might make up for on the other end of the floor. He appears to have more offensive skill than Bruce ever did.

Sure. However, offense is the least of the Spurs worries. This team has enough scores on the team.

[xtremesteven33]

Spurs fans are gonna notice the absence of Bruce more and more each game when players like Melo,Terry, and Nash go off for 20 plus points each time we play them this year.

Those players Bowen has been notorious for shutting down by himself.

Damn im gonna miss Bowen

[Kent_in_Atlanta]

Spurs fans are gonna notice the absence of Bruce more and more each game when players like Melo,Terry, and Nash go off for 20 plus points each time we play them this year.

Those players Bowen has been notorious for shutting down by himself.

Damn im gonna miss Bowen

Bruce was the best perimeter defender in the game until the last year or two when age really set in. That said... absence makes the heart grow fonder, and some here might be elevating the legend of Bruce just a bit.

He didn't completely shut down very good offensive players every time out. He made life difficult for them. Bogans does the same thing. By Bogan's own admission, he's not quite at Bruce's level yet, but let's give him a chance.

If he gives us 80+ percent of what Bruce used to give us, it will make us far better team.

[HarlemHeat37]

Bogans actually has a decent history of defending Kobe..also, you don't defend players 1 on 1, basketball doesn't work like that, especially not..your team has to defend them..

Lebron wasn't shut down primarily by Bowen, it was clearly a team effort..any talented NBA player can get by a defender when he can't handcheck..it all depends on how you play the angles and how your help responds..

Kobe's posting up a lot right now, but he also doesn't have Gasol in the lineup..it's gonna be a lot more difficult to post up when you have both Gasol and Bynum on the floor together..it's not like the Lakers are just going to sit Gasol down so Kobe can post up more, obviously Gasol helps their team tremendously..

[Kent_in_Atlanta]

Bogans actually has a decent history of defending Kobe..also, you don't defend players 1 on 1, basketball doesn't work like that, especially not..your team has to defend them..

Lebron wasn't shut down primarily by Bowen, it was clearly a team effort..any talented NBA player can get by a defender when he can't handcheck..it all depends on how you play the angles and how your help responds..

Kobe's posting up a lot right now, but he also doesn't have Gasol in the lineup..it's gonna be a lot more difficult to post up when you have both Gasol and Bynum on the floor together..it's not like the Lakers are just going to sit Gasol down so Kobe can post up more, obviously Gasol helps their team tremendously..

Yeah, when the Lakers have Gasol and Bynum out there, it is going to clog the paint a little more. That's why the Spurs like Matt Bonner. He spreads the floor and gives Tim more space in the post, and clears the paint a bit for Tony, Many, and Richard to penetrate.

[duhoh]

Meh...needs more dropkicks before we start the Bruce comparisons.

hahaha

[ezau]

No need to hold any judgements there. Bogans hasn't had any more success guarding Kobe than any other player in the NBA. Bruce may have had some moments, but let's face it, Kobe is simply another beast alltogether. Nobody can guard him.

Tayshaun Prince? See 2004 NBA Finals

[Interrohater]

Once the perimeter defense breaks down the interior is sure to follow.

I don't agree with that at all. You can call it "breaking down", but the Spurs defensive system is built around the fact that the offensive player will get around the defender. Of course, our perimeter guys will do their best to make it harder, or squeeze them out just a few more inches, but inevitably, their goal is to funnel the offensive player towards the help defense.

And seriously guy, picking up a player exclusively to guard Lebron James is pretty ridiculous. Lebron James himself is a freak of nature. To stop him, you'd need someone who is even more of a freak of nature. Not happening.

And the Kobe thing? Again, it's all about team defense. Make it hard on Kobe to score, and try and shut down the rest of the team. Bogans can keep up with him, but won't shut him down. That's not his job and it's not in the realm of possibility.

[MaNu4Tres]

Tayshaun Prince? See 2004 NBA Finals

That Detroit team was the best defensive team that year. It wasn't because of Prince himself. The Wallace's helped a little.

[FilSpursFan]

The second coming of BB... Rayray watch out!

[spurster]

It's not official until GhostWriter says he sucks.

[Blackjack]

That Detroit team was the best defensive team that year. It wasn't because of Prince himself. The Wallace's helped a little.

IIRC, the Spurs were actually the best defensive team that year by the numbers; not that it meant all that much with a worn down Duncan by the time the playoffs rolled around.

Besides, Kobe deserves plenty of the credit for what transpired during that Finals. By the time they met Detroit, the Lakers were a s of the team they were earlier in the playoffs. The Malone injury combined with the dysfunction that was Kobe Bryant, was just as much a factor as anything the Pistons did..

[SouthTexasRancher]

Bogans has been a nice addition. We're starting to look like a team with depth...

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Wow. It's almost as if most posters in the Spurs Forum had no idea Keith Bogans was known for his defense. Wow.


Ehhh.

[TJastal]

Wow. It's almost as if most posters in the Spurs Forum had no idea Keith Bogans was known for his defense. Wow.


Ehhh.

It's befuddling. How did all these posters not know about Keith Bogans defense? It's an epic question that demands answering.

Keith Bogans is a name that's been bandied about regularily throughout a career that stretched between the magic 3x, hornets 2x, rockets, bucks, and finally spurs. His defense has inspired books, magazine articles, and interviews with former legends of the game. How all these teams that Bogan's played for previously and posters at spurs forum were unaware of Bogan's amazing defensive prowess is a statistical anomaly that will probably never happen again.

It's obviously one of the biggest coups in nba history that the spurs were able to land Bogans for the vet minimum this year, given the overwhelming exposure Bogan's has attained.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Bogans + Dice (-starting Bonley) + Spurs' defensive system = win