The 2012 Spurs Defense Update Thread

[Bruno]

Awesome post Bruno.

Do you think the Spurs will be forced to make a move by the deadline? I mean, they can't expect to roll with the current 4 bigs they have.

They obviously should do a move but will they?

The need to improve the PF/C rotation was obvious after last year but look at what they have done this offseason:
- They traded away Hill for Leonard. It looks for the moment like a great move but it doesn't fix the paint situation.
- Spurs have drafted a PG.
- Dice's contract was a good trade asset and they didn't use it to get a big.
- If you look at how Spurs have been linked in the free agency, it was all SFs. They haven't even signed a cheap vet big.

To be honest, I'm lost and I don't really know what Spurs front office is trying to do. They had a glaring need and did nothing to fix it. Maybe they will do it at the trade deadline but it will be way more difficult to do than in the offseason because Spurs have less trade assets and because there aren't free agents.

[xmas1997]

CIA Pop and the FO may be tanking. You can bet they know how good this draft is and what it could do for them as far as PFs and Cs go.
They would never admit it if they were.

[RodNIc91]

While it's clear that the defense got worse with time, I find it interesting to see
where and when the defense has declined:

Opponents PG eFG% :
04-05: .436
05-06: .451
06-07: .473
07-08: .478
08-09: .467
09-10: .458
10-11: .467
11-12: .469

- The drop between 04-05 and 05-06 is fully because of the backup PG situation. Spurs went from Udrih to NVE and NVE was awful defensively.
- The drop between 05-06 and 06-07 is because of the loss of paint defense. With Rasho and Nazr gone, Spurs have lost a lot in that area.

Opponents wings (SG/SF) eFG% :
04-05: .448
05-06: .444
06-07: .470
07-08: .479
08-09: .495
09-10: .481
10-11: .483
11-12: .493

- The huge drop is between 05-06 and 06-07 and is once again because of the loss of Rasho and Nazr. Bowen decline hasn't helped too.
- The bad year in 08-09 was because of too much Mason and Finley.

Opponents bigs (PF/C) eFG% :
04-05: .464
05-06: .473
06-07: .473
07-08: .474
08-09: .489
09-10: .498
10-11: .513
11-12: .539

- There isn't a drop due to the loss of Rasho and Nazr. It can be explained by players like Oberto and Horry being soled man to man defenders.
- The consistent free fall between 07-08 and 11-12 is because Horry and Oberto were old and have been remplaced by bad defenders with Blair and Bonner. This free fall is also because Duncan is declining.


To conclude:

Spurs going away from Duncan at PF with a big center like Rasho or Nazr has had a huge impact defensively. If you look at other defensive stats, it hasn't been all bad but what is clear is that during the 06 summer, after the loss against Dallas, Spurs have changed their defensive philosophy.

The main reason why Spurs are bad since a couple of years is because their bigmen are awful defensively. In addition of providing little paint presence, they got destroyed by their opponents. This year, t doesn't help to have some new inexperienced faces on the


perimeter but the key of the problem is at PF/C. Stats confirm the obvious.

Good post bruno. Maybe u should send this to the FO cause apparently they haven't noticed yet.

[TimmehC]

To piggyback on Bruno's excellent post, I see the declining interior defense as being less on the departure of Horry and Oberto(although that would be a contributing factor), and more due to the simple fact of Tim Duncan not being mobile enough to dominate inside the way he used to. Even if they had guys on the level or Oberto(Splitter, anyone?) and Horry, it wouldn't get them anywhere near the level they used to be. It's sad, but true. This team will not be defensively dominant again with this immobile version of Duncan manning the paint. Maybe that's sacrilege, but it needs to be said.

[therealtruth]

To piggyback on Bruno's excellent post, I see the declining interior defense as being less on the departure of Horry and Oberto(although that would be a contributing factor), and more due to the simple fact of Tim Duncan not being mobile enough to dominate inside the way he used to. Even if they had guys on the level or Oberto(Splitter, anyone?) and Horry, it wouldn't get them anywhere near the level they used to be. It's sad, but true. This team will not be defensively dominant again with this immobile version of Duncan manning the paint. Maybe that's sacrilege, but it needs to be said.

That's true but they can still be much better than they've show by pairing TD and Splitter. Splitter has shown the best individual post defense and Tim's still a pretty good help defender.

[Dex]

That's true but they can still be much better than they've show by pairing TD and Splitter. Splitter has shown the best individual post defense and Tim's still a pretty good help defender.

Pairing TD and Splitter cannot work until the Spurs get another reliable big. Anything gained defensively when both TD and Splitter are on the floor together will be immediately handed back when Bonner and Blair are on the floor together. While debatable, I agree that it is better to have your post defense running at a proverbial 75% the whole game, as opposed to 100% half the game and 50% the other half.

This is the bed that the Spurs made for themselves when their failed to bring in or develop another big.

[timvp]

Good post, Bruno

The opponents field goal percentage is back up to 46.6% after last night's ugliness against the Heat. That is 27th in the league.

The points allowed per 100 possessions is 103.4, tied for 22nd.

After Magic game, the opponents field goal percentage is 45.6%. That is 24th in the league.

The points allowed per 100 possessions is 102.4, tied for 21st.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Spurs are currently 23d in points allowed per 100 possessions with 102.2

They are also ranked 26th in opponents field goal percentage with 46.2%


Would love to see the Spurs fall somewhere between 10-16 for defensive FG% and probably 15-20 in points allowed per 100 possessions.

[DrSteffo]

Pairing TD and Splitter cannot work until the Spurs get another reliable big. Anything gained defensively when both TD and Splitter are on the floor together will be immediately handed back when Bonner and Blair are on the floor together.

Bonner and Blair should NEVER be paired together. But if Duncan and Splitter get 30 min each they will still see some minutes together.

"Funny" thing is that even now when Blair starts with Duncan, Bonner and Blair get some minutes together. It's really stupid and easily fixed if Splitter is allowed more minutes.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Tiago should be getting around 32 minutes a night, Duncan 28, Bonner and Blair 18 each.


But they still desperately need another big in order to pair TD and Splitter together, and like you said, eradicating the time Bonner and Blair would have to play together. The less we see of Bonner/Blair (whether it's together or separately) the better the Spurs become.

[xmas1997]

They need to use Thomas more.

[mystargtr34]

Good post, Bruno



After Magic game, the opponents field goal percentage is 45.6%. That is 24th in the league.

The points allowed per 100 possessions is 102.4, tied for 21st.

Bump.

Baby steps.

Points allowed per 100 possessions is spot on 100.0..tied for 15th in the league.

FG% allowed is 45.3%.. tied for 23rd. The FG% still needs plenty of work.. but it will always be a little higher than it could be since the Spurs dont foul much.

[timvp]

Update:

FG% allowed is down to 44.9%, which is 19th. Points allowed per 100 possessions is down to 99.8, which is 16th in the league.

[timvp]

Still turrible/below average. Those numbers aren't going to fly in the playoffs.

Thanks, captain.

[Kindergarten Cop]

Isn't also worth mentioning that the Spurs have played the toughest schedule of any team in the NBA thus far - and yet our defensive stats are improving? I'm not going to attempt to convince myself, or anyone else for that matter, that we are going to see this current roster compare to Spurs' teams from 7-8 years ago - but with how wide open everything is this year, I don't believe that they have to.

[igruex]

Update:

FG% allowed is down to 44.9%, which is 19th. Points allowed per 100 possessions is down to 99.8, which is 16th in the league.

Given how fast is the season's average is decreasing.. What's the FG% and points allowed for the last 10 and last 20 games?

[dylankerouac]

The other question is if other defenses are improving too. I would guess that due to the lockout the answer is yes.

[Mel_13]

Given how fast is the season's average is decreasing.. What's the FG% and points allowed for the last 10 and last 20 games?

You can easily see season to date, last 10 games, and last 5 games here:

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortab...able1.html#top

last 10 games: .424
last 5 games: .418

[Kindergarten Cop]

The other question is if other defenses are improving too. I would guess that due to the lockout the answer is yes.

While it's possible that the percentages for the other teams are also decreasing, it's obvious that not every team can increase in league rank (as the Spurs have been doing).

[TD 21]

Don't be fooled. All they're doing defensively is progressing to the mean. In other words, they were always going to be a borderline top ten defensive team (because they were last season and the defensive personnel they've added to the rotation is superior to what they subtracted), so all they're doing is trending in that direction. They may yet end up slightly better than last season defensively, or at least they should. But they're still one quality defensive power forward short of being able to defend at a championship level.

[dylankerouac]

While it's possible that the percentages for the other teams are also decreasing, it's obvious that not every team can increase in league rank (as the Spurs have been doing).

Great point.

[Spursfanfromafar]

But they're still one quality defensive power forward short of being able to defend at a championship level.

...which they likely wouldn't get soon until end of season.

The best they could do till that possibility arises is to defend better as a unit and play Splitter more. They are doing well in the former, not so much ..the latter. And I am being Captain Obvious.

I like the direction the Spurs are taking though on the defensive scale. It is no mirage, but definite betterment.

Individually speaking, except for Jefferson, not much of grouse/complaint can be made of others in terms of effort.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Update:

FG% allowed is down to 44.9%, which is 19th. Points allowed per 100 possessions is down to 99.8, which is 16th in the league.

That's quite an improvement in 2 weeks!

Still turrible/below average. Those numbers aren't going to fly in the playoffs.

See below. Those numbers will fly!

You can easily see season to date, last 10 games, and last 5 games here:

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortab...able1.html#top

last 10 games: .424
last 5 games: .418

Exactly.

If the trend continues and this defence really is in the top 8 or so, we;ve got a hope of making some waves this year.

[DPG21920]

Kenyon Martin is defending well. Looks like he would have really helped.

[StoneBuddha]

Martin looked really good defending Dirk tonight. He would of helped a lot.