Thabo Sefolosha Defense

[Whateva]

Do you think he can be a future 1st or 2nd ALL-Defensive TEAM ?
How good he can be on the defensive end ?? He could be a Doug Christie defensively, ? But I think thats too good of a defender

[tclg]

He has the tools to be even better. But His offense needs to come around some. If it does we could get a real look. So far though his defense has been excellent.

[bentheredengthat]

He has an uncanny knack for poking balls loose. Its really amazing how long his reach is - couple that with how low to the ground his defensive stance is & he really can bother dribblers & intercept passes you would think are out of his reach.

Also, I noticed his length & speed of recovery helps him bother shooters who have blown past him.

[TeamMan]

He's got an unlimited ceiling because with Noah, Wallace and (to a lesser degree) Gray he's got some very good shot-blocking behind him.

T2 (if he's not traded) can also be an impact within the next two years.

Also, now that the Ref are getting used to watching Thabo play, he'll probably pick up fewer fouls against the All-Star players and will be able to accert himself more and more.

[BobbyBulls]

With starter minutes, I'll be interested to see if he can someday lead the league in steals.

[suckfish]

Do you think he can be a future 1st or 2nd ALL-Defensive TEAM ?

I don't see why not. He has all the physical tools to be great defensively, and he certainly has very good positioning, technique and awareness. Whether he ever makes the all first or second defensive team I don't know, but I'm pretty confident in his chances of becoming an elite stopper.

A lot of it depends on how large of a role he plays in the future, it may be for this team or it may be in another NBA city, but unless he plays a fair amount in a consistent role, then he will never make the all NBA defensive team IMO.

[DuckIII]

My posts about Thabo should probably come with a warning label: Caution - Thaboner Sefolovefest.

So bear that in mind when I say this:

Since he's been getting regular run this month, I haven't seen a perimeter defender on the Bulls of his quality since Jordan/Pippen. And that includes Ron Artest and Kirk Hinrich.

Artest was a better defender overall because he's so big and stong he could body up a post player on a switch, which Thabo can't do. But as a pure perimeter defender, he could become one of the best in the league.

He could change the outcome of games. Example: Had Boylan not completely pissed away the Golden State game by staying zone and then putting Duhon on Davis in the second half, the Bulls win that game by 8 points. Had Boylan just left Thabo on him, Bulls win.

[Cliff Levingston]

No one's ever really questioned his defense. Given these regular minutes though, it seems to have gotten even better. You can really tell that most NBA guards aren't used to having to deal with a defender with Thabo's length; he has the largest wingspan of any 2 in the NBA.

If he ever gets 30+ minutes for the Bulls or another team, Cliff Levingston would be surprised if he doesn't make at least 2nd team all-defense routinely.

[DuckIII]

No one's ever really questioned his defense.

I've seen A LOT of Bulls' fans question his defensive ability as a guard, noting he was not quick enough or athletic enough to handle defensive assignments on 1s and 2s.

[Cliff Levingston]

I've seen A LOT of Bulls' fans question his defensive ability as a guard, noting he was not quick enough or athletic enough to handle defensive assignments on 1s and 2s.

True, but 95% of the complaints about him have come regarding the offensive end (turnovers, no shot, taking no risks, lost within the plays).

[TeamMan]

^...I haven't seen a perimeter defender on the Bulls of his quality since Jordan/Pippen...

I believe that there are a lot of people in Chicago and around the league that feel the same way.

But mentioning any player in the same breath with those two guys automatically puts a curse on them, and no one wants to hex Thabo before he even gets started.

What hasn't been directly mentioned is that Thabo didn't appear to be that strong as a rookie last year, but he looks like he's put on a lot of muscle.

Even so, he looks as though he could still add more bulk. So if he continues working out, I'd say that in maybe two years he'll be able to man-handle most guards in the league.

[Clint Eastwood]

My posts about Thabo should probably come with a warning label: Caution - Thaboner Sefolovefest.

So bear that in mind when I say this:

Since he's been getting regular run this month, I haven't seen a perimeter defender on the Bulls of his quality since Jordan/Pippen. And that includes Ron Artest and Kirk Hinrich.

Artest was a better defender overall because he's so big and stong he could body up a post player on a switch, which Thabo can't do. But as a pure perimeter defender, he could become one of the best in the league.

He could change the outcome of games. Example: Had Boylan not completely pissed away the Golden State game by staying zone and then putting Duhon on Davis in the second half, the Bulls win that game by 8 points. Had Boylan just left Thabo on him, Bulls win.

just yesterday my brother and i had this very discussion. i also think offensively he can be pippen with less explosive leaping. his shot is remarkably similar to pippens at the same career stage. give him more burn, and he will be a very nice player.

[fudgie]

It'll probably take a couple of years of good defense to get on that all-defense teams. I agree Thabo plays some damn good defense but you usually have to build up a reputation as a good defender to get on there. It took Kirk time to get on there. Honestly, I think Wallace might get on one of the teams this year just on reputation alone.

[musiqsoulchild]

I am a big fan of Quinton Ross.

I think Thabo is better than him, and definitely has a lot more upside. Also, Thabo hass very good handles and has the potential to be a strong finisher near the rim.

I am also a huge Thabo fan. So sue me.