Get rid of Smoove and Jennings

[HeroicKennedy]

Anyone with eyeballs knows Knight is a much better defender than Jennings... give the stats a rest please.

I've watched both. Neither are good defenders. You can claim eyeball test all you want but the gap between them is negligible and the stats back this up.

The Pistons were a bad perimeter defensive team last year. This year is no different and a lot has to do with general poor play at the guard position (Knight to Calderon to Jennings).

[mercury]

Knight has the ability to break a pick.... Knight does not take nearly as many bad risks.... Knight can not be posted easily... Knight shows better responsibility (switches, help, defensive spacing)... Superior IQ.
Jennings gives up on plays frequently...
More?

[Natopher]

Knight has the ability to break a pick.... Knight does not take nearly as many bad risks.... Knight can not be posted easily... Knight shows better responsibility (switches, help, defensive spacing)... Superior IQ.
Jennings gives up on plays frequently...
More?

[sarcasm] I'm confused... You're reasons aren't in number form... Could you come up with a random number that says your sentence for you? [/sarcasm]

[HeroicKennedy]

Knight has the ability to break a pick.... Knight does not take nearly as many bad risks.... Knight can not be posted easily... Knight shows better responsibility (switches, help, defensive spacing)... Superior IQ.
Jennings gives up on plays frequently...
More?

Knight has been posted up a grand total of 11 times this year. Jennings 16. Knight's opponent is 3 of 11, Jennings 6 of 16. Hardly a worthwhile difference.

Knight has done a terrible job defending the three point line, as opponents are hitting 42.1% to Jennings 36.2%. Jennings has done better in isolation and spot-up shooting.

So yeah, both are generally poor defenders. Knight is a better pick and roll defender. Jennings is better in isolation and spot-up.

[HeroicKennedy]

Knight has the ability to break a pick.... Knight does not take nearly as many bad risks.... Knight can not be posted easily... Knight shows better responsibility (switches, help, defensive spacing)... Superior IQ.
Jennings gives up on plays frequently...
More?

[sarcasm] I'm confused... You're reasons aren't in number form... Could you come up with a random number that says your sentence for you? [/sarcasm]

Yes, how DARE I support my opinions with evidence rather than just making blanket claims and saying they're true because I say they're true.

mercury can observe what he observes. I observe what I observe. And I back them up with statistical evidence. What a horrible thing to do, I know. We should just go the Fox News route and just shout down numbers because we don't like what they say.

[Natopher]

Knight has the ability to break a pick.... Knight does not take nearly as many bad risks.... Knight can not be posted easily... Knight shows better responsibility (switches, help, defensive spacing)... Superior IQ.
Jennings gives up on plays frequently...
More?

[sarcasm] I'm confused... You're reasons aren't in number form... Could you come up with a random number that says your sentence for you? [/sarcasm]

Yes, how DARE I support my opinions with evidence rather than just making blanket claims and saying they're true because I say they're true.

mercury can observe what he observes. I observe what I observe. And I back them up with statistical evidence. What a horrible thing to do, I know. We should just go the Fox News route and just shout down numbers because we don't like what they say.

Actually, you back up the stats you find with nothing. You just use whatever stats you can find to prove whatever point you wanna prove. I also find it interesting that you are then also ignoring the numbers when I used them against you with regards to Brandon Wright and Greg Monroe...

[ComboGuardCity]

Who cares how somebody guards spot up shooters? That's on defensive rotations, which revolves around defensive scheme and personnel. You can't track individual penetration given up through stats unless you combine a few synergy stats I don't think needs to be done. Bottom line, Knight is a superior defender when compared to Jennings and no numbers can dispute that.

That being said, Jennings isn't the problem on this team. Josh is.

[HeroicKennedy]

[sarcasm] I'm confused... You're reasons aren't in number form... Could you come up with a random number that says your sentence for you? [/sarcasm]

Yes, how DARE I support my opinions with evidence rather than just making blanket claims and saying they're true because I say they're true.

mercury can observe what he observes. I observe what I observe. And I back them up with statistical evidence. What a horrible thing to do, I know. We should just go the Fox News route and just shout down numbers because we don't like what they say.

Actually, you back up the stats you find with nothing. You just use whatever stats you can find to prove whatever point you wanna prove. I also find it interesting that you are then also ignoring the numbers when I used them against you with regards to Brandon Wright and Greg Monroe...

How exactly did you use the numbers against me? I pointed out how Wright excels in his role and Monroe is above average in his, which is the role of a bench player and the role of a starter. I pointed out how differences in usage rates affect players and their performances, and how a guy like Brandan Wright is a low usage, highly efficient bench player and Monroe is a higher usage, solid starter. Brandan Wright is very good at what he does. Greg Monroe is above average at what he does. I am not ignoring the numbers at all.

With the Jennings/Knight comparison, I've watched both of them play for Detroit and neither are good defenders. The synergy reports (which watch every single play and assign video evidence to every stat) show two players that are pretty much exactly the same defensive. mercury observes differently, thinking there's significant difference between the two. I cannot watch the game through mercury's eyes. I can watch the videos based on the stats from synergy. I can also trust my own judgement.

[damedash09]

HPbasketball 3h
When Josh Smith is on the floor in the 4th quarter, the Pistons are outscored by 26.4 points per 100 possessions. I. Can't. Even.

[HeroicKennedy]

HPbasketball 3h
When Josh Smith is on the floor in the 4th quarter, the Pistons are outscored by 26.4 points per 100 possessions. I. Can't. Even.

You mean the guy who's shooting 32% from the field, 22% from three and 54% from the free throw line in the fourth while averaging the third most attempts in the 4th quarter is going to be terribly damaging to the team?

Nooooooooooooo...

[Q00]

Anyone with eyeballs knows Knight is a much better defender than Jennings... give the stats a rest please.

[OneBadMutha]

Advance stats are moronic to use to evaluate perimeter defenders. BG used to have very good advanced stats for one on one defense when he was a Bull.

A lot of the best defenses today are based on team defense combined with everyone handling their individual responsibilities. This is where Jennings and Monroe completely fail in different ways. Jennings can't offer any resistance at the point of attack and Monroe is terrible at rotating or protecting the basket when things break down. Neither can do their jobs on pick and rolls (the most effective play in the NBA).

Jennings defense at the point of attack is so bad that the overall team defense is consistently scrambling and out of position. When his guy breaks down the defense with no resistance and the ball is kicked out and rotated to an open guy, advanced stats don't track that. If an on ball defender does their job and help doesn't have to come over so frequently or as hard, then the guy they are defending is going to put up the shot more often...and score more often...yet the overall defense is still more effective.

I can't believe I'm arguing this. Jennings and Knight comparable defensively...really?

[Clarity]

HPbasketball 3h
When Josh Smith is on the floor in the 4th quarter, the Pistons are outscored by 26.4 points per 100 possessions. I. Can't. Even.

You mean the guy who's shooting 32% from the field, 22% from three and 54% from the free throw line in the fourth while averaging the third most attempts in the 4th quarter is going to be terribly damaging to the team?

Nooooooooooooo...

haha

& give the Knight/Jennings thing a rest. Jennings was a clear talent upgrade while not losing the youth factor thats huge. I loved Knight too but lets be real.

& some of these guys pumping up Knight were the same ones killing him last year. Its hilarious.

[joseph mamah]

I have a good friend whos a Hawks fan, his text earlier this wk said "Josh Smith will make you hate bball" lol

[joseph mamah]

Jodi was my boy and I hated to see him get banned, but this was the kind of off-season I would have expected out of Jodi not Joe D (well maybe Joe D, but not someone who is paid very well to make basketball decisions), then again the names are pretty similar. im starting to think Jo-di was actually Joe D in disguise.

[DonVitoReturns]

To be fair what did you guys expect?

Did you watch Jennings in Milwaukee?

Didn't expect much, but he's worse than I thought. Didn't like the trade when it happened.

Sadly, he's still somehow better than Brandon Knight. Which shows how low the bar was set for him coming in here.

Debatable. I'm not convinced Knight can't be a good player in this league. Maybe not as a true PG sure...but overall he may develop. Jennings has developed. This is it for him. Regardless, I like Knight's and Middleton's combined salaries much more than Jennings.