Souvlaki wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
No, I wasn't "tweaking" you (ewww)
I was making a pertinent point using Nash as a comparion.
What skill exactly does Monta have and fail to use that Nash lacks? Are you talking physical tools? Nash is an extremely physically gifted athlete with some of the best agility and lateral quickness in the league. There's no difference in strength (and Nash might have the edge actually just from physical maturity) He doesn't have Monta's flat out speed (which isn't all that big a deal for defense) but he has no lift. Other than blocking shots, Nash has all the requisite tools to be competent at staying between his man and the basket. He doesn't because he leaves defense to his teammates (or the gods.) It's not a matter of him being incapable. That's BS. He's no more incapable than Monta.
Frankly, if we're finding fault and measuring effort, Monta tries harder on D than Nash. When a player gets a step on Nash, he hands them off and heads back down to the offensive end without a second thought. He is possibly the worst defender that starts at the PG position in the league, and no way is that because of any physical or "skill" limitation.
I'm not saying Monta deserves a pass when he blows an assingment because Nash get's one. That wasn't the point. The point was that there are worse defenders who clearly benefit their teams, and it's a borderline irrelevancy if Monta continues to show 25ppg on >50% efficiency.
It's a weak nit to pick from the get go, especially with how his game is developing. Then trying to lay it on a effort fault and generate some faux outrage is just gooberish. Monta's bad at D because he's played exactly 2 years of basketball against high level competition or athletic peers. Do you really think he learned anything about D in high school or riding the pine with Monty? He's got a ton to learn about the game at this level and adjustments to make, but trying to pin scarlett letter on him at this stage and say he's bad because he doesn't care is lame.