Since Towns has been back the defensive rating has gone from top 3 to 25th

Post #1 » by **Calinks** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 12:54 am

https://stats.nba.com/teams/defense/?sort=DEF_RATING&dir=-1&Season=2019-20&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&LastNGames=7

What is happening? How is KAT's presence transforming the defense so drastically? With Gorgui we were top 3, with KAT we are bottom 5. It's not just his defensive efforts that are low either, more perimeter players are going off, etc. Is is just a crazy coincidence with opponents? Is it that communication goes down the drain and the team is affected? What is happening to make the changes so drastic.

Why was they defense fine in the first couple of months with KAT and then it just fell off?

Timberwolves analytics team needs to be all over this.

Jedzz · Post #2 » by **Jedzz** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 1:28 am

Maybe the players counting 5% against the cap just sit back a bit and wait to see if KAT will do 30% of the work himself, being he eats up 30% of the cap. Sounds horrible in team sports environment but then again I would kind of understand. Joking, well kinda. I would imagine that the Coach tells everyone to defer so much to him that it changes everything.

Imagine Lebron taking a game off. I imagine they play quite differently. Think how much Anthony Davis backs off his game in order to allow Lebron to be involved. I think we saw Towns back off his crazy start to the season to allow Wiggins a stretch of running with it. In what what specific ways this impacts defense I'm not sure I understand enough to elaborate.

I think boxing out and not knowing how to get unboxed are both problems for this team and Kat. Teams often shoot amazing at this stadium against Wolves so first shots are bad enough. But the second chances have been daggers too.

Dewey · Post #3 » by **Dewey** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 1:56 am

Impossible ... KAT is an elite rim defender

Jedzz · Post #4 » by **Jedzz** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:32 am

Dewey wrote:Impossible ... KAT is an elite rim defender

Crazy-Canuck · Post #5 » by **Crazy-Canuck** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 6:21 am

Hes not a horrible individual defender, but unfortunately he plays the most important position in basketball regards to defense.

Hes constantly, reaching.
Hes not looking at the play.
Hes constantly back late because hes whining to the refs.
And when he does get back, his mind is still on the previous play.
And he cares most about counting stats.ie rebs, blks, stl, = good defense.

He can defend when his head is screwed on right like at the start of the year. Hes the opposite of wiggs mentally. Wiggs is emotionless while kat lets any small thing thats doesnt go his way ruin is entire day.

packforfreedom · Post #6 » by **packforfreedom** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 10:05 am

Crazy-Canuck wrote:Hes not a horrible individual defender, but unfortunately he plays the most important position in basketball regards to defense.

Hes constantly, reaching.
Hes not looking at the play.
Hes constantly back late because hes whining to the refs.
And when he does get back, his mind is still on the previous play.
And he cares most about counting stats.ie rebs, blks, stl, = good defense.

He can defend when his head is screwed on right like at the start of the year. Hes the opposite of wiggs mentally. Wiggs is emotionless while kat lets any small thing thats doesnt go his way ruin is entire day.

good points, especially about not getting back on defense ('FOUAL!!!!')

He's also overhelping all the time, and i think it's kind of lol that the other players seem to make shots even if he's contesting them. Like having a low NBA2k shot contest rating.

He also needs to do a better job at boxing out.

Crazy-Canuck · Post #7 » by **Crazy-Canuck** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 11:20 am

packforfreedom wrote:
Crazy-Canuck wrote:Hes not a horrible individual defender, but unfortunately he plays the most important position in basketball regards to defense.

Hes constantly, reaching.
Hes not looking at the play.
Hes constantly back late because hes whining to the refs.
And when he does get back, his mind is still on the previous play.
And he cares most about counting stats.ie rebs, blks, stl, = good defense.

He can defend when his head is screwed on right like at the start of the year. Hes the opposite of wiggs mentally. Wiggs is emotionless while kat lets any small thing thats doesnt go his way ruin is entire day.

good points, especially about not getting back on defense ('FOUAL!!!!')

He's also overhelping all the time, and i think it's kind of lol that the other players seem to make shots even if he's contesting them. Like having a low NBA2k shot contest rating.

He also needs to do a better job at boxing out.

I think it's a confidence thing. Theres no fear for opposing players when they come into the lane, so they go at it aggression.

Dewey · Post #8 » by **Dewey** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:04 pm

Crazy-Canuck wrote:
packforfreedom wrote:
Crazy-Canuck wrote:Hes not a horrible individual defender, but unfortunately he plays the most important position in basketball regards to defense.

Hes constantly, reaching.
Hes not looking at the play.
Hes constantly back late because hes whining to the refs.
And when he does get back, his mind is still on the previous play.
And he cares most about counting stats.ie rebs, blks, stl, = good defense.

He can defend when his head is screwed on right like at the start of the year. Hes the opposite of wiggs mentally. Wiggs is emotionless while kat lets any small thing thats doesnt go his way ruin is entire day.

good points, especially about not getting back on defense ('FOUAL!!!!')

He's also overhelping all the time, and i think it's kind of lol that the other players seem to make shots even if he's contesting them. Like having a low NBA2k shot contest rating.

He also needs to do a better job at boxing out.

I think it's a confidence thing. Theres no fear for opposing players when they come into the lane, so they go at it aggression.

MN = Minnesota Nice.
KAT = Keep Attacking Towns

Jedzz · Post #9 » by **Jedzz** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:13 pm

Dewey wrote:MN = Minnesota Nice.
KAT = Keep Attacking Towns

MnKAT = sounds like a new Minnesota government agency or no, maybe the name of a test each player must take before a contract is offered to see if a player needs further Emotion in Sports training first.

Mattya · Post #10 » by **Mattya** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:15 pm

Jedzz wrote:
Dewey wrote:Impossible ... KAT is an elite rim defender

https://stats.nba.com/players/defense-dash-lt6/

Looks like a bunch of people who don't like or don't have the capacity to understand statistics.

TheProdigy · Post #11 » by **TheProdigy** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:21 pm

Mattya wrote:
Jedzz wrote:
Dewey wrote:Impossible ... KAT is an elite rim defender

https://stats.nba.com/players/defense-dash-lt6/

Looks like a bunch of people who don't like or don't have the capacity to understand statistics.

What if KAT blows an assignment and is no where near the rim to contest a shot? Will it count against him in this metric you keep referencing?

Mattya · Post #12 » by **Mattya** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:22 pm

KAT's defensive issues are on the perimeter. He is horrible defending on the perimeter so the problem is made worse when teams run pick and roll to get him away from the basket and our weak side defenders suck. But who cares about stats and stuff.

Mattya · Post #13 » by **Mattya** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:24 pm

DaKidKG wrote:
Mattya wrote:
Jedzz wrote:

https://stats.nba.com/players/defense-dash-lt6/

Looks like a bunch of people who don't like or don't have the capacity to understand statistics.

What if KAT blows an assignment and is no where near the rim to contest a shot? Will it count against him in this metric you keep referencing?

Blows and assignment in which way? Because the defense all season has literally been for him to drop in the pick and roll. Blowing an assignment would mean that he is not dropping in the pick and roll which would take him away from the basket.

TheProdigy · Post #14 » by **TheProdigy** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:35 pm

Mattya wrote:
DaKidKG wrote:
Mattya wrote:

https://stats.nba.com/players/defense-dash-lt6/

Looks like a bunch of people who don't like or don't have the capacity to understand statistics.

What if KAT blows an assignment and is no where near the rim to contest a shot? Will it count against him in this metric you keep referencing?

Blows and assignment in which way? Because the defense all season has literally been for him to drop in the pick and roll. Blowing an assignment would mean that he is not dropping in the pick and roll which would take him away from the basket.

Yes that's what I'm referring to. Would that count against him in the DFG% you keep referencing?

Mattya · Post #15 » by **Mattya** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:46 pm

DaKidKG wrote:
Mattya wrote:
DaKidKG wrote:What if KAT blows an assignment and is no where near the rim to contest a shot? Will it count against him in this metric you keep referencing?

Blows and assignment in which way? Because the defense all season has literally been for him to drop in the pick and roll. Blowing an assignment would mean that he is not dropping in the pick and roll which would take him away from the basket.

Yes that's what I'm referring to. Would that count against him in the DFG% you keep referencing?

Of course it isn't, because he literally isn't defending the rim if he is on the perimeter. It is literally the gameplan that Vanterpool has been preaching since the start of the season. They know Towns is poor on the perimeter.

Mattya · Post #16 » by **Mattya** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:46 pm

The defense issue with Towns is 2 issues. He doesn't defend the perimeter well. Players shoot over 3% better on average when Towns is defending outside of 15'. On top of that no other player in lineups with Towns defends the paint well. So especially when we see bigs roll off of the switch off of KAT, we have no real weak side defenders. Covington himself is a positive 11.5% differential within 6' of the rim which makes sense because our weak side defenders usually leave him on an island on rolls to the rim.

Mattya · Post #17 » by **Mattya** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:51 pm

Gorgui on the other hand makes players shoot -2.2 worse outside of 15' and contains better on the perimeter while being worse defending inside. The game is perimeter oriented. Towns needs to defend the perimeter better if he wants the team to improve defensively. He isn't good at containing. He isn't even particularly good at contesting because his footwork out there is so awkward.

Dewey · Post #18 » by **Dewey** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 4:10 pm

When I sit AT the bar, I am 42% more efficient in my consumption vs. a mere 29% when I am sitting greater than arms length away. If I'm on the perimeter tables >10' away, my efficiency drops to low 17% ... after a thorough investigation and review of the analytics, I'll sit at the bar.

Jedzz · Post #19 » by **Jedzz** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 6:16 pm

Apparently Clint Capela, Hassan Whiteside, Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert all suck according to advanced stats. Or was I reading it upside down?

TheProdigy · Post #20 » by **TheProdigy** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 6:33 pm

Mattya wrote:
DaKidKG wrote:
Mattya wrote:
Blows and assignment in which way? Because the defense all season has literally been for him to drop in the pick and roll. Blowing an assignment would mean that he is not dropping in the pick and roll which would take him away from the basket.

Yes that's what I'm referring to. Would that count against him in the DFG% you keep referencing?

Of course it isn't, because he literally isn't defending the rim if he is on the perimeter. It is literally the gameplan that Vanterpool has been preaching since the start of the season. They know Towns is poor on the perimeter.

So if this statistic doesn't take into account shots attempted at the rim when he's out of position, how can we really gauge how well he's doing defending the rim based off of it? Positioning and slow reactions seem to be KAT's biggest issues. I'm not ready to call him a good rim protector if he's over helping and allowing wide open shots.