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I was very impressed with Zbo's defense against hte Jazz hte other day. He moved quickly, got into a strong wide stance. Reminded me a lot of Perkins.

I was shocked how impressed I was with a player that has such a bad rep on the defensive end. Has he gotten better? Was it just a few good plays and I didn't notice all the bad ones? Or was it that he's always been a good man defender but just helpless on help defense?

Or something else? maybe I'm just an idiot?

So, I guess this was a poor spot to try and discuss Zbo's defense.

Yeah - the last couple of seasons the Grizz boards have thinned, here. The Grizz's NBA.com boards are pretty active.

Re Zbo's D - it's a combination of the weight he's lost over the past couple of years, recovering from last season's knee injury and the confidence/game that he and Marc have.

Also, I know it's become cliche - but Marc and Zach's BBIQ is generally off the charts. They can make up (on most nights) for overall lack of athleticism with court vision, knowing their roles, spacing, etc... This is reflected in their offensive game - nearly 7 assists through Marc and Zach.

I mean I didn't catch the contest on Saturday, but I can say that Z-bo's defense is slightly underrated. He does a good job positioning himself and going up with two hands. Typically, other players from the wing help down and this forces the ball out of most post players' hands.

Still, he's not vertically explosive at all, as I am sure you are aware. So, players can shoot over him, even when he has good positioning.

One of my main issues with the Grizzlies organization is their lack of an intimidating shot blocker inside. Arthur is athletic and will be able to contribute somewhat in that regard, but this shot blocking presence is really something that the Grizzlies lack.