Chris Wallace: Title Contenders Need Top-10 Offense, Defense

[RealGM Wiretap]

The Memphis Grizzlies have a strong frontcourt and stout defense, though their offensive efficiency needs to elevate for them to become a true title contender.

“I think an awful lot will look the same, there will be a tremendous emphasis on the defensive end,” Chris Wallace said. “If we can get the offense to rise up to the statistical rankings in the league, the way we have the defensive side of the ball, we’re going to be a hell of a team. That’s the final piece, an offense that is a top-10 offense. If you look at a team that has a chance to make a run at a title, you usually have a top-10 offense and top-10 defense.”

The Grizzlies were 21st in field goal percentage last season.

Via Gary Washburn/Boston Globe

[AI]

The Grizzlies would currently be a T10 offensive team had Wallace drafted Harden over Thabeet. Hindsight is always 20/20, though.

[Woodsanity]

Its true in most cases. People say defense wins championships but in reality its Great offense and fairly good defense wins chips or great defense and fairly good offensive wins chips.

Rarely do teams that are weak in either category win championships. They need to be around average and top 3 in the other category at least.

[cantjoshme]

The Grizzlies would currently be a T10 offensive team had Wallace drafted Harden over Thabeet. Hindsight is always 20/20, though.

or steph curry

[tsherkin]

I think almost everyone with eyes realized Thabeet would be a huge bust, provided that they actually watched him and did any kind of rudimentary comparison to the players of similar size who'd come before. This was a dude who had a college career comparable to Greg Ostertag and people thought he'd have a ceiling higher than that? Hell, Ostertag toasted Thabeet's career by comparison...

EDIT: They'd have a better offensive squad if they'd drafted me, because I'd have never seen the floor except to mop it and they could have moved my cheap rookie deal for something useful, like a second-round pick, lol.

[Whopper_Sr]

Its true in most cases. People say defense wins championships but in reality its Great offense and fairly good defense wins chips or great defense and fairly good offensive wins chips.

Rarely do teams that are weak in either category win championships. They need to be around average and top 3 in the other category at least.

Obviously, the objective is to score more points than the other team but it's the approach your team takes to achieve it that matters. I'd say rebounding, execution (defensive rotations, offensive sets, and making adjustments), and star power (someone to carry your team down the stretch, etc) are the 3 most paramount elements.

In the Playoffs, it's more about the match-ups than anything else though. How well you game-plan according to whomever you're facing will inevitably decide your fate.

[donaldtrump_00]

The Grizzlies would currently be a T10 offensive team had Wallace drafted Harden over Thabeet. Hindsight is always 20/20, though.

that's the sad par of drafting in the nba. u don't know how players will turn out,but I wanted the grizzlies to draft thabeet and thought it was the best move at the time. they had oj mayo and rudy g so I thought they needed a center like him to help them out on that end of the floor. I didn't expect him to be a bust. I thought his offense would suffer but on defense I seen him keeping his defense so high and getting at least 3 blks per game with decent rebounding but he appearently isn't ready

[Woodsanity]

Its true in most cases. People say defense wins championships but in reality its Great offense and fairly good defense wins chips or great defense and fairly good offensive wins chips.

Rarely do teams that are weak in either category win championships. They need to be around average and top 3 in the other category at least.

Obviously, the objective is to score more points than the other team but it's the approach your team takes to achieve it that matters. I'd say rebounding, execution (defensive rotations, offensive sets, and making adjustments), and star power (someone to carry your team down the stretch, etc) are the 3 most paramount elements.

In the Playoffs, it's more about the match-ups than anything else though. How well you game-plan according to whomever you're facing will inevitably decide your fate.

The Spurs strategy last season to improve their defense was to focus more on contesting shots than getting defensive rebounds and that actually worked out pretty well.

[tsherkin]

He did note that defensive rotations are important as part of his comment on execution.

[AI]

I think almost everyone with eyes realized Thabeet would be a huge bust, provided that they actually watched him and did any kind of rudimentary comparison to the players of similar size who'd come before. This was a dude who had a college career comparable to Greg Ostertag and people thought he'd have a ceiling higher than that? Hell, Ostertag toasted Thabeet's career by comparison...

EDIT: They'd have a better offensive squad if they'd drafted me, because I'd have never seen the floor except to mop it and they could have moved my cheap rookie deal for something useful, like a second-round pick, lol.

It's just so baffling to me. A team that has a skilled big man in Marc Gasol decides it would be a good idea to draft a stiff whom has no where near the same skill as their current starting center?! This is the epitome of a wasted draft pick. That Memphis team would be so special if, say, James Harden or Stephen Curry played for them.

[AI]

The Grizzlies would currently be a T10 offensive team had Wallace drafted Harden over Thabeet. Hindsight is always 20/20, though.

that's the sad par of drafting in the nba. u don't know how players will turn out,but I wanted the grizzlies to draft thabeet and thought it was the best move at the time. they had oj mayo and rudy g so I thought they needed a center like him to help them out on that end of the floor. I didn't expect him to be a bust. I thought his offense would suffer but on defense I seen him keeping his defense so high and getting at least 3 blks per game with decent rebounding but he appearently isn't ready

Even with Mayo and Gay occupying the SG and SF positions, why would it be a good idea to draft someone who isn't even 1/8th as skilled as your current starting center? 2009 was an exceptional draft, so much more options. Memphis could have gone in so many other directions with that #2 pick.