Best starting path to build: Offense or Defense?

[S.W.A.N]

Defense first.

Once you have an elite defensive culture you can add scoring.

There is always a 20+ point scorer out there that you can trade for. Lavine, Derozan, Ingram etc etc.

Playoffs are where this really pays off. Players get targeted hard in the playoffs. If you have someone on the floor who can't defend...you are limited.

As good as Brunson and Towns are we saw how they got targeted.

[Clutch0z24]

Real answer is you need a little bit of both....Without good offense you are not winning and without good defense you are not winning....

There is a difference between two way players vs 3 & D types....For example....If you have a team full of Alex Caruso types you are not making it very far but you could suggest a team full of Alex Caruso types would be an all time great defensive team....Just the offense would be really bad and you would not make it far....

To actually win you need one great two way player who can give you 25+ and also defend at a good rate...And then one offensive guy who can get you buckets who is not a total liabality....If you can have a bench full of tough defenders that would be ideal....But a championship starts from the players you have up top and if your players up top lack offensive skill sets/Defensive skill sets its hard to win in todays NBA when the teams you are going against in a potential finals matchup have these kind of players...

[deeps6x]

You need a bunch of elite defenders to win a championship.

Also, defenders make less then all offense types, so they can collectively save the team enough space to sign a superstar.

[YogurtProducer]

Defense always.

You can’t teach defense.

Haven't been watching the raps the last 5-8 years eh? You can't teach offence either it seems

Man you are losing the plot every **** post you make.

8 years? Norman, OG, Siakam, were all defence prospects when drafted who developed incredible offence.

Literally one of the best development programs in the entire NBA and you are still bitching. My god.

[Brinbe]

There's nothing without solid defense as a base, so that should always be vitally important. but your offense has still gotta be decent if you wanna win anything.

The Raps have the right idea but they simply lack a superstar.

[TheAlchemist23]

Efficient scorers, aka true stars, those are core pieces

[SpezNc]

Defence allowed you to be respectable / competitive
Then offense is needed to raise the ceiling
Then you need defence to win a championship

[Indeed]

None.
Start with Rim Pressure.
Your shooters are meaningless, unless they are Curry or someone elite in pull up 3s, otherwise, you need someone to get open. The only way to get open is teams send multiple defenders to the rim, meaning someone with rim pressure and attracted multiple defenders would allow shootings to be meaningful.

[Boogie!]

Efficient scorers, aka true stars, those are core pieces

I feel like it’s harder to find game changing offensive players than specialist defenders. Once you have those offensive stars in place it’s easy to surround them with defensive role players.

Look at the thunder… you think they are a title contender without Shai? They have a bunch of great defensive role players but they wouldn’t be winning the championship without the mvp.