Kawakami drills the ODB on the state of the young core

[FNQ]

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You mistake not emphasising defense with not understanding defense. Yeah, it would be helpful if Monta at least tried. Last night he got screened by the invisible man. That was pretty funny. Funny and sad at the same time.

Ridnour killed us... we definitely need better defenders on top. The problem couldnt be Barntrus and Webber.... in a year full of coincidences, when Al/Beans/Wright's man gets screened, all of a sudden Tay's defense is good...

Its hilarious to me that Nellie's not called them out due to defense... Nelson is either oblivious or doesn't care, take your pick.... I hope its the latter and he just cant wait to get out of the biz

[Sleepy51]

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Monta has been on a professional basketball team for 3 years now. I would've expected him to pick up a thing or two. The "he came out of high school" excuse will only last so long.

True enough.

But he is just now (this year) entering the stage where habits are being set. (I know W's fans have forgotten what player "development" looks like, since we haven't improved anyone in a Warrior jersey for quite a while.) But, I'd agree he won't necessarily make any big leaps beyond the next couple of years if he doesn't set LEARNING habits now. I guess my beef with your contention was pinning his deficiencies on attitude/effort. When I watch him on D, the mistakes he makes, and the body language communicate to me a lot more "oh s I just got spanked" rather than "f it, I score a lot so I don't care." I don't see effort or attitude as the consistent issue. I see a guy who makes mistakes, and seems to take the mistakes to heart. The worst thing I'd say on the attitude front is that he get's defeated when he is having a bad defensive game. He' surrenders to his mistakes too much and can get hangdog about it. But I don't see any signs that he doesn't give a crap.

To me he really just doesn't seem to know his way around the floor in more sophisticated defensive concepts. I think he kind of approaches D like a streetballer . . . in his mind, the worst case scenario is getting beat to the rack. "Please, lord, just don't let me get my ankles broken and dunked on. They won't pick me up next run." So he gives up a lot on the outside and in the process, sometimes hurts the team D structure. He gives opponents too much room to be comfortable, run their sets, use their screens, have room to operate and set him up.

There is so much to hoops that really does have to be TAUGHT, especially on the defensive end as the athletic tide rises. In organized ball, defense isn't as simple as "stay in front of him and keep your hands up" Only a few players can take everything away from good players working in a system. As the quality of the game improves, more and more of defense is about having the knowledge and understanding your role in the defensive system to influence the offense into the option that your team defense is best prepared to counter (that means more than just taking away their strong hand.)

Monta doesn't always get his role in the system right, and given his circumstances leading up to this point, and our fricking BIZZARE - no where else in the basketball universe - defensive system, his "wisdom" deficiencies make a good deal of sense.

Nash is as quick as Monta? Really? I don't buy that, but whatever. Yeah, I do hear you that Nash does dog it alot but even if he tried, I doubt he would be an average defender.

Nash is not substantially less quick than Monta as far as lateral quickness. First step with the ball in hand, or flat out speed end to end, Monta is obviosuly superior, but agility? Sliding side to side, changing direction, the stuff that has the most impact on D? I don't see enough of a difference to give Nash the free pass he takes on D. Nash's lack of D is an effort issue (or more accurately a "focus" issue.) He has simply been allowed to declare that defense is not his job. He should be a lot better, but nobody cares because he's dynamic and smart on offense.

Nash's 2 MVP's are a commentary on the state of perimeter defense in the NBA. Nobody cares.

[old rem]

At the NBA level,D is often about holding an opponent to 35% instead of 40% and getting enough boards so it's not 35% x3. With all the tactical stuff,screens,picks,trying to double team or try for the steal-you play %'s and hope the balance goes your way. Even if you have Olajuwon or Duncan in the paint...the other team may get 90. It's ther pros.

My former HS's team is in the playoffs in Ohio,Div 1, and in the rd 1 game-held the other team to a 4 point first half. In the rd 2 game we held the opp9onent to 16 pt total. The philosophy seems to be-you need to be REAL good to even score 30 on us..and we'll get 50+. In the pros--there's such extreme athletes that NOBODY scores under 60,and you won't see back to back games where the opponent FG % is below 15%. In part,the NBA draws from a pool where SCORING is highly emphasized. The 5 pt a game role guys are afterthoughts-even though some emerge as major guys

[old rem]

Quickness can be pure physical but in hoops there's an "applied quickness" that has a lot to do with anticipation/recognition it's the mental component...and where experiance is a big plus. Basically--that's the stuff that kept Mullin in the NBA.

[turk3d]

Quickness can be pure physical but in hoops there's an "applied quickness" that has a lot to do with anticipation/recognition it's the mental component...and where experiance is a big plus. Basically--that's the stuff that kept Mullin in the NBA.

Rick Barry, too, very slow guy but extremely quick off the ball or as some people call it "a quick first step".