for sleestak, etc. these are three plays i highlighted from the rockets game that illustrate why counterpart boxscore stats are a piss poor method of estimating individual defensive impact.
in this play, dre got switched off harden with some screening. harden makes an open three on a paul george late contest. to sleestak and his cronies, this make is an indoctrination against andre roberson's individual defensive impact. even though he had nothing to do with this play.
in this play, dre denies harden the angle he wanted initially on his drive (and before the clip started, recovered to contest and deny a three point attempt by harden). harden drives in, and attempts a rare and off balance mid-range shot that he misses. this miss does get credited to dre by sleestak and his goon squad since it is reflected in harden's boxscore- but note that the defense played by dre in this play to force the tough shot is worth the same to dre's impact (for better or worse) as the above play where dre had nothing to do with it. that is, if like sleestak and his hate mongers, you base your entire idea of individual defense impact on counterpart boxscore stats.
in this play, before this clip begins dre got through two ryan anderson screens successfully as the rockets attempted a side pick and roll to no effect. dre is one of the few wings on the team that can ICE a side pick and roll consistently by the way. with ten seconds left on the clock dre plays ball denial on harden, and ultimately ryan anderson has to take a low percentage pull up three that he misses with a good late clock contest by melo.
dre gets no credit one way or another for this play in the world of sleestak and his anti-roberson acolytes since harden does not attempt a shot. but the ball denial and ICE'ing of the pnr (with anthony as the big no less) forces this late clock heave.
for people who reject any stat more complicated than points, rebounds, and assists it is shocking to me that sleestak and his conspirators don't notice this stuff going on using their eyes when they watch the games. it's awfully convenient to reject all the defensive metrics that have dre as an elite defensive player, and possibly the best defensive wing in the nba with a glib "those stats are invalid, watch the games". and then in the same breath reject the notion that dre is contributing something to the defense outside of counterpart productivity even though it's plain as day to anyone actually watching the games.
