The Phoenix Suns Defense

[AzStevenCal]

We are also the worst team in the NBA in pts allowed in the paint.

It's close but unless I'm looking at it wrong, we're second worst ahead of Minnesota and just behind New Orleans. I don't see it as a big deal anyway. We give up fewer than 3 more points a game in the paint than we score there ourselves.

Steve

 

[sunsfan88]

It's close but unless I'm looking at it wrong, we're second worst ahead of Minnesota and just behind New Orleans. I don't see it as a big deal anyway. We give up fewer than 3 more points a game in the paint than we score there ourselves.

Steve

Your right, we don't have trouble putting the ball in the basket, we just have trouble stopping the other team from doing so.

It's been an issue for this team for a very long time.

 

[slinslin]

Your right, we don't have trouble putting the ball in the basket, we just have trouble stopping the other team from doing so.

It's been an issue for this team for a very long time.

Surprise, fastbreaks often end up in points in the paint...

It's by design.

 

[mojorizen7]

Your right, we don't have trouble putting the ball in the basket, we just have trouble stopping the other team from doing so.

It's been an issue for this team for a very long time.

That's the culture, and it's the way a lot of Suns fans prefer it, it seems....judging by reading through multiple Suns boards through the years.

A fan base and it's preferences and expectations has quite a lot to do with the sports culture IMO...and how it relates to ownership and filters on down. They have to sell the product. The product in Phoenix has been high tempo, offensive-minded basketball for decades.

All one has to do is listen to the fan base.

 

[Errntknght]

Your right, we don't have trouble putting the ball in the basket, we just have trouble stopping the other team from doing so.

It's been an issue for this team for a very long time.

From watching the games I'd say that our offense carries our defense and if you look at the PER for and against the team you get offensive PER = 16.66 and defensive PER = 15.72. Since the league average PER is 15 those numbers say that we are 1.66 pts better than average on offense and .72 pts worse than average on defense. That agrees with our eye-test but clearly the offense isn't doing a lot of carrying.

One of the problems with using PER like that is the fact that PER computations include both offensive and defensive stats. Using a PER like computation which only uses offensive stats, I come up with a rating where our defense is better than average and our offense is worse than average. Combining the two shows we have about the same net difference as the PER gives.

The top 10 defensive teams is the West by this rating method - lower is better, league average = 100
GSW 89.9
Mem 92.1
Hou 94
Por 94.5
San 95.9
Dal 97.4
OKC 97.8
Pho 97.9
Uta 103.4
Nor 103.7
I'm sure people would quibble about some of the ratings but I think its quite good overall.

 

[Covert Rain]

That's the culture, and it's the way a lot of Suns fans prefer it, it seems....judging by reading through multiple Suns boards through the years.

A fan base and it's preferences and expectations has quite a lot to do with the sports culture IMO...and how it relates to ownership and filters on down. They have to sell the product. The product in Phoenix has been high tempo, offensive-minded basketball for decades.

All one has to do is listen to the fan base.

Definitely some truth here. I can't count how many times the word "entertaining" has come up when it comes to discussions about the Suns either by management or fans over the years. Something tells me if the primary word was "title" those discussions would go much differently.

 

[FArting]

Some telling numbers

Opponent Field Goals Made Per Game 27th
Opponent Field Goals Attempted Per Game 24th
Opponent Free Throws Made Per Game 29th
Opponent Free Throws Attempted Per Game 29th

 

[slinslin]

Despite a tough schedule we are the 2nd best defensive team in the league in the month of March with Drtg of 97.2

The lineup of Bledsoe, Tucker, Morris, Morris, Len/Wright is excellent defensively and on the boards.

 

[sunsfan88]

Tucker at the 2 is what's really helped the defense, this stuff is amazing

http://streamable.com/ezoz

 

[Mainstreet]

Tucker at the 2 is what's really helped the defense, this stuff is amazing

http://streamable.com/ezoz

I loved the way Tucker played defense on Harden using his body to defend him. He was sort of like a defensive back in football who always watches the hips of a wide receiver not going for the fakes.

 

[elindholm]

He was sort of like a defensive back in football who always watches the hips of a wide receiver not going for the fakes.

The funny thing is that I learned that from my first basketball coach in sixth or seventh grade, and was always considered a fairly good defender. It's really not a difficult concept, and yet most people don't seem to get it.

 

[Covert Rain]

The funny thing is that I learned that from my first basketball coach in sixth or seventh grade, and was always considered a fairly good defender. It's really not a difficult concept, and yet most people don't seem to get it.

Yep. I was even taught that playing Pop Warner football too at 8 years old. My coach used to say watch the hips not the head.

 

[Errntknght]

I learned it playing football in high school... well, I should say the coaches taught it but applying it was another matter. Conceptually simple but in the heat of the moment its difficult to do. PJ did as good a job of ignoring fakes as I've ever seen... heck, sitting there watching I was going for them.

 

[devilalum]

Despite a tough schedule we are the 2nd best defensive team in the league in the month of March with Drtg of 97.2

The lineup of Bledsoe, Tucker, Morris, Morris, Len/Wright is excellent defensively and on the boards.

I knew this would be the case and said so about 5 minutes after the trades that sent Goran and got Knight. This may be the best Suns defense since they traded DJ, maybe ever.

Where are all the people that have complained for years about the Suns offense only teams. You're wish has come true, is it everything you imagined?

 

[Covert Rain]

I knew this would be the case and said so about 5 minutes after the trades that sent Goran and got Knight. This may be the best Suns defense since they traded DJ, maybe ever.

Where are all the people that have complained for years about the Suns offense only teams. You're wish has come true, is it everything you imagined?

The month of March..during which time they have a 7-3 record. That is not how the team has played overall. The team has played horrible defense for huge stretches this year which is more of the same.

That is not what everybody's wish was from what I recall.

 

[BC867]

I knew this would be the case and said so about 5 minutes after the trades that sent Goran and got Knight. This may be the best Suns defense since they traded DJ, maybe ever.

Where are all the people that have complained for years about the Suns offense only teams. You're wish has come true, is it everything you imagined?

Everything we imagined would feature a permanent change in philosophy. Rather than a temporary injury substitution.

When you wish upon a star
McDonough and Horny are who they are
Only if they move afar
Will our dreams come true.

 

[devilalum]

Everything we imagined would feature a permanent change in philosophy. Rather than a temporary injury substitution.

When you wish upon a star
McDonough and Horny are who they are
Only if they move afar
Will our dreams come true.

C'mon man. We're finally playing some pretty descent defense/win ugly basketball and all the "defense wins championships" members have hardly had a nice thing to say about it.

I don't know if its just the injury to Knight. He's a much better defender than Goran. The Suns really made some philosophical changes at the deadline and just before. Wright and Knight in Goran and Tiny Thomas out really changed the direction. Of course its all contingent on Len staying healthy. The defense has been OK with Wright in the middle but Len is a force.

 

[Catlover]

C'mon man. We're finally playing some pretty descent defense/win ugly basketball and all the "defense wins championships" members have hardly had a nice thing to say about it.

I don't know if its just the injury to Knight. He's a much better defender than Goran. The Suns really made some philosophical changes at the deadline and just before. Wright and Knight in Goran and Tiny Thomas out really changed the direction. Of course its all contingent on Len staying healthy. The defense has been OK with Wright in the middle but Len is a force.

They were playing pretty good defense in December too with the three point guard lineup until Len started missing minutes and games.

 

[Covert Rain]

C'mon man. We're finally playing some pretty descent defense/win ugly basketball and all the "defense wins championships" members have hardly had a nice thing to say about it.

I don't know if its just the injury to Knight. He's a much better defender than Goran. The Suns really made some philosophical changes at the deadline and just before. Wright and Knight in Goran and Tiny Thomas out really changed the direction. Of course its all contingent on Len staying healthy. The defense has been OK with Wright in the middle but Len is a force.

Maybe that is because people who have been championing defense want to see it sustained versus all these major dips in it?!? It's a bit early IMO to declare the team turned around.

If they finish the season like this and sustain it, that would be extremely encouraging.

 

[Phrazbit]

C'mon man. We're finally playing some pretty descent defense/win ugly basketball and all the "defense wins championships" members have hardly had a nice thing to say about it.

I don't know if its just the injury to Knight. He's a much better defender than Goran. The Suns really made some philosophical changes at the deadline and just before. Wright and Knight in Goran and Tiny Thomas out really changed the direction. Of course its all contingent on Len staying healthy. The defense has been OK with Wright in the middle but Len is a force.

Nah, just under two years of winning and, given the slate they had to work with, adaptive basketball is enough to say Horny and McD "are what they are" and this is a lost cause.

 

[JCSunsfan]

You have to expect a pretty good defense when you are starting Len, Keiff, Mook, Tucker, and Bledsoe.

The problem is that the offense suffers.