Advanced Analytics shows Asik not such a great defender?

It's an interesting data point, but I think we need to broaden the statistical view. While the opposing FG% at the rim is one facet, there's also a question of how much Asik deters people from attempting shots from the rim at all.

http://hoopdata.com/oteamshotlocs.aspx

According to Hoopsdata...

Houston is 5th in the NBA with the fewest opponent shots ATTEMPTED at the rim with 24.0 opponent attempts at the rim.

Houston is also 8th in the NBA in shots MADE at the rim per game.

This is in spite of Houston having a very high pace (elevating opposing team pace as well).

So, if Asik is such a poor defender, why aren't teams exploiting the match up more? It's because Asik's defensive prowess is more multi-faceted than shot blocking.

While Dwight is an imposing presence in the paint once people get into the lane to shoot, Asik's good foot movement deters people from even attempting shots at the rim.

When Asik does get beat, it's usually because he's completely out of the position (miscommunication in switching on the defensive end) or just simply being mismatched against a great offensive player like we saw in the Blazers game with LeMarcus Aldridge.

I believe this tends to inflate the FG%. In other words, people don't try to shoot at the Rim as often, but when they do it's usually a higher percentage shot.

 

People use to wonder why Yao's BPG wasnt that high. but if you stick a 7ft6 dude in the paint you're gonna think twice about taking it to the hole. People really underestimate the shots altered/deterred aspect.

 

Asik's defensive stats are no doubt brought down by the players around him here in Houston. The amount of time he has to cover the mistakes by his teammates and especially even has to foul sometimes trying to cover the opposing guards who blow by our guards is ridiculous.

However, there is also no doubt that his out of this world defensive stats in Chicago were somewhat inflated by the fact that he played most of time there against opposing bench players as well as played in Thibs' great defensive system and often alongside two of the best defensive forwards in Gibson and Deng.

I don't think Asik is the DPOY as Morey claimed to be. As while he's fantastic guarding pick and roll, he has some trouble containing mobile guys in the post. He also doesn't have the best hop and the quickest hands to get steals and blocks.

But somewhere around Top 4-5 among centers is about right and is definitely better than any defensive stats in Houston would show.

 

Like Asik, Yao just had a bad vertical and was slow in 2nd jump ability which hurt his block numbers.

Hakeem/Mutombo were also centers opposing players feared and thought twice when driving to the hole, but apparently it still didn't affect them having godly block numbers.

 

I think as some have pointed out one of the biggest factors for his bpg numbers to be lower as exüected by the average fan is, that in order for him to to go hard for the block he needs to have a somewhat decent pf on the defensive end at his side.

I noticed, that when he has 1-2 teammates near the rim while someone is penetrating he is much more aggressive and going for the swat.

 

fixed..