Not sure if your comment was sarcastic or not... The data is correct. Never was saying that the numbers were wrong, in measuring shot distance %s. The numbers are particularly tracked by precise cameras. But it is the sequence of action before the data point that really paints the picture of good or bad D.
Great data/facts, the eye test tells me the Rockets play better perimeter defense when D12 sits. There is more focus on the PnR defense and the big men (Dmo, Jones, Smith, and Joey) do a better job of keeping the ball handler from penetrating into the middle of the defense. However, I do realize that we are overmatched on the offensive boards.
Five Star thread - good analysis and it does show who is a good defender in truth vs in theory. Also, Dmo is going to get paid. DD
How does it work when there is a scramble or rotation? Players often times are not guarding the guy at the end of a possession who they were guarding when the possession started.
Yes... this is what I was talking about with my post above. If Harden is late getting to his man, then the entire defense is now behind when the ball is passed. So maybe Ariza can only make a last-ditch effort to get a hand up on a shooter, resulting in the stats saying Ariza gave up points, when it was really Harden's fault.
While I agree and appreciate the post, I think the other poster's point is that interpretation and presentation of any set of facts...naturally may be lined with bias (intended or not) and things that really seem off the common mark particularly deserve more scrutiny from various angles. It's like that stat which showed certain doctors with the lowest success % happened to be the best in their field. Why? Because they took the hardest cases that had really low success rates to begin with.
These graphics dont show disadvantages created by defensive mistakes. Thats bad defense and is not shown. Neither they show transition defense or alterated shots. Don't trust these graphs.
Obviously this data is not an end all be all. He says as much multiple times in this thread. It is simply data that he gave his opinion on. It is very interesting, and I believe does reaffirm some things that I have thought. Dwight is very reluctant to come out of the paint, whether it is by team design, or his own personal tendencies is a complete unknown to us as fans. He (or the team defensive strategy) struggles when he is matched with someone who can shoot outside. I do agree that, because of our defensive philosophy of essentially switching everything 1-4, it is very difficult to draw any conclusions about our perimeter players based on this data. That being said, Bev has definitely slipped according to the eye test and this data, and I always felt Ariza is a better "disruptor" than he is a 1 on 1 defender. His hands, length, and anticipation are elite, but his lateral quickness, and ability to stay in front of players is not. The style of defense he plays can not truly be measured by data like this, but is so crucial to our overall team defense's success. His data is even more skewed when you factor in him guarding the top offensive wing every night.
It doesn't. That was what I was trying to explain earlier ^ Also, good to know that he can't comment on his post (banned from GARM).
I wonder if data exist for how many possessions a player closed out on a shot by someone other than who they are matched up against, in order to see how much Ariza is really playing help D on other peoples assignments compared against other rockets.
