http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...g=dirtyjobstopperimeterdef&prov=tsn&type=lgns According to an advance scout, no one does perimeter D better than these guys: 1. Bruce Bowen, Spurs. What separates him are intelligence and effort. He says he doesn’t watch a lot of video, but he’s reading scouting reports or something because he does a great job of knowing where his guy is supposed to get the ball. Some consider him a dirty player because of how shooters sometimes land on his feet, but I don’t agree. Bowen also has great versatility, able to guard anyone except centers. 2. Tayshaun Prince, Pistons. He might not be as good chasing guys around screens as Bowen is , but no one’s better at sticking with his man once he has the ball. That’s why he’ll block more shots than these other guys. 3. Raja Bell, Suns. He will get right up on his man and still make it difficult for him to get around him. What makes him different from these other guys is he’s tough and physical. For example, if Bowen gets tangled up with his man, he’s likely to flop. Bell is more likely to mix in an elbow. 4. James Posey, Celtics. He always puts that extra effort into closing out on shooters. He’s so long, and that helps him do a great job of contesting shots. When his man has the ball, Posey will try to keep a hand over it, not necessarily to reach in for it, but to make it more difficult for his man to go up for a shot. 5. Kobe Bryant , Lakers/LeBron James, Cavaliers. These two could be the best, but they just don’t always give the necessary effort. Of course, it’s more important for them to score than to defend, but that’s a difference between them and Michael Jordan. He was expected to score, too, but even during the regular season, he would flat-out lock guys down every night it was necessary. I don’t see that same focus from these two. No mention of Battier in a top 5 "perimeter" defender list is bush. Lebron gets a co-nod for potential defensive abilities?
1-on-1 Prince is the best. Bowen is just riding on hand check fouls that the refs can't see and reputation at this point. I don't know if Battier shouldn't be in the top 5-6 but man-on defense is not his strong suit. He just doesn't have the quickness or length to keep up with the best penetrators in the league.
1 on 1 maybe not, but I didn't see a mention of that in the article. Consistency is a huge part of being a good-great defender. Leaving Battier off while including Lebron really got me steamed.
No kidding. Kobe might be the best offensive force of all time, and he is a really good defender when he wants to be. But to include him as one of the best in the game is pretty damn stupid. Bowen is not as good as he used to be. More dirty now then good. Not enough can be said about Prince. His length obviously helps. Raja Bell sux now. James Posey? LOL! Battier is definitely in the top three. I would only rank him behind Artest and Prince.
Obviously you didn't see him completely shut down Barbosa last summer. When he is really trying like these guys who aren't asked to do nearly as much as him, he is definitely one of the best in the league. You have to watch him in the short stretches when he devotes himself to D to see what i mean. IMO the others on the list are the overrated ones. Bowen has gotten old and Bell is probably the most overrated defender i've ever seen. He got alot of props for being the only competent defender on a terrible defensive team. In order: Tayshaun Prince, Shane, Artest, Kobe, and either Bowen or Josh Smith. I think guys like Posey get too much credit cause all they have to do is play defense. If Artest and Kobe only had to play defense then they would win multiple DPOY's.
Kobe is an elite defender at times much like Tmac although Kobe shows his defensive prowess more often. Raja Bell is a joke. In his day he was a good defender but no close to eliet and his day has passed so as of now he is rated an above average defender in my book. Bowen, Prince and Posey are legit choices but Battier certainly deserves to be in the top 5 somewhere.
Posey may look better at times but he has had the luxury of playing sub 30 minutes per game for years now. Battier is playing 40+ against the deadliest of opponents. Battier doesn't get the luxury of rest.
Josh Smith doesn't guard perimeter players and is all stats -- no brains. He'll get a few steals and swat a few shots into the 4th row but when it comes to staying in front of the guy, knowing your scouting reports, etc. he's pretty weak.
The writer mentioned intelligence and effort about Bowen. That describes Battier even before mentioning Battier's skills. He mentioned defensive versality. Which probably shouldnta been mentioned since this is about PERIMETER defenders. So If you include defending multiple positions, it just includes Battier even more He mentioned Tayshaun getting more blocks than these guys. You figure he would with his length. You'd figure stats is where Battier would not excel in. But in actuality this is where Battier is superior to this field. Total blocks, Battier - 90. Tayshaun - only 33. You'd figure the exact opposite but its not the case. Adding in steals, Battier averages more blocks and steals together a game than the rest of these guys.
His strengths are making people miss jump shots without blocking them, stopping people in the paint by getting all ball or changing the shot, drawing charges, rotating on defenders ridiculously quickly (due to probably his best trait, court awareness), and helping other people when they miss on their defensive rotations. All these things are key to making the Rockets the #2 defensive team in the league this year. He'll have mixed results on the perimeter. He completely shut down Melo and Durant for the most part this year, but Kobe did burn him a time or tow.
Top 5 perimeter defenders, the list got to include chris paul. And where is marion, artest and battier? bowen is just pure dirty. And he can no longer guard players that is 2 inch taller/20 pound heavier. bell is all physical... all he do is push and whack, i do not credit that as defense. posey, one of the most underrated defender, but his not better than battier. kobe, is still one the best defender, as long as he willed himself to do it, something like tmac. lebron? i never notice his defense other than his steals and blocks.
This list is just ridicilous. They are talking about the best perimeter defenders and there's no mention about Battier or Artest? They actually put LeBron and Posey ahead of these guys? I'm speechless.
