[Chro.]Adelman: Defense's role will not be significantly diminished in the new season

The opening game, I really wonder how many points we get. above 100 or under?

 

Well I think above 100. Now it's preseason, very important time especiall for us. We need to learn this offense, we have to cut our TO. If we do that we will get easilly 100+ points a game

 

I was and still am concerned about defence. A good previous defensive minded coach does not mean that the team will still play good defence, just look at the Grizzlies under Fratello and Barone. However it's been better than I expected thus far although it's only preseason and it's good to hear Adelman saying that defence won't be an afterthought.

As for Rafer, I've never understood the constant criticizing of his defence on this board. He usually has problems with quicker players, like Chris Paul, but all in all, I think he is pretty solid.

 

I guess the coach last season practiced too much defense and didn't have enough time to practice offense.

 

Both the fans and those coaches can be correct. You are trying to lump all defense into one "either/or" category.

There are dozens of NBA players who are not quick enough, strong enough or athletic enough to be good 1on1 defenders. But they are good team and/or perimeter defenders because they know and quickly recall where they are supposed to force the penetration, where help is coming from and where they are supposed to rotate.

IOW, a "good" defender can be a lock-down 1on1 with so-so rotational skills while another "good" defender can be so-so at 1on1 but very good as a team defender. One skill set doesn't automaticaaly beget the other in either direction.

 

rafer plays good team defense and very average one on one and pick and roll defense.

 

One thing you have to give Van Gundy credit for is improving Rafer's team D. I think Alston played the best defense of his career last year. His man defense could really get exposed, but overall, Alston was decent.

 

Everyone plays better team defense with JVG because his defensive system is a good system--defensively, that is.

 

Good points.

But my impression was that JVG felt Rafer was an above average 1on1 defender (I believe he said he was our best pressure defender on quick guards last year).

And some here give the general assessment that Rafer is a bad defender, while Adelman is obviously giving the general assessment that he's a good defender. So, are they just looking at different things, or is there a genuine disagreement?

 

mike james is a good aggressive on ball defender...a little more difficult to screen in pick and rolls...has ability to guard 2g's for limited minutes...better one on one defender than alston, but more foul prone. a little worse team defense