I think most people on our team can be plus defenders, the problem is around the rim and coaching. If we can get our team defense up dramatically and some rim protection we'd be on pace to be top 10 in league. KPJ's problem specifically is when he isn't doing good on offense he doesn't show the same effort on defense.
Porter's issue on D is effort, where too often he doesn't play engaged or takes bad risks. The other issue is that he often gets matched up against smaller and quicker players who he struggles with - I'm thinking of the Campazzo/Jalen Brunson types that absolutely killed us last year. KPJ is very good when engaged at covering guards and even rotating onto larger forwards/centers where he holds his own.
I think this assessment is pretty good. Next year Jalen and KPJ should match up with Jalen on points and KPJ on SG or SF. I think he occasionally loses focus on defense especially when he doesn’t get a call on offense. In this sense, I think he is pretty much the same as every plus offensive player in the league. It is one of the curse’s of the new NBA where every player seems to get caught arguing with the refs instead of getting back.
Not sure what stat that post refers to but even simpler metrics like defensive field goal %. Earlier last year, when I looked, he wasn't even 3rd best on the Rockets. Gordon and others were higher. Still seems to be the case. https://www.nba.com/stats/players/defense-dash-overall/?Season=2021-22&SeasonType=Regular Season&DateFrom=10/01/2021&DateTo=05/05/2022&TeamID=1610612745&sort=D_FG_PCT&dir=-1 Grain of salt some of them Rocket players had fewer games/bench minutes, against less fierce competition. KPJ is in the bottom half; worse on his own team, if remove few of the viper guys, he's just middle of the pack. The first thread reply sounds about right, he's about average / slightly below average. Think there's a narrative to say he's a plus defender... I'm doubtful. If people come with stats please do whole season, keep it broad, I hate it when people do stuff like last 10 games of season or something super specific like top 2 defense on a pick n' roll when full moon, for players from Seattle.
It's a small number. You can see the totals here: https://www.nba.com/stats/players/isolation/?SeasonType=Regular Season&CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*hou&TypeGrouping=defensive&PerMode=Totals&sort=PPP&dir=-1 Here's the inverse - our ppp for offensive isolations https://www.nba.com/stats/players/isolation/?SeasonType=Regular Season&CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*hou&PerMode=Totals&sort=PPP&dir=1 We ISO more than we get ISO'd. I guess that's because teams get whatever they want inside against us. No need to ISO.
2nd half of season, KPJ took a big leap in defensive efficiency. He has potential to be consistent plus defender. Not sure who is touting him as an elite defender, potential or otherwise.
Hopefully Rockets continue to upgrade defense via the draft to complement some of the potential inroads the team requires for future success. Improving rebounding, blocks, steals, deflections and altering shots at the rim needs to be priority for Stone and Silas.
Everyone ignoring that points per possession (iso defense) ranks WOOD as the 4th best defender on the team. LOL Perhaps DRTG and BPM are the much more reliable indicators of defensive effectiveness.
Who said Wood was the 4th best defender on the team? The post I responded to referred to one on one defense. I posted iso defense. Neither of those represents overall defense.
he's ok on the perimeter, but lacks length and size to say he's a good defender. his calling is scoring just like tyler hero who just won sixth man. He needs to accept it and come off the bench. we need a switchable wings with size to offset jalen's lack of frame on the interior.
...the stats over a season suggest he is about average but I think to most people's points here, that's by and large driven by inconsistent effort levels and we all see that on the eye test watching him play. "Can he be?" is a different question than "is he?" and so far his effort levels defensively lean toward him being only average. The "he has all the tools" people can only ride that argument for so long before it becomes clear he isn't going to do it. Generally players take a leap in year 3 or 4. Next year will be KPJ's 4th year in the league. It's really put up or shut up time for him because all those possessions where he isn't putting in effort for whatever reason(generally it's because he is mad about not getting a foul call), is one more missed opportunity where he ISN'T working on his defensive skills and all those reps are going to start adding up for KPJ vs another player who may have less tools, but at least tries every possession. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard as they say. I'll keep saying it - I really want KPJ to succeed, and while I commend him for working through some of those demons that have held him back, at some point in the very near future it will be hard to ignore the effect of missed opportunities to get better at his game while he battles anger and temperament issues while less talented players have continued to grind.
One v one defense on a switch heavy team is not very useful stat, so again, what are you really trying to say? Just what is the significance that Jalen Green is ranked #1 and Wood is ranked #4 in iso defense on Rockets?
The system isn't so terrible, its the guy at the middle of the system that breaks everything. Christian Wood. Dude gives no effort. Replace him with Sengun who's physically limited and you get similar results. Draft Mark Williams .... Fix the defense.
Good enough where I can play him at SF both ways Bring in one Ja Morant (a.k.a. Jaden Ivey) if we pick 3rd
