Please stop thinking he's a great defender because of what you hear all the time, and that one game against kobe last year. lets be honest.he tries hard, and is great at taking charges, but right now he's the 3rd best defender on our team behind artest and wafer(playing great defense lately). I am very dissapointed in shane When will he learn to dribble the ball and drive to the basket? When will he learn other moves other than that weak left handed hook shot. Whens he gonna learn the covering a shooters face with your hands doesnt work!! it drives me crazy when he breaks up the offense by driving baseline or trying to demand the ball in the post. he's a good defender and he always plays hard, but i'm just saying i think his defense is overrated.
If you think Von Wafer is a better defender than Shane Battier, then you must not appreciate good defense. Defense isn't all about getting steals and blocking shots. Battier did awesome the first half, I think fatigue caught up with him the second half. Watch the post-game interview of the Lakers/Rockets with Kobe Bryant, he calls Battier a good defender (IIRC). Battier's offense is lacking, but don't call him an overrated defender, because without him our perimeter defense is pretty pathetic when we play teams that execute consistently (a la Utah).
besides just that one game against kobe, he is a great defender, everyone knows that. he doesnt get votes for defensive player of the year for no reason.. also dont forget, he still has that injury so not very many of the rocket players are playing at full potential right now i do agree that he should attack the basket more, id like to see him drive bc if he gets fouled, he can still make his free throws that hook shot seems to be workin so i have no problem with that, but the thing is, he has understood his role on this team, which is why he isnt that kind of player that we would like to see him be bc he doesnt really have the opportunity as for the hands in the face, that works, players have admitted it themselves. how would you like it if someone blocked your view? i would get pissed. he is more of a defensive minded player than offensive, and i dont really have a problem with that and bc of your post, im startin to think his defense is underrated
he defended kobe and wade well, they just made tough shots, u live with it. especially kobe, he shot like 30% guarded by shane, even his game winning 3 pointer, shane contested that shot well, kobe just made that shot unfortunately.
Shane had his hand right on Kobe's face when Kobe made that unbelievably sick pull up 3'pt jumper. Just watch the replays if you think Shane is overrated. Shane also saves us a few point each game drawing charges or fouling on fast break offense.
Dribble and drive? Left-handed baby hook? Umm, that's not defense. And putting a hand covering the shooter's face DOES work. It's fundamental defense. Even high school players know that. You know what the difference between us was? You watched at home on TV. I was there. In row 1. Right behind the bench for the second half. I WATCHED his defense. I watched what Shane does and walked away impressed. So I might have been wearing my Battier jersey. So what? It doesn't take away from what he brings to a team.
omg can we just let this thread die the death it deserves. Defense is more than one play a game dude. It's also more than just blocking someone or making a steal. Shane is fundamentally sound on both ends of the court and you my good sir shouldn't be allowed to start threads. I will tell you this, everything that Shane does on the offensive end... the Coach has told him to do. Probably begged him to do. As I said... let's let this thread die a fast and painless death.
shane's a one dimensional player. what else do you want from the guy? nobody was saying he's a great player. he knows his role and does it well. but his defense is kinda overrated IN THE PLAYOFFS the past 2 years though. he needs to bring his great individual defense INTO THE PLAYOFFS also then i'm happy
If Wafer were better defensively than Shane, which requires focus, basketball IQ, and discipline, not to mention a subtle understanding of the game and absolutely sound fundamentals, he should be making 15 million dollars a year. I guess all the GMs in this league are idiots, huh.
