Trevor Ariza, the Rockets and the concept of ‘fit’ in the NBA

This is not true. Great defenders are rare. Great offensive players are much less rare.

Name some great offensive players in the NBA currently? Sure... Lebron, Melo, Durant, Westbrook, Griffin, Harden, Kobe, LMA, Curry, Rose, Lillard, AD, etc, etc, etc.

Now name some great defenders. You've got paint defenders which are a little easier to think of - Noah, Gasol, Dwight, Davis... and then a few perimeter defenders, but not that many truly great defenders.

Why are offensive players more celebrated than defensive players. Because of the nature of the sports. Hitting a shot, doing a crazy cross-over, making a sweet pass, etc... are all things that look flashier and occur in much greater frequency than truly great defensive plays. But when there is an awesome block, people love that stuff... you just don't see it as much, and even less these days. AD is bringing back the block a bit.

Look at a different sport, the NFL. While offensive players are definitely still more the celebrities, especially since the QB position is SO SO important to wins/losses, defensive players get more pub. Why? Because of the hits. fans love seeing those brutal hits. And generally, every play, even if it is a great offensive play, ends in a hit of some kind.

Or try baseball. Yes, home run hitters are the most celebrated. But right up there with them? Pitching. And pitching IS defense.

So defense in the NBA is by no means less valuable. In fact, I think the advance statistics clearly say otherwise. But while defense equally helps in wins/losses, it doesn't equally help in generating those billion dollar TV contracts...

 

Truth.

 

Ariza isn't the weaker player and never was. Also the Wizards finished higher than the Rockets last season

 

The Rockets currently have the best defense (points allowed per possession) in the league.

 

Give credit where credit is due. McHale, Morey and the players.

 

i'm dissapoint jtr. no clutch bear credit?

 

If he was on the payroll, sure.

 

Asik is not a good fit because he refuse to come off the bench.

 

Um, the last play of game 6 in Portland? That's the one that sticks out in my mind.

 

Well, i never actually said i thought offensive skills are more valuable than defensive skills, i said that that was the common public perception, that creating is more difficult than destroying and therefore more valuable. But honestly i have to say that i do favor offensive talent higher than defensive talent, specially in soccer, but in basketball although i also feel offensive talent is more valuable the difference would be much closer because both ends of the game are almost equally difficult and equally valuable.

But hypothetically if you were a NBA GM and you would have to chose to sign between a top notch offensive talent vs a top notch defensive talent for your team, if the money was the same and you could only have one, and you would need either equally as bad, who would you chose first? Would you chose an All Star scorer that can give you 25PPG but was just decent at best on the defensive end or would you chose an All Star DPOY candidate but that was decent at best offensively? it would be a difficult decision, wouldn't it?, and if you ask me i would chose the scorer.

In this case we are comparing two players that play in the exact same position, it is unfair not to consider ALL of the aspects of the game. Specially since again they do play in the exact same position and in this case one is replacing the other in one team so we can see the team's and their individual results playing in pretty much the same environment, in fact its a very easy comparison, they have pretty much the same responsibilities and they have similar physical build etc. they are both almost equally good offensively but one is much better defensively so the nod goes to the one that plays well on both ends.

 

the quote is spot on. ariza may have been drafted strictly on athleticism, but how did he prove he belong? by exhibiting the traits the author talked about.

 

He went around it chasing Lillard but was too slow. It's where Harden should have switched on the pick.

 

Wizards are an Eastern Conference team that won 44 games last season.

Rockets are a Western Conference team that won 54 games last season.

There is no 'the Wizards were better than the Rockets' conversation that can be had. Beating Eastern teams in the playoffs counts for nothing.


However: Ariza >> Parsons.

 

I agree you don't hear it as much, but it's still true. Yesterday I heard that over the last few decades, only two teams have won it all that weren't a top 10 defense. It was the 95 Rox, and one of the Kobe/Shaq Lakers teams.

 

True. Ideally to make a run at a ring a club needs to be top five in both defense and offense. I have missed defense. I loved the grit and hard nosed play of the JVG teams.

 

The interesting part of all this is that it seems like Morey finally got that memo. Despite losing Parsons, Asik and Lin, we're a better team this year than last, thanks primarily to Ariza's defense (and the overlooked unexpected defense we've seen from Harden so far). In fact, if Morey had signed a decent backup C instead of Dorsey, we'd be a MUCH better team.

 

Morey thought he was signing a great defensive back up, at least that's what he claimed.