Defense is overrated?

["Trond E. Jacobsen" <trond@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Been a lurker for a while but some nonsense forced me out, specifically:

> Defense needs in the NBA is way overrated. 

In addition to lacking detail (rated how? overrated by whom?), this is 
just a silly proposition, even assuming you mean being a quick, hand-
checking, man defender is overrated if you can do these other things.  

I agree Boston does not have enough ways to score, but this is in part 
reflects a NBA-wide decline in the willingness to pass to the open man, 
poorer outside shooting, in the case of the Celtics pathetic offensive 
sets, and IN ANY EVENT is no evidence for the proposition that defense 
is overrated.  Sure, Loyola Marymount will down Michigan every once in 
a while, but didn't see them much longer in the tourney, did we?  
(Sorry, reductio ad absurdum).

>What is needed is rebounding and more rebounding along with players
>blocking out 

Sure, other things than defense are important, such as rebounding (and 
more rebounding) and blocking out.  But you don't get rebounds if they 
get open looks, or worse, drive the lane relentlessly because you have 
a weak defender.

>and knowing their position.

That's defense too, namely team defense and it takes skill and attitude 
to accomplish.

> We have too many guys playing out of position. 

And this creates what kind of problems?  Defensive problems.  The 
ability to play team defense is not overrated.  If you can have good 
team defenders who are also good man defenders, even better (see: KC 
Jones).  I take Bill at his word that KC could've kept even Jordan in 
check :-)

The Bird/Johnson era
> were the
> slowest team in the League and they did just fine. Why?  Parish, Bird
> and
> McHale were board men. 

Parrish and especially McHale before the foot injury were among the 
best big men defenders in the game and Bird was, well, Bird.  
Frequently an incredible team defender who got rebounds, blocked out, 
etc., to compensate for his weaker man defense (which only sometimes 
was actually as bad as everyone says, its just that they gap between 
him and the rest of the league at that end of the floor was narrower.

BTW, just today in the NYT, Bird indicates his belief that defense is 
the most important determinant of top-level success.  Guess he 
overrates it as well?

Mihm and Blount give up too many points in
> their end
> of the floor.

Bill Russell's man sometimes scored more than he.  Would you have 
traded him because "defense is overrrated," we need to score?

Trond Jacobsen