Theo and Ira are just as.........

[JTFan31]

Important to us to be successful as Reef, Jt and BD. These are the guys that take pride on Defense. They enjoy blocking shots, picking up garbage points, stealing the ball and being nasty. These are the guys that opponents fear just as much as they fear our stars. These are the guys that have actually won games for us this year with just their defense and intensity. I really love these guys and these 2 are the ones that keep us going because they are our very own showstoppers.

[capstone21]

[Diesel]

Look at Dallas.

Undefeated and they are probably one of the worst defensive teams going.

My point is that if you have enough offense, you don't really need defense.

However, I'm glad we have Ira and Theo. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't trade them... Just glad we have them.

[swolehawk2]

Uhhhh....Dallas has actually improved their defense this year that is why they are doing so well.

[Diesel]

They have improved their defense...

However, they still are second in scoring putting up 105 ppg.

They still outscore their opponents, now they are just able to stop them better. AND when they get NVE, Lafrentz, and these other hurt guys back... It will be even worse.

[hds428]

This from the AJC....

"Bryant had 21 points, but he shot only 8-for-22, unable to coax more than a thin second-half spurt from his teammates, who fell behind by as many as 17 points. Being Kobe, Bryant also had eight assists, six rebounds, and four steals. But he got a statistical argument from Newble as well: 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals. Strong numbers for a player who has only an auxiliary role in the offense and averages 9.2 points per game.... "I score when nobody's guarding me," Newble said Tuesday. With Glenn Robinson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Jason Terry on the floor, Newble gets scant attention from defenses, but it's the way he defends that is creating a stir."

Do I smell a rivalry??? "Kobe's a great player,'' Newble said, ''but when they're hurting without Shaq and the supporting cast doesn't step up for Kobe, he can't carry the load." I wonder if that's a shot at the role players or at Kobe himself?

[Sage11]

Dito

[capstone21]

but its D that wins in the playoffs. The great thing about this team is that we have both.

[Guest Walter]

First, Dallas will never make it through the playoffs, especially in the WC where their offense isn't anymore outstanding than LA's with Shaq or SAC's, the half court game dominates, and defense becomes even more important.

Secondly, EVEN DALLAS realized that defense was the key to their suceeding as Nowitski apparently worked on it all offseason and harder than ever to a point where the coaching staff was concerned about how hard he was working. Their defense, like SAC's two years ago, is vastly improved because they KNOW they need strong defense. Under Adleman, SAC has always been an offensive force, but it wasn't until they got defensive so to speak that they began to scare LA.

If Dallas, a team with an infinite number of legitimate 20 PPG players, many more than we have and a MUCH better overall offensive team than we have, realizes you do need defense and if the entire league already knew you did, why are you so far left behind, Diesel?

The comedy here is that it wasn't 2 years ago that you insisted teams "NEEDED" defense to contend as an argument to sign Deke to whatever for however long or "[censored]" him. How self-contradictory CAN you be!?!

W

[Guest Walter]

...responded to Kobe.

Good article find. Two guys (Theo included) with attitude on defense! That's what this team needs and it seems like we have it.

W

[Guest]

With the way Kobe was frustrated would Newble

be smackin Kobe like Kendall Gill?Is the whole

league starting to feel this way?lol

[Diesel]

The problem in the playoffs most times is that teams get to a point where they can't score. We have good scoring now, I think we are much better off with Big dog. So I agree.

[Diesel]

In reply to:

---

The comedy here is that it wasn't 2 years ago that you insisted teams "NEEDED" defense to contend as an argument to sign Deke to whatever for however long or "[censored]" him. How self-contradictory CAN you be!?!

---

The only funny thing here is that you don't realize how dramaticly basketball has changed in 2 yrs. Wake the [censored] up Walter. The rules that "open" the court gives the offensive teams a huge advantage. Not to say that you don't need defense, however, I am saying that a team that can outscore it's opponent (As I said last yr) can win. Examples of that is evident. Also, defensive teams can win also.. Look at NJ. The point is that defense isn't neccessary if your offense is good enough.

[JTFan31]

Its great to have a great offense like the Mavs have, but defense is still the key to winning. When you have Defense be sure you can win. Now the Mavs vastly have improved their D this year, meaning this team has just become a contender, and they are scaring the likes of the Lakers and Kings. They are hurting a bit right now, they have keys guys out......when Raef and Nick come back this team will be even more dangerous. They have the fire power and now they have Defense.

I feel what we have here in Atlanta is very special. We have 3 guys that can score 20 points every night, we have 2 great defensive players and thats the key, great defensive players and with no doubt Theo and Ira are the best at it. Theo is the best shotblocker in the league, and Ira if Ira can contain Kobe like he did, and it wasnt a fluke, he did the same thing last year, I think Ira is the best perimeter defender in this league. We have the best of both worlds, 3 great scorers and 2 great defenders. Hawks might surprise everyone this year and make the finals but that will be a tough task. But we definitely have a championship contending team here in Atlanta for years to come.

[MoonKnight]

I am suprised at your bold statement "The point is that defense isn't neccessary if your offense is good enough". You will find no recent examples or past examples of teams that fit this statement that were serious championship contenders. Doug Moe's Denver teams? Nope. Don Nelson's Golden State teams? Hardly. Unless the Mavs play MUCH better D over the entire season and playoffs they are not a championship contender. Even their O scheme scares me in that it depends on the perimeter jump shot, almost exclusively. They have no real post players, so if they get cold on their jumpers they are in real trouble on the O end. The Mavs are fun to watch but I don't take them seriously as contenders until they consistantly play D over an entire season (a very big if).

[Guest Walter]

Any team has always been able to "outscore" its opponent on a given night, but outscoring your opponent isn't as consistent a way of winning a game as shutting down your opponent and during the playoffs offense only fails to win you anything of importance.

The best part? Even after Deke was traded and the rules were changed you insisted that they helped Deke be better than he already was and better than even a quick rotating defender like Theo. How was Deke supposed to be made better and defense to have become so unimportant at the same time?

W

[Guest Walter]

Dallas is only allowing 89 PPG (despite their quick hitting offense making for more ops for the opposition).

They held NJ to 5 pts in the last 5 mins and 40% shooting.

Good example there, Diesel. I couldn't have thought of a better recent example to prove my point save maybe SAC a few years back going from pretender to contender when they bought in and started playing tough defense.

W

[Diesel]

ntenders?

They became good because of the rule changes. Now Dallas adds just a little 1:2:2 Zone and they can play decent defense. However, it's their offense which is winning the games. Without their offense averaging 105 pts per contest Dallas would not be the winning team that it is.

In this day and age (not 20 yrs ago with Doug Moe) but over the last 2 yrs with the new rules, Defense will not win you games... But offense will. Defense will help but is not as important as offense. Again, Look at teams like the Knicks and Heat since the rule changes. No offense = NO wins.

[Diesel]

They average 105 ppg.

They have a cast of sad one on one defenders...

But

They play a 1:2: 2 zone and they are 10-0 thus far.

Now answer your own stupid question.

[Diesel]

Dallas have nobody of Theo's or Ira's skill level on defense.

They have nobody who will even make second team all defense.

They have NO really good one on one defenders (save Bradley).

BUT, they have a cast of guys who can outscore any given team at any time. They average 105 ppg.

The difference is a 1:2:2 or 3:2 zone they play. They have NO good defenders at all... But they play good defense. Now, if you remember my point.. I said that having Ira and Theo are not neccessary for us to win. In other words, if we build ourselves with Guys who we know can put up 20, we can still win in this era of NBA basketball and we don't need defensive specialist to do it.

But what we do need is a dedication to playing Zone defense. The allowance of Zone has changed Basketball. Now, you don't need a dominant C. You don't need a defensive stopper. All you need is a guy atheletic enough to rotate and not foul.

examples of this are in Dallas and Sactown. Only Bradley and Christie are guys who are known for their defense. But the teams are built to outscore their opponents. And Guess what... IT WORKS.