Has defense vanished in the NBA?

posted March 31, 2021 at 02:10 pm

by

Lito Cinco

I'll start by saying that I'm not an analyst who can go through all of the data and then come to an
educated conclusion based on metrics.

Rather, I am an old-school basketball fan and historian, someone who has seen both the NBA's history
and present, as well as the PBA.

With that in mind, I'd like to ask the following question: is defense vanishing in the NBA due to the way
teams are currently playing the game?

Being on lockdown allows me to watch current NBA games, 10-minute highlights, and how players can
score at will, whether from the perimeter, especially from the 3-point line, or by slicing through the
middle almost uncontested. This prompted me to inquire about the NBA defense and the much-
improved offensive side. I assume the current average team score of about 110 points per game
supports my hypothesis.

As a long-time basketball fan, I can't help but equate how the game is played now to how it was played
in the 1980s and 1990s, when driving to the basket was a serious risk for any player, particularly when
facing the Detroit Pistons of Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and Rick Mahorn, to name a few.

In their daily playoff meetings, the Pistons used this "extra" form of physical defense against Michael
Jordan. It took a while for the Bulls to get the better of the Pistons and begin their NBA winning streak,
and MJ had to bulk up to withstand the pounding he received under the rim on his drives.

Many player fights occurred as a result of teams' overly physical defense at the time — Larry Bird vs.
Julius Erving, Bill Laimbeer against the Celtics and the Bulls, Charkes Oakley, Shawn Kemp, and Larry
Johnson of New York were just a few of the players involved in fights that became personal for some.

As player battles began to extend off the court, such as Ron Artest's battle with a heckler-fan, NBA
officials knew they had to act, and they did, clamping down on players' physical defense.

Many activities were forbidden for players driving to the hoop, reducing physical contact. Players could
now cut their way to the basket with little resistance from the defense.

This, in my opinion, marked the beginning of many NBA teams' focus shifting from defense to offense.
The Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, on the other hand, came along and
started winning with their all-around three-point shooting. Later on, players like Luka Doncic, Damian
Lillard, James Harden, and Trae Young, to name a few, join them as players who excel well beyond the
arc.
Not only the guards and forwards, but even the big men like Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Brook Lopez,
Kristaps Porzingis, and a slew of others, were hitting treys in no time.

NBA players have made a slew of offensive shots that could previously only be identified as Hail Marys.
Observe how players have mastered their floaters or tear drop shots, which reminds me of Toyota's
Francis Arnaiz.

The Nets are first in offense but last in safety, but their offense is consistently winning. Imagine Kevin
Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden averaging close to 80 points per game.

Person and team defense have unfortunately suffered as a result of the NBA's evolving style of play.

And that, in my opinion, is the bottom line.