June 10, 2004
The Detroit Pistons and defense
What a delight to see one of my sports idols, Bill Russell, pen a column, Victory Begins with Defense, for one of my favorite online sites, OpinionJournal:
I always would rather play in and win a close game with unrelenting defense and a final score of 84-83 than a game where one team scores 120 points and wins by 15. Dunks and great passes are always exciting, and even so-called low-scoring games have their share of them. But nothing compares to the subtle beauty of a winner absolutely taking away the other team's "game."Defense is an action, not a reaction. Great defense attacks an opponent's offense vs. reacting to it.
... Great defensive teams study the offensive patterns of every team and every player they play against. Great defensive teams understand the predictability of their opponents' offensive patterns. All great offensive players are predictable. Still, it's inconceivable that any team can always take away its opponent's first shot option or favorite move or favorite starting offensive position. But in team defense, the core operating principle is to reduce efficiency.
What an eloquent dissection of one of the foundation stones of any successful team.
Can the Detroit Pistons continue to play active, controlling defense against the L.A. Lakers? Certainly.
Will they win the series?
Quite possibly, for the Pistons play an old school, long disappeared version of pro basketball, with a hand in the face of almost every shot. The Pistons are better (but not perfect) at not handing the game to the Lakers, as have other opponents who for years have left Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Norman Rush and other Laker role players wide open for back-breaking three pointers.
There's been a lot of print analysis of the Piston's theft of the first game on the road in Los Angeles, but the TV commentators said it best, indicating that the Lakers simply are not used to being defended against! What an astounding indictment of the standing around, watching the world go by inactivity of most NBA defenses.
Much has been made of Kobe Bryant's winning shot in game 2, with only two ticks left, and what that will do to the Pistons' psyche. I don't see Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince as anything less than lion hearted, and able to come right back and play hard and without intimidation.
The series will really come down, once again, to how much the referees coddle Shaquille O'Neal, who routinely is allowed about 15 fouls per game, of which maybe four are actually called. We watch Ben Wallace get what looked like a dangerous yanking of his neck in Game 1 by Shaq -- no flagrant called, however.
Larry Bird has apparently called for homegrown, white superstars in the NBA (CNN transcript, scroll down):
I think it's good for a fan base because as we all know, the majority of the fans are white America. And if you just had a couple of white guys in there, you might get them a little excited.
The real issue with this fan is a hunger for the day when the coddled giant, his Laker pretty boy colleagues, and Jack Nicholson and other wrinkled star fans meet their match -- when a bigger, stronger and more athletic center comes along OR when the league and its referees decide to favor somebody other than the Lakers.
