aka The Who's A Big Badass Defender? Boogie's A Big Badass Defender! thread.
Alrighty ladies and gents. I decided it was time to do a thread on Boogie's defense, and rather than whip out a quick one, I decided to do this right. So here's what we've got:
20 contenders -- the Top 20 defensive anchors in the NBA
7 statistical measures -- Per 100 blocks, steals, d-rebs, rim protection, charges drawn, and 2 measures of defensive +/-
And watch the Boogie go now. I'm serious when I say spread the gospel. I know these things, in my spare time I slip them to media voices, but I'm one voice, and Boogie is in some real need of disciples. And the numbers say he's worth it.
A) Who's In the Comparison?
Marc Gasol (2013 DPOY)
Tyson Chandler (2012 DPOY)
Joakim Noah (2014 DPOY)
Dwight Howard (2009, 2010, 2011 DPOY)
Rudy Gobert
Al Horford
DeAndre Jordan
Tim Duncan
Roy Hibbert
Andre Drummond
Hassan Whiteside
Andrew Bogut
Robin Lopez
Marcin Gortat
DeMarcus Cousins
Omar Asik
Steven Adams
Gorgei Dieng
Jonas Valanciunas
Nerlens Noel
So in other words no fewer than the Top 20 of 30 starting centers in defense, leaving off only the messy platoon/non defensive centers in Orlando, Charlotte, New Jersey, New York, Boston, Milwaulkee, Cleveland, Denver, Phoenix and the Lakers. So we should have everybody who could remotely be called a defensive anchor covered. Nothing cherrypicked.
B) What Stats Are Going to Be Used In The Comparison?
Per Game stats of course are inaccurate because guys play different minutes. Per 36 are more accurate because now they equalize minutes. Per 100 possession stats are most accurate of all, because now they equalize for possessions, and so equalize centers playing for teams that play at different paces. So we'll use those when possible.
Defensive Rebounds/per 100 poss
Blocks / per 100 poss
Steals /per 100 poss
Charges drawn (available only in totals)
Opponents FG% At The Rim
DPRM (Defensive Real Plus Minus -- ESPN's big per minute defensive impact stat)
Defensive On/Off +/- / per 100 possessions
Stat sites used will include basketball-reference.com, 82games.com, NBA.com, and for charges drawn from a Mar. 6 article (hence a few weeks old) on: http://hoopsmanifesto.com/articles/nba-stats/nba-charges-drawn-total-201415.html . Where the stats come with a leaguewide rank, that will be included. Alright? Covers just about everything, so let's go:
C) The Numbers:
1) Defensive Rebounds /per 100 possessions
Whiteside 15.6 (#1)
Jordan 14.7 (#2)
Cousins 13.9 (#3) <------------
Drummond 13.6 (#4)
Asik 13.5 (#6)
Howard 12.8 (#7)
Gobert 12.6 (#8)
Bogut 12.5 (#9)
Chandler 12.2 (#12)
Duncan 12.2 (#13)
Valanciunas 11.7 (#21)
Gortat 11.2 (#26)
Noah 11.0 (#30)
Hibbert 10.1 (#38)
Gasol 10.0 (#40)
Adams 9.5 (#50)
Noel 9.3 (#54)
Horford 9.2 (#55)
Dieng 9.0 (#65)
Lopez 6.5 (#124)
*note leaguewide ranks here are among all 269 players who have played at least 979min this season (Whiteside has played 979, so that was my cutoff).
2) Blocks /per 100 possessions
Whiteside 5.6 (#1)
Gobert 4.8 (#3)
Bogut 3.4 (#7)
Duncan 3.4 (#8)
Hibbert 3.4 (#9)
Jordan 3.2 (#13)
Noel 3.1 (#15)
Drummond 3.0 (#16)
Dieng 2.9 (#17)
Lopez 2.7 (#24)
Cousins 2.6 (#26) <------------
Gasol 2.6 (#27)
Adams 2.4 (#33)
Valanciunas 2.4 (#34)
Gortat 2.3 (#35)
Horford 2.1 (#41)
Howard 2.1 (#42)
Chandler 2.0 (#44)
Noah 2.0 (#46)
Asik 1.5 (#58)
*note leaguewide ranks here are among all 269 players who have played at least 979min this season (Whiteside has played 979, so that was my cutoff).
3) Steals /per 100 possessions
Noel 2.9 (#8)
Cousins 2.3 (#32) <------------
Dieng 1.6 (#110)
Drummond 1.6 (#112)
Gobert 1.6 (#113)
Duncan 1.4 (#146)
Gasol 1.4 (#149)
Horford 1.4 (#152)
Jordan 1.4 (#154)
Bogut 1.3 (#167)
Whiteside 1.3 (#184)
Adams 1.1 (#208)
Noah 1.1 (#216)
Chandler 1.0 (#222)
Gortat 1.0 (#225)
Howard 1.0 (#225)
Asik 0.8 (#249)
Valanciunas 0.8 (#254)
Lopez 0.6 (#264)
Hibbert 0.4 (#268)
*note leaguewide ranks here are among all 269 players who have played at least 979min this season (Whiteside has played 979, so that was my cutoff).
**basically there are only 2 mainline centers for whom steals are a significant factor, Noel (who may move to PF next year) and Boogie. Like the next category, its almost a Boogie only specialty, a bonus nobody else gets.
4) Charges Drawn
Cousins 25 (#1) <------------
Noah 6 (#41t)
Gasol 6 (#41t)
Dieng 4 (#67t)
Chandler 4 (#67t)
Gortat 3 (#87t)
Hibbert 3 (#87t)
Drummond 2 (#126t)
Bogut 2 (#126t)
Noel 1 (#181t)
Gobert 1 (#181t)
Duncan 0 (#---)
Horford 0 (#---)
Jordan 0 (#---)
Whiteside 0 (#---)
Adams 0 (#---)
Howard 0 (#---)
Asik 0 (#---)
Valanciunas 0 (#---)
Lopez 0 (#---)
*stats are through March 6, from http://hoopsmanifesto.com/articles/nba-stats/nba-charges-drawn-total-201415.html
*this is a Boogie only special. He's the only major center who does this at all. By the end of the year he'll probably have given us 30 more possessions this way than any other center. Worth more than a block because of the guaranteed possession (although blocks intimidate). Throw that number on top of his blocks number and he could easily be #3 on a "stops" list too.
5) Opponent FG% At The Rim
Gobert 39.1%
Bogut 40.9%
Hibbert 42.9%
Noel 45.0%
Howard 45.5%
Valanciunas 46.2%
Duncan 46.2%
Lopez 47.1%
Cousins 47.4% <------------
Adams 47.9%
Whiteside 47.9%
Drummond 48.5%
Jordan 48.5%
Gortat 48.7%
Gasol 49.5%
Asik 50.0%
Horford 50.2%
Chandler 51.4%
Noah 51.8%
Dieng 55.8%
*note leaguewide ranks in this stat are not really relevant as a number of the top guys are guards who have just stopped a few guys on the break or whatnot. Defensive anchors have vastly larger responsibiliites and are best compared to each other.
6) DPRM (Defensive Real Plus Minus)
Bogut 5.91 (#1)
Cousins 4.52 (#6) <------------
Duncan 4.46 (#7)
Gobert 3.57 (#12)
Noel 3.45 (#15)
Chandler 3.18 (#19)
Noah 2.59 (#28)
Whiteside 2.45 (#30)
Hibbert 2.38 (#34)
Gortat 2.37 (#35)
Jordan 2.19 (#41)
Asik 1.88 (#55)
Gasol 1.80 (#58)
Lopez 1.76 (#60)
Adams 1.55 (#71)
Drummond 1.59 (#74)
Howard 1.31 (#84)
Horford 0.75 (#116)
Valanciunas 0.35 (#157)
Dieng 0.09 (#186)
*I don't even like ESPN's RPM type stats. The same stat, offensive version, will tell you that Deron Williams, Kelly Olynk and Tiago Splitter are all having more impact than Boogie on the offensive side of the ball. Nonetheless its my offering to the advanced stat fans.
7) Defensive On/Off +/- Per 100 Possesions
Cousins 104.5/116.3 = -11.8 <---------------
Gortat 100.9/110.1 = -9.2
Bogut 97.0/103.9 = -6.9
Gobert 106.8/113.1 = -6.3
Howard 101.4/106.7 = -5.3
Noel 104.3/108.9 = -4.6
Whiteside 106.2/110.1 = -3.9
Chandler 105.7/109.0 = -3.3
Asik 107.8/110.9 = -3.1
Noah 104.8/106.8 = -2.0
Lopez 101.7/103.4 = -1.7
Duncan 103.1/104.1 = -1.0
Dieng 112.7/112.4 = +0.2
Adams 105.1/104.5 = +0.5
Jordan 108.9/106.7 +2.2
Hibbert 106.8/104.3 = +2.5
Drummond 108.8/105.8 = +3.0
Horford 105.0/101.6 = +3.3
Valanciunas 110.4/106.7 = +3.7
Gasol 105.0/99.8 = +5.3
* entirely apart from the staggering impact, if you just take our Defensive Points/100 with Boogie on the floor, and compare it to all the other team's per 100's, we straight out have the 6th best defense of the entire group. You take him away and its dead last, by a mile.
Summary
For those who may have missed it, DeMarcus Cousins, OUR defensive anchor, ranks ahead of the last 6 NBA DPOYs in every single one of the above categories, except for Opp FG% at Rim, where Howard was slightly ahead. This is not merely an improving defender, or a pretty good one, this is an elite defensive center. All the numbers say it. So does the eye test. Its high time more people figured that out. Help them to do so.
Alrighty ladies and gents. I decided it was time to do a thread on Boogie's defense, and rather than whip out a quick one, I decided to do this right. So here's what we've got:
20 contenders -- the Top 20 defensive anchors in the NBA
7 statistical measures -- Per 100 blocks, steals, d-rebs, rim protection, charges drawn, and 2 measures of defensive +/-
And watch the Boogie go now. I'm serious when I say spread the gospel. I know these things, in my spare time I slip them to media voices, but I'm one voice, and Boogie is in some real need of disciples. And the numbers say he's worth it.
A) Who's In the Comparison?
Marc Gasol (2013 DPOY)
Tyson Chandler (2012 DPOY)
Joakim Noah (2014 DPOY)
Dwight Howard (2009, 2010, 2011 DPOY)
Rudy Gobert
Al Horford
DeAndre Jordan
Tim Duncan
Roy Hibbert
Andre Drummond
Hassan Whiteside
Andrew Bogut
Robin Lopez
Marcin Gortat
DeMarcus Cousins
Omar Asik
Steven Adams
Gorgei Dieng
Jonas Valanciunas
Nerlens Noel
So in other words no fewer than the Top 20 of 30 starting centers in defense, leaving off only the messy platoon/non defensive centers in Orlando, Charlotte, New Jersey, New York, Boston, Milwaulkee, Cleveland, Denver, Phoenix and the Lakers. So we should have everybody who could remotely be called a defensive anchor covered. Nothing cherrypicked.
B) What Stats Are Going to Be Used In The Comparison?
Per Game stats of course are inaccurate because guys play different minutes. Per 36 are more accurate because now they equalize minutes. Per 100 possession stats are most accurate of all, because now they equalize for possessions, and so equalize centers playing for teams that play at different paces. So we'll use those when possible.
Defensive Rebounds/per 100 poss
Blocks / per 100 poss
Steals /per 100 poss
Charges drawn (available only in totals)
Opponents FG% At The Rim
DPRM (Defensive Real Plus Minus -- ESPN's big per minute defensive impact stat)
Defensive On/Off +/- / per 100 possessions
Stat sites used will include basketball-reference.com, 82games.com, NBA.com, and for charges drawn from a Mar. 6 article (hence a few weeks old) on: http://hoopsmanifesto.com/articles/nba-stats/nba-charges-drawn-total-201415.html . Where the stats come with a leaguewide rank, that will be included. Alright? Covers just about everything, so let's go:
C) The Numbers:
1) Defensive Rebounds /per 100 possessions
Whiteside 15.6 (#1)
Jordan 14.7 (#2)
Cousins 13.9 (#3) <------------
Drummond 13.6 (#4)
Asik 13.5 (#6)
Howard 12.8 (#7)
Gobert 12.6 (#8)
Bogut 12.5 (#9)
Chandler 12.2 (#12)
Duncan 12.2 (#13)
Valanciunas 11.7 (#21)
Gortat 11.2 (#26)
Noah 11.0 (#30)
Hibbert 10.1 (#38)
Gasol 10.0 (#40)
Adams 9.5 (#50)
Noel 9.3 (#54)
Horford 9.2 (#55)
Dieng 9.0 (#65)
Lopez 6.5 (#124)
*note leaguewide ranks here are among all 269 players who have played at least 979min this season (Whiteside has played 979, so that was my cutoff).
2) Blocks /per 100 possessions
Whiteside 5.6 (#1)
Gobert 4.8 (#3)
Bogut 3.4 (#7)
Duncan 3.4 (#8)
Hibbert 3.4 (#9)
Jordan 3.2 (#13)
Noel 3.1 (#15)
Drummond 3.0 (#16)
Dieng 2.9 (#17)
Lopez 2.7 (#24)
Cousins 2.6 (#26) <------------
Gasol 2.6 (#27)
Adams 2.4 (#33)
Valanciunas 2.4 (#34)
Gortat 2.3 (#35)
Horford 2.1 (#41)
Howard 2.1 (#42)
Chandler 2.0 (#44)
Noah 2.0 (#46)
Asik 1.5 (#58)
*note leaguewide ranks here are among all 269 players who have played at least 979min this season (Whiteside has played 979, so that was my cutoff).
3) Steals /per 100 possessions
Noel 2.9 (#8)
Cousins 2.3 (#32) <------------
Dieng 1.6 (#110)
Drummond 1.6 (#112)
Gobert 1.6 (#113)
Duncan 1.4 (#146)
Gasol 1.4 (#149)
Horford 1.4 (#152)
Jordan 1.4 (#154)
Bogut 1.3 (#167)
Whiteside 1.3 (#184)
Adams 1.1 (#208)
Noah 1.1 (#216)
Chandler 1.0 (#222)
Gortat 1.0 (#225)
Howard 1.0 (#225)
Asik 0.8 (#249)
Valanciunas 0.8 (#254)
Lopez 0.6 (#264)
Hibbert 0.4 (#268)
*note leaguewide ranks here are among all 269 players who have played at least 979min this season (Whiteside has played 979, so that was my cutoff).
**basically there are only 2 mainline centers for whom steals are a significant factor, Noel (who may move to PF next year) and Boogie. Like the next category, its almost a Boogie only specialty, a bonus nobody else gets.
4) Charges Drawn
Cousins 25 (#1) <------------
Noah 6 (#41t)
Gasol 6 (#41t)
Dieng 4 (#67t)
Chandler 4 (#67t)
Gortat 3 (#87t)
Hibbert 3 (#87t)
Drummond 2 (#126t)
Bogut 2 (#126t)
Noel 1 (#181t)
Gobert 1 (#181t)
Duncan 0 (#---)
Horford 0 (#---)
Jordan 0 (#---)
Whiteside 0 (#---)
Adams 0 (#---)
Howard 0 (#---)
Asik 0 (#---)
Valanciunas 0 (#---)
Lopez 0 (#---)
*stats are through March 6, from http://hoopsmanifesto.com/articles/nba-stats/nba-charges-drawn-total-201415.html
*this is a Boogie only special. He's the only major center who does this at all. By the end of the year he'll probably have given us 30 more possessions this way than any other center. Worth more than a block because of the guaranteed possession (although blocks intimidate). Throw that number on top of his blocks number and he could easily be #3 on a "stops" list too.
5) Opponent FG% At The Rim
Gobert 39.1%
Bogut 40.9%
Hibbert 42.9%
Noel 45.0%
Howard 45.5%
Valanciunas 46.2%
Duncan 46.2%
Lopez 47.1%
Cousins 47.4% <------------
Adams 47.9%
Whiteside 47.9%
Drummond 48.5%
Jordan 48.5%
Gortat 48.7%
Gasol 49.5%
Asik 50.0%
Horford 50.2%
Chandler 51.4%
Noah 51.8%
Dieng 55.8%
*note leaguewide ranks in this stat are not really relevant as a number of the top guys are guards who have just stopped a few guys on the break or whatnot. Defensive anchors have vastly larger responsibiliites and are best compared to each other.
6) DPRM (Defensive Real Plus Minus)
Bogut 5.91 (#1)
Cousins 4.52 (#6) <------------
Duncan 4.46 (#7)
Gobert 3.57 (#12)
Noel 3.45 (#15)
Chandler 3.18 (#19)
Noah 2.59 (#28)
Whiteside 2.45 (#30)
Hibbert 2.38 (#34)
Gortat 2.37 (#35)
Jordan 2.19 (#41)
Asik 1.88 (#55)
Gasol 1.80 (#58)
Lopez 1.76 (#60)
Adams 1.55 (#71)
Drummond 1.59 (#74)
Howard 1.31 (#84)
Horford 0.75 (#116)
Valanciunas 0.35 (#157)
Dieng 0.09 (#186)
*I don't even like ESPN's RPM type stats. The same stat, offensive version, will tell you that Deron Williams, Kelly Olynk and Tiago Splitter are all having more impact than Boogie on the offensive side of the ball. Nonetheless its my offering to the advanced stat fans.
7) Defensive On/Off +/- Per 100 Possesions
Cousins 104.5/116.3 = -11.8 <---------------
Gortat 100.9/110.1 = -9.2
Bogut 97.0/103.9 = -6.9
Gobert 106.8/113.1 = -6.3
Howard 101.4/106.7 = -5.3
Noel 104.3/108.9 = -4.6
Whiteside 106.2/110.1 = -3.9
Chandler 105.7/109.0 = -3.3
Asik 107.8/110.9 = -3.1
Noah 104.8/106.8 = -2.0
Lopez 101.7/103.4 = -1.7
Duncan 103.1/104.1 = -1.0
Dieng 112.7/112.4 = +0.2
Adams 105.1/104.5 = +0.5
Jordan 108.9/106.7 +2.2
Hibbert 106.8/104.3 = +2.5
Drummond 108.8/105.8 = +3.0
Horford 105.0/101.6 = +3.3
Valanciunas 110.4/106.7 = +3.7
Gasol 105.0/99.8 = +5.3
* entirely apart from the staggering impact, if you just take our Defensive Points/100 with Boogie on the floor, and compare it to all the other team's per 100's, we straight out have the 6th best defense of the entire group. You take him away and its dead last, by a mile.
Summary
For those who may have missed it, DeMarcus Cousins, OUR defensive anchor, ranks ahead of the last 6 NBA DPOYs in every single one of the above categories, except for Opp FG% at Rim, where Howard was slightly ahead. This is not merely an improving defender, or a pretty good one, this is an elite defensive center. All the numbers say it. So does the eye test. Its high time more people figured that out. Help them to do so.
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