Burt! Butt down! Bend at the knees! Back straight! Arms up! Slide your feet! Those were things yelled at me through out my grade school, high school and summer cap basketball years. Even though I am now 33 years old, ugh, I still to this day play defense with my butt down, knees bent, back straight, arms up and sliding my feet. Well at least the first game or two before I get tired. What I don't understand is how a group of professional basketball players can't remember this stuff.
The Golden State Warriors are probably the worst defensive team in the NBA. OK technically we are ranked 27 out of 30 not last. Still that is terrible. Fun fact, the Warriors have given up 110 points or more 18 times this season.They give up 106 on average. They have also given up the most free throw attempts in the NBA. What this means is the Warriors aren't playing defense with their butt down, knees bent, back straight and arms up. I also highly doubt they are sliding their feet. How can professionals forget all this stuff that I still remember from my coaches yelling at me?
There is just a complete lack of discipline when I watch Warriors games. Guys are making grade school mistakes on defense. During pick and rolls I rarely see any of the guards fight through screens or even hustle around it. If they do the low post player helps and steps out on the guard only to leave the opposing big with a free lane to the basket because no one came over to help out. So that either ends up as a basket or a foul. I am also sickened to see guards half ass it when closing out three point shooters. It's usually a light jog with a hand up. Of coarse they usually run right past the offensive player so they can cherry pick the other end for a lay up. The Warriors bigs are terrible on the defensive end too. Lee maybe undersized but that is no excuse for letting your man consistently get position on you. But to be the other big on the floor with him doesn't always remember to come over and help on the weak side when Lee does get in front. With them lacking fundamentals it's not surprising they have trouble communicating on switches and allowing lots of layups out of half court sets. I can't stand the lack of effort I see on defense every time I watch the Warriors play. Defense is 80% effort. If you at least try you are usually going to bother the offensive player but when teams are going off for 106 points a night on average there is no one being bothered. If the Warriors really gave 100% on the defensive end they would probably be able to hold teams to around 100 points a game and since the Warriors average 103 points a game that will bring in a few more wins.
I thought this no defense, run and gun style of basketball is the reason the Warriors got rid of Don Nelson. All I am seeing out of this Warriors team is the same thing I did the last several seasons. The only plus is our coach is much cheaper. Great, Smart is the poor man's Don Nelson. As I write this the Warriors are only a few games behind in the playoff race. Now I don't expect the Warriors to make the playoffs but if they could play just slightly better D they could really make a legit run at it. I know offense is way more fun than defense is but defense wins championships and nothing is more fun than that. And even if the coaching isn't preaching it all of these players know how to play defense they just have to all decide to make a change. So do me a favor guys and start getting your butt down, knees bent, back straight, arms up and slide those feet.
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