Most people would attribute the success of the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs to the firepower of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson or Kwahi Leonard.
Yes, it does help when you have a double-barreled shotgun spraying the opponents’ ring from all angles, more so if the shots are coming from the 3-point arc, because that means more points per shot.
But the other teams do have shot artists as talented as the Warriors’ and Spurs’. What really sets apart the two Western Division teams from the rest is their defensive systems.
The next time you watch a Spurs and a Warriors game, take note how similar their defensive philosophies are. Fronting one’s man, going over a screen, automatic switches at the top of the arc, never giving up the middle and underneath the basket.
That is why LeBron always has a hard time playing against San Antonio or Golden State because his forte is driving the ball inside, using his superior strength. This is something which even a LeBron James cannot sustain for 48 minutes.
The better teams in the NBA also adopt the same defensive philosophy, because there is actually no big secret behind it. The difference is consistency.
The Spurs and the Warriors do it consistently 24/7 as if it is already second nature to them.
Well, Steve Kerr is probably a good observer of the art because he most likely learned everything that Greg Popovich had implanted in his Spurs. It is therefore no wonder that the two top teams in the NBA are San Antonio and Golden State.
I would not be surprised also if the two teams will be fighting for the Western Division Championship. It will not be a miracle also if Golden State wins because of its superior firepower.
And I am willing to bet that if LeBron James tows Cleveland to the Eastern Division Championship, he will start thinking of moving on to another team who can give him the needed support so that he can win a third championship ring.
A good offensive team will always catch the fancy of the fans. A defensive team hardly gets any attention, well, because basketball is a game of points.
As any good basketball coach knows, offense will always have bad days, while a good defense can be done everyday and would not be dependent on luck.
Offensive stars like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant never fail to catch the fancy of the fans.
A good defensive player has to work hard everyday, in every game and hardly gets noticed. To prevent ulcers, I would always love to coach a team who desires to play defense, and offense would just be secondary.
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