NBA

[mighty hounds]

Perfect illustration. Up against reasonable, but nevertheless a sub 500 side, down by 1 at 3/4 time and Chicago lets them drop more points in the last than in any other quarter. Top defensive sides don't let that sort of thing happen.

Feel free to talk the bulls up as top 4 in their conference, call them good offensively and reasonable defensively by all means. But don't try to tell me they are the best defensive team in the comp, because they simply aren't.

Bulls have the best D in the leauge...simple

[RoosterMarty]

Graham it is an 82 game season, all teams and players will have off nights!

All the other teams you talked up defensively would have done the same.

Miami conceded 44 in one quarter vs the Clips earlier in the season, it happens in the NBA because the teams play too many games so the intensity is not always there. Plus when Monta Ellis goes off he is almost unstoppable.

[Grahaml]

Graham it is an 82 game season, all teams and players will have off nights!

All the other teams you talked up defensively would have done the same.

Miami conceded 44 in one quarter vs the Clips earlier in the season, it happens in the NBA because the teams play too many games so the intensity is not always there. Plus when Monta Ellis goes off he is almost unstoppable.

And then the heat tightened up and got back into the game, winning each of the next 3 quarters. You're right, all teams have off nights, but good teams don't have off fourth quarters when the game's on the line. They might start slowly, then might shoot poorly, but they don't defend poorly when the game is there to be won.

[RoosterMarty]

Boston allowed Dallas to close the game on a 10-0 run on Saturday, were in a match winning situation and then lost it.

Are they rubbish too?

[mighty hounds]

Boston allowed Dallas to close the game on a 10-0 run on Saturday, were in a match winning situation and then lost it.

Are they rubbish too?

Good work with the stats RM. Waiting for the NBA gurus response to this.

[Grahaml]

Boston allowed Dallas to close the game on a 10-0 run on Saturday, were in a match winning situation and then lost it.

Are they rubbish too?

Never said Chicago were rubbish. Just not the best defensively. And the reason they aren't the best defensively is because they allow teams to score more points than the top notch defenses. All sides will concede runs like that and get beat from time to time, just happens more often to Chicago.

[mighty hounds]

Boston allowed Dallas to close the game on a 10-0 run on Saturday, were in a match winning situation and then lost it.

Are they rubbish too?

Never said Chicago were rubbish. Just not the best defensively. And the reason they aren't the best defensively is because they allow teams to score more points than the top notch defenses. All sides will concede runs like that and get beat from time to time, just happens more often to Chicago.

So explain why theres a number one next to Chicagos defence stat?

[brod]

Boston allowed Dallas to close the game on a 10-0 run on Saturday, were in a match winning situation and then lost it.

Are they rubbish too?

Never said Chicago were rubbish. Just not the best defensively. And the reason they aren't the best defensively is because they allow teams to score more points than the top notch defenses. All sides will concede runs like that and get beat from time to time, just happens more often to Chicago.

So explain why theres a number one next to Chicagos defence stat?

If you are going to keeping banging on with the same arguement with the same stat can you please tell us what 96.3 even is???? cos it aint ppg allowed, where the Bulls are THIRD , behind Boston and New Orleans.
Another point is that just because a team allows few ppg it does NOT mean they are a great defensive team....eg the Bucks are not the 4th best defensive team in the NBA

[mighty hounds]

Boston allowed Dallas to close the game on a 10-0 run on Saturday, were in a match winning situation and then lost it.

Are they rubbish too?

Never said Chicago were rubbish. Just not the best defensively. And the reason they aren't the best defensively is because they allow teams to score more points than the top notch defenses. All sides will concede runs like that and get beat from time to time, just happens more often to Chicago.

So explain why theres a number one next to Chicagos defence stat?

If you are going to keeping banging on with the same arguement with the same stat can you please tell us what 96.3 even is???? cos it aint ppg allowed, where the Bulls are THIRD , behind Boston and New Orleans.
Another point is that just because a team allows few ppg it does NOT mean they are a great defensive team....eg the Bucks are not the 4th best defensive team in the NBA

Yes the Bucks are the stats dont lie!!! they just cant score

[brod]

So explain why theres a number one next to Chicagos defence stat?

If you are going to keeping banging on with the same arguement with the same stat can you please tell us what 96.3 even is???? cos it aint ppg allowed, where the Bulls are THIRD , behind Boston and New Orleans.
Another point is that just because a team allows few ppg it does NOT mean they are a great defensive team....eg the Bucks are not the 4th best defensive team in the NBA

Yes the Bucks are the stats dont lie!!! they just cant score

Not going to comment on the Bulls?? or explain what 96.3 is (im actually interested not just taking the piss)

[mighty hounds]

Not going to comment on the Bulls?? or explain what 96.3 is (im actually interested not just taking the piss)

Points allowed.....after all that is the main one with defence, unless something has changed im not aware of

[brod]

Stats alone dont lie, but can be used to put forward nearly any idea

New Orleans and Milwaukee are NOT two of the best 4 defensive teams, just because they allow few points.

If you were a bit more open/accurate you could easily put forward a VERY strong case for the Bulls

3rd Opp ppg
1st Opp FG% (the single stat I would consider most important)
5th Opp rpg
1st Reb differential
2nd blocks per game

Looking at that Im nearly convincing myself

[Grahaml]

This is why I've been ignoring TW Rooster. He's clearly just a crackpot who'd probably lose an argument with a wall, and probably tried it.

The whole thing is very complicated to use stats to prove. Opp FG% is probably the best stat, but it doesn't take into account things like fast break points off turnovers (an offense issue mostly) but more importantly it doesn't take into account the quality of the opposition. If a side played against the bucks every week the opp FG% would look great, but if they played more of the top sides that stat would be lower. As it turns out, not only have the bulls so far played 5 more home games than away, but they've played 31 games against sub 500 teams and only 19 against teams 500 or better.

Plus there are other complicating factors like what happens at the end of games if the result isn't in doubt. Some sides clear the bench while others not so much. That also has an effect on the overall stats without actually meaning anything.

[brod]

EAST ALL-STAR STARTERS

Dwyane Wade
Miami Heat | Guard
Seventh All-Star Appearance

Derrick Rose
Chicago Bulls | Guard
Second All-Star Appearance

Dwight Howard
Orlando Magic | Center
Fifth All-Star Appearance

LeBron James
Miami Heat | Forward
Seventh All-Star Appearance

Amare Stoudemire
New York Knicks | Forward
Sixth All-Star Appearance

EAST ALL-STAR RESERVES

Ray Allen
Boston Celtics | Guard
10th All-Star Appearance

Chris Bosh
Miami Heat | Forward
Sixth All-Star Appearance

Kevin Garnett
Boston Celtics | Forward
14th All-Star Appearance

Al Horford
Atlanta Hawks | Center
Second All-Star Appearance

Joe Johnson
Atlanta Hawks | Guard
Fifth All-Star Appearance

Rajon Rondo
Boston Celtics | Guard
Second All-Star Appearance

Paul Pierce
Boston Celtics | Forward
Ninth All-Star Appearance

[brod]

WEST ALL-STAR STARTERS

Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers | Guard
13th All-Star Appearance

Chris Paul
New Orleans Hornets | Guard
Fourth All-Star Appearance

Yao Ming (replaced by Kevin Love)
Houston Rockets | Center
Eighth All-Star Appearance

Carmelo Anthony
Denver Nuggets | Forward
Fourth All-Star Appearance

Kevin Durant
Oklahoma City Thunder | Forward
Second All-Star Appearance

WEST ALL-STAR RESERVES

Tim Duncan
San Antonio Spurs | Forward
13th All-Star Appearance

Pau Gasol
Los Angeles Lakers | Forward
Fourth All-Star Appearance

Manu Ginobili
San Antonio Spurs | Guard
Second All-Star Appearance

Blake Griffin
Los Angeles Clippers | Forward
First All-Star Appearance

Kevin Love (replaces Yao Ming)
Minnesota Timberwolves | Forward
First All-Star Appearance

Dirk Nowitzki
Dallas Mavericks | Forward
10th All-Star Appearance

Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City Thunder | Guard
First All-Star Appearance

Deron Williams
Utah Jazz | Guard
Second All-Star Appearance

[Strawb]

4 Celtic players make the line up as back ups. I like this.

[brod]

ROOKIE CHALLENGE: ROOKIES

Eric Bledsoe
Los Angeles Clippers | Guard
Drafted No. 18 in 2010

DeMacus Cousins
Sacramento Kings | Center
Drafted No. 5 in 2010

Derrick Favors
New Jersey Nets | Forward
Drafted No. 3 in 2010

Landry Fields
New York Knicks | Guard
Drafted No. 39 in 2010

Blake Griffin
Los Angeles Clippers | Forward
Drafted No. 1 in 2009

Wesley Johnson
Minnesota Timberwolves | Forward
Drafted No. 4 in 2010

Greg Monroe
Detroit Pistons | Center
Drafted No. 7 in 2010

Gary Neal
San Antonio Spurs | Guard
Undrafted in 2007

John Wall
Washington Wizards | Guard
Drafted No. 1 in 2010

[brod]

ROOKIE CHALLENGE: SOPHOMORES

DeJuan Blair
San Antonio Spurs | Forward
Drafted No. 2 in 2009

Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors | Guard
Drafted No. 7 in 2009

DeMar DeRozan
Toronto Raptors | Guard
Drafted No. 9 in 2009

Tyreke Evans
Sacramento Kings | Guard
Drafted No. 4 in 2009

Taj Gibson
Chicago Bulls | Forward
Drafted No. 26 in 2009

Jrue Holiday
Philadelphia 76ers | Guard
Drafted No. 17 in 2009

Serge Ibaka
Oklahoma City Thunder | Center
Drafted No. 24 in 2008

Brandon Jennings
Milwaukee Bucks | Guard
Drafted No. 10 in 2009

Wesley Matthews
Portland Trail Blazers | Guard
Undrafted in 2009

[brod]

SLAM DUNK CONTEST PARTICIPANTS

Blake Griffin
Serge Ibaka
DeMar DeRozan
JaVale McGee (Washington Wizards)



Busy weekend for Griffin (All-star, rookie, slam dunk)

[Grahaml]

Unfortunately the whole all star thing often has not so much to do with ability as popularity. How does Yao Ming get selected again? I notice he's been replaced, but seriously? 5 games this season he's played. Even if he scored 40 points in each game it would be hard to justify voting for him in the top 5 centres, let alone so many voting him number 1.

Sadly it all comes down to the team, personality and how spectacular a player they are. On the NBC coverage earlier apparently Shaq was #3 for East centres. But I guess the American public has shown a long history of being unable to make wise decisions so why expect any different?