His Greatness

Yes, pick the biggest aberration to make a rebuttal. In Shaq's case, he's so efficient anyways it almost doesn't matter with him, but his ability to draw fouls is still very valuable.

Well, Chris Webber was kind of black I think, and Bibby was half.

I ask you the same question on AIM everyday. He was cheating.

Yes, Stallworth was drunk, but causation is the key here. The idea is that he wouldn't have been able to stopped his car in time even if he was sober.

Less shots and more free throws is always more efficient. It's indisputable. Two wide open shots at the line is an infinite times easier than taking a jump shot or finishing in the lane over two defenders. You're making the most out of your possession, and you're progressively putting the other team in foul trouble, which eventually leads to even more free throws.

If it takes five years for a jump from poor defensive player to All-Defensive First Team/DPOY runner-up, then it's a giant improvement for me. Whether the awards were deserving or not are up for debate, but LeBron made a significant leap on defense. If Griffin played Smush Parker defense he still would've gone first overall, by a longshot. That's pretty telling. Thabeet will never develop into an offensive marvel, while I fully expect a guy like Curry (or any other poor defender) to become a sufficient defender in due time. That works both ways. Ben Wallace is one of the hardest workers the NBA has ever seen and he never developed an offensive move or even a free throw in his 13 years in the league. Shane Battier has great work ethic, and he will always be a defensive specialist. Who knows if Dwight Howard will ever develop legitimate post moves. Guys like Nash don't play much defense because all of the energy they have to exert on offense, while Nowitzki has actually become somewhat of a respectable defender. Offensive exertion takes a lot more out of you than it does defensively (it varies depending on the role). That, and some of the guys just didn't have the motivation. Oh, right, Hedo Turkoglu didn't just play excellent defense on Kobe in Game 2 during the closing quarters. Carmelo Anthony didn't just turn it up on defense when he actually tried to play it against LA. J.J. Redick didn't just earn a spot in Van Gundy's rotation because of his sudden effort on defense. Gasol didn't play good defense all throughout the Finals (In fact, he's improved noticeably ever since he's been in a winning environment.). Your assessment was very wrong — there are several instances of bad defenders turning it up on defense for an entire game, but then fizzling out the next, because they are in fact really just poor defenders. While guys like Trevor Ariza will always be exclusively slashers and spot-up shooters. It's great that they can hit the jackpot once in a while, but offense is so much more than just scoring points. The NBA is rife with guys that will counter each of your examples. Doesn't mean much, really. And your "part in the play" can mean as much as denying your player the ball on the possession for a few steps and you're done. There are times where your guy isn't even involved in the offense. Your team's synchronization on defense is exactly what makes it easier to play and easier to teach. I don't know, I was thinking maybe Erick Dampier—one of Dallas' harder workers and better defenders—instead, could've developed a complete offensive skillset akin to Nowitzki's to ensure the Mavericks' championship. This is all really simple. Just answer this question: What is more believable? The Al Jeffersons and Allen Iversons of the world turning in All-Defensive First Team-type performances, or the Marcin Gortats and Royal Iveys averaging 20-10 or 30+ PPG in a season?

Efficiency. 15-30 almost never happens.

There are less of those players strictly for that reason. The NBA is the biggest composition of basketball talent in the world, every team will be more inclined to find offensive talent in the hopes that they can adapt to their defense. Shatter two birds with one stone. Bell scored sub-15 PPG in Phoenix on almost exclusively spot-up shots. Inflated numbers on an all-offense team, it means nothing and you know it. Meanwhile, LeBron, who entered the league a poor defender, worked hard in the off-season, and five years later he's the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year and grabs 1st Team All-Defense honors. If defense is harder to teach, does that mean you would've picked Thabeet first overall?

There are more defensively-challenged players because everyone as a child playing basketball is more inclined to play offense. It's not that it's too difficult to learn, it's that the players don't have motivation to play it. Defense is not harder to play or easier to teach; you get any average person off the street and ask him to stay in front of Sasha Vujacic and he will always be more successful at that task than if you had asked him to score 40 points on him. Yes defense is very complex and is not easy to play, but the complications with offense dwarf them in comparison, some of them rooting in the very mechanics of the game (shooting, ball-handling, etc.). You can always teach an offensive talent (notice why talent is applied here instead) to play defense, typically it comes with experience and more practice, but you can never teach a player that is strictly a defender to average 20 PPG. It's impossible.

But offense extends way beyond just shooting and ball-handling, it's a very complex system where you just have to 'have it', or you don't. If you weren't born LeBron James, then you probably aren't going to sniff his offensive talent, but I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to match him defensively.

What about unprotected sex with a really nasty hooker? I'm talking genital warts, yeast infections, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, HIV, AIDS, Serbian — the whole package. If the nauseating coitus doesn't get to you, one of the STDs surely will.

Defensively, a lack of lateral quickness and athleticism can be compensated for with smarts and defensive IQ. You look at a guy like Battier who was not blessed with much, but is the league's marquee defender. Playing defense is not a walk in a park, but offense is just more of a natural talent, that's why I'm a bit surprised by some of these answers.

It's a shame because he would be a superb sixth man, even on a contender.

Slowly, in a vegetative state, on life support. Just kill me.

Overrating is inevitable, but try to answer as logically as possible.

No thanks. He should be getting $7-8 mil. on two years, at the max. I'd be willing to give three years to Bibby, but apparently he's already re-signed with Atlanta.

I was asking if that's what you were playing, because I've never heard of "crooked bankers". I am not a racist. Kyle plays 'lose eBay auctions' with himself.

You don't throw your elbow at someone's face for tapping you. Bottom line. You are wrong in saying it, because, while he might not have murdered anyone in the past two years, he is still stupid and immature. I have a stack of evidence that validates that. Being young and "having fun" is just another euphemism for stupid and immature. Every player in the NBA celebrates and trash-talks, but they do it with respectful discretion. Cussing and yelling at another player within earshot of the official (who is, in fact, right next to him) is not respectful discretion. Besides, this is not the only case for it. Okay. I fight other players, I'm insubordinate, I'm openly brash, and I disrespect my opponent with complete disregard for the consequences, but I'm not stupid and immature. (Off-court incidents not included.) Everything is getting rehashed now so it's probably my last post in this thread. If you don't get it now you never will.

? Maybe you played Ghettopoly. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2031/2199578954_57f764e4c6_o.jpg Real game.

I had the Pokémon Monopoly. Don't judge me.

Quick fix for the ever-annoying rebound glitch. You probably shouldn't, though.

He was only 36... R.I.P.

Play zone. Win game.

There's too many to pick from.

First, Farrah Fawcett, and now this.