Could this Lakers team be one of the best defensive teams ever?

[kingfish]

They have a lot of great defensive players on this team. Theres plenty of perimeter defense with Kobe, Artest, Barnes, Brown, and even Blake and Fisher. Then there are 2 shot blocking 7 footers in Bynum and Gasol, and Odom who is a great help defender and very useful for switching big-small on pick and rolls. Also cant forget about Ratliff who is a good shot blocker (averages 2 per game for his career).

 

I could see this team being one of the best ever defensively. If the 2004 Pistons and 2008 Celtics managed to do it, I think this Lakers team has all the pieces and maybe even more then those 2 teams. But of course, being the Lakers, its going to come down to effort.

[Poe]

They're good, but the Heat are better.

[YugoRocketsFan]

The Heat ftw

[Nitro]

They could be with all that talent, but they are too inconsistent. The thing that made the 2004 Pistons and 2008 Celtics so great on that end of the floor was they came with the mentality to shut you down every single night. The Lakers do not. With the additions of Barnes, Blake and Ratliff (who, to be fair, hasn't played at least 60 games in the last 5 seasons), the bench's defense should get a lot better, which will be a major boost.

 

But as long as Fisher is the starting PG, Kobe keeps turning the on/off switch and Bynum learns better rotations, I think they'll just be a great defensive team. Not all-time great.

[Check my Stats]

They're good, but the Heat are better.

 

can't tell if this is a troll attempt or not, wouldn't be surprised if you were serious.

 

Anyways the answer is no, you need a Kevin Garnett or a Ben Wallace to be the best defensive team of all time.

[Poe]

can't tell if this is a troll attempt or not, wouldn't be surprised if you were serious.

 

I don't know what trolling is. I just don't think the Lakers are one of the greatest defensive teams ever when they aren't even the best defensive team currently.

[kingfish]

They're good, but the Heat are better.

 

Wade and Lebron are average defenders, Bosh is a soft pathetic defender, dude is a twig. And other then that, who else on that team plays D? Oh your really scary with Eddie House

 

Nobody to protect the rim, no shut down defenders, thats a joke lol.

[*Swish*]

I personally think they're a GREAT team this year. They really needed a point guard who could fit perfectly in their system and they got him. Steve Blake will also light up from the 3 point range when he's asked to and isn't a bad defender. Same for Barnes. He's a good three point shooter and he's a good defender. Best team ever? I don't know. But they're really more dangerous then last year and really a good scoring team this year:

Kobe Bryant

Pau Gasol

Artest

Lamar Odom

Fisher

Barnes

Bynum

 

They're good, but the Heat are better.

How do you know that?! Did you see the Heat play yet!?! we already know that the Lakers are a good team and adding these two players will make them better (and we're sure about that because we already know these two players will fit perfectly in the Lakers system). You're still not sure about the team chemistry of the Heat.

 

The Heat ftw

From a Rockets fan?!?! WEIRD

[Real Deal]

I don't know what trolling is. I just don't think the Lakers are one of the greatest defensive teams ever when they aren't even the best defensive team currently.

Fourth last season, minus Barnes, Blake, Ratliff and a healthy Bynum. They were ranked second at one point in late January, before the all-star break, when both Kobe and Bynum were fully healthy (Kobe had a terrible second half filled with injuries, and we know what happened to Drew).

 

Adding Barnes, Blake and Ratliff, and even Ebanks (who played solid defense on a college level), getting rid of Farmar (no lateral quickness) and Powell (never played defense), and probably not seeing Walton on the court ever (may retire)...the Lakers can be the best defensive team this upcoming season, easily.

 

---------

 

As for Brown, Fisher and Odom playing good defense? No. Fisher plays decent post defense, but a player usually has him in the post when it's a mismatch, and at that point, that player is almost a foot taller and dropping in a hook. Shannon is a decent help defender, terrible on-ball. Odom doesn't even know what defense is.

 

But we definitely make up for that with the rest of the team.

[Nitro]

Wade and Lebron are average defenders,

 

Yep. Two players that made All-Defensive teams last season are average defenders. Right.

 

Bosh is a soft pathetic defender, dude is a twig.

 

So is/was KG. Your point? And he played great defense at the 2008 Olympics. Let's see him on a defense-oriented team where he's playing his natural position before calling him a pathetic defender.

 

And other then that, who else on that team plays D?

 

Ask Dirk.

[kingfish]

Yep. Two players that made All-Defensive teams last season are average defenders. Right.

 

 

 

So is/was KG. Your point? And he played great defense at the 2008 Olympics. Let's see him on a defense-oriented team where he's playing his natural position before calling him a pathetic defender.

 

 

 

Ask Dirk.

Hah. Your using all defensive teams as your criteria. Ron Artest didnt even make the all defensive team. So I guess Wade and Lebron are better defenders then Artest? Right.

 

Are you saying KG was a pathetic defender before he got to Boston? Thats just ridiculous, he would always get about 2 blocks and 1.5 steals per game even in Minnesota, and he always had the defensive IQ and was always a great help defender. He made Boston a dominant defensive team because they already had the pieces in play to be a good defensive team, and also had Perkins who could shut down guys in the paint. You are implying that you can simply turn a switch and become a great defender overnight, sorry thats not happening, especially with someone as soft as Chris Bosh.

 

Are you referring to the 2006 Heat team? Oh right, the one from 4 years ago?

[Flash]

I'd say Miami will be better defensively. The Heat is a defense first team, that comes from Riley and now Spo. We were a top defensive team last year and I don't see it changing adding LeBron and Bosh. Not to mention we've still got Haslem and Anthony who is a great shot blocker.

[Nitro]

Hah. Your using all defensive teams as your criteria. Ron Artest didnt even make the all defensive team. So I guess Wade and Lebron are better defenders then Artest? Right.

 

To call two All-Defensive team players average is stupid, and that's my point. If you want me to use examples, check out LeBron shutting down Paul Pierce in the conference semi's, or Wade's 2.2SPG/1.3BPG in 08-09 and very good opponent counterpart stats on 82games.com. Wade and LeBron are very good defensive players. Neither are in my top 5, but they are way above average.

 

Are you saying KG was a pathetic defender before he got to Boston? Thats just ridiculous, he would always get about 2 blocks and 1.5 steals per game even in Minnesota, and he always had the defensive IQ and was always a great help defender. He made Boston a dominant defensive team because they already had the pieces in play to be a good defensive team, and also had Perkins who could shut down guys in the paint. You are implying that you can simply turn a switch and become a great defender overnight, sorry thats not happening, especially with someone as soft as Chris Bosh.

 

1) Let me rephrase- Bringing up Bosh's lankiness is pointless because KG was/is exactly the same. I was NOT implying Bosh is the defender KG is or was.

 

2) I wouldn't call it turning on a switch, but yes, Bosh will without a doubt be a better defensive player next season. There's 3 extremeley important things that a player who's not known for defense needs to become proficient in that area- A defensive minded coach (which Spoelstra is), a good defensive supporting cast (which he will have), and energy to exert on that end of the floor (which he will have now that he doesn't have to drop 24PPG). If you watched the 2008 Olympics, you will see when Bosh puts his mind to it, he's a quality defender. And now that he will actually get to play PF as opposed to C, things will be even better than what we're accustomed to from last year's Bosh.

 

Are you referring to the 2006 Heat team? Oh right, the one from 4 years ago?

 

More specifically, Udonis Haslem, the dude that shut Dirk Nowitzki down and will be on the Heat this upcoming season. But nice try, though.

[Big Penny]

Wade & LeBron are exceptional help defenders... on-ball D is average. and lol at Bosh bieng a good defender.

 

no doubt the Heat are going to be a very strong defensive team, but i don't see them being better than the Lakers.

[Real Deal]

Bosh will have to prove to me he can defend at the four. I saw this argument before, with Amare: people saying he can defend Duncan well, said he would be a better defender if he wasn't guarding centers, saying he showed signs of his defense here and there...but it was all a hoax. Cleveland fans were saying the same thing about Carlos Boozer when he was there, and many believed he just needed time to develop. Never happened.

 

James and Wade aren't first-team defenders. Wade may be a second-team defender (no, not talking official teams and their voting, talking about top 10). I wouldn't say LeBron is a better defender than Howard, Artest, Kobe, Afflalo, Sefolosha, Hinrich, Wade, Allen, Oden, Battier, or Wallace (and that's just 10 players, there are more...Roy, Granger come to mind). Still a good defender, just not a stellar one.

[kingfish]

Bosh will have to prove to me he can defend at the four. I saw this argument before, with Amare: people saying he can defend Duncan well, said he would be a better defender if he wasn't guarding centers, saying he showed signs of his defense here and there...but it was all a hoax. Cleveland fans were saying the same thing about Carlos Boozer when he was there, and many believed he just needed time to develop. Never happened.

 

James and Wade aren't first-team defenders. Wade may be a second-team defender (no, not talking official teams and their voting, talking about top 10). I wouldn't say LeBron is a better defender than Howard, Artest, Kobe, Afflalo, Sefolosha, Hinrich, Wade, Allen, Oden, Battier, or Wallace (and that's just 10 players, there are more...Roy, Granger come to mind). Still a good defender, just not a stellar one.

Exactly and thats why it boggles my mind to think the Heat will even be close to the Lakers defensively. Lakers have arguably the 2 best perimeter defenders, 2 good defensive seven footers, and plenty more good defenders on the bench. The Heat only have Lebron, Wade, and arguably Haslem, nobody else on that team has proven anything defensively.

[Flash]

Exactly and thats why it boggles my mind to think the Heat will even be close to the Lakers defensively. Lakers have arguably the 2 best perimeter defenders, 2 good defensive seven footers, and plenty more good defenders on the bench. The Heat only have Lebron, Wade, and arguably Haslem, nobody else on that team has proven anything defensively.

 

Because last years Heat team was ranked higher than the Lakers in terms of total defense IIRC. I don't see why this team won't do the same. Oh, and you forgot Joel Anthony and Mario Chalmers are both solid defenders, especially Anthony.

[YugoRocketsFan]

Dont argue with Kingfish, hes only gonna really say "The Lakers are godlike, everyone else sux"

[kingfish]

Dont argue with Kingfish, hes only gonna really say "The Lakers are godlike, everyone else sux"

Ban.

[Warren2ThaG]

Naw, maybe top 10 of all time. If that. and we have to win it all again for this to be true

[Real Deal]

Because last years Heat team was ranked higher than the Lakers in terms of total defense IIRC.

Lakers were 4th, Heat was 6th, based on overall defensive ratings.

 

I don't see why this team won't do the same. Oh, and you forgot Joel Anthony and Mario Chalmers are both solid defenders, especially Anthony.

And you guys lost Jermaine O'Neal, Quentin Richardson, and Dorell Wright...all three good defenders, and I definitely remember the OTR Heat fans telling us how important all three were to your defense.

[Nitro]

I don't see why people are questioning if the Heat will be a great defensive team next season. Do you want to know why?...

 

THEY ARE THE MIAMI FREAKING HEAT!!! Ever since Riley joined the organization in 1995-1996 they've been top 10 in defensive rating all but two seasons. The first was in 2007-2008 when the team only won 15 games, and the other was in 2008-2009 when they were ranked 11th with a completely revamped lineup as bad as the 2005-2006 Lakers. Losing Jermaine O'Neal hurts defensively, but they got one of the best defensive SF's in the league in LeBron, upgraded defensively at the PF position (say what you want, Bosh is a much better defender than Beasley), got one of the best post-up defensive C's in the league with Illgauskas, added another good defender in Juwan Howard, and with a reduced offensive role Wade should be better defensively as well.

 

Personally, I think the Heat are going to be a really tough team defensively, and the 3 best teams in the league (Lakers, Heat, Celtics) will have the 3 best defenses as well.

[Real Deal]

I don't see why people are questioning if the Heat will be a great defensive team next season. Do you want to know why?...

 

THEY ARE THE MIAMI FREAKING HEAT!!! Ever since Riley joined the organization in 1995-1996 they've been top 10 in defensive rating all but two seasons. The first was in 2007-2008 when the team only won 15 games, and the other was in 2008-2009 when they were ranked 11th with a completely revamped lineup as bad as the 2005-2006 Lakers. Losing Jermaine O'Neal hurts defensively, but they got one of the best defensive SF's in the league in LeBron, upgraded defensively at the PF position (say what you want, Bosh is a much better defender than Beasley), got one of the best post-up defensive C's in the league with Illgauskas, added another good defender in Juwan Howard, and with a reduced offensive role Wade should be better defensively as well.

 

Personally, I think the Heat are going to be a really tough team defensively, and the 3 best teams in the league (Lakers, Heat, Celtics) will have the 3 best defenses as well.

I don't think they'll be bad defensively, I just don't think they'll be better than a team with Artest, Kobe, Barnes, Blake, Gasol, Drew and Ratliff. Top three isn't out of reach for Miami, but telling us who they gained doesn't give me much, given the fact they lost three of their best defenders from last season (and again, this is what the Heat fans were saying all year long about Jermaine, Richardson and Wright).

 

Should be Boston, LA and Miami, in that order (assuming Miami breaks the top three). Tomorrow, I'll put LA on top. The next day...Boston. Charlotte may have lost too many pieces to be top three (they were #1 last season). Losing Felton and Chandler could bump them out of the top five, actually (although Felton wasn't THAT good of a defender, he's still better than any point they have). Not sure what will happen with the Bucks...their defensive rating was second in the league. Orlando was third.

[Lkr]

The Heat ftw

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