- cross-posted to:
- celtics@nba.space
- cross-posted to:
- celtics@nba.space
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This is another way of saying we have been watching the best defense in the NBA thru the 1st week, and it’s not close.
This is quite shocking to note imo. Call it a small sample all you want, but also recognize -
-the whole team is basically new
-2 Allstars missing
-brand new coaching staff and scheme
-individuals mostly not known for defense, especially the interior
Theres a case to be made that this is the WORST this defense will be, knowing that most of the above is changing.
Did I mention I’m talking about functionally a ‘superteam’ whose real value is having the possibility of a historic OFFENSE? That all this defense stuff is gravy and the goal was top 15?!?! (#9 offense so far also, with said 2 Allstars out)
Suns’ opponents are shooting 28% from deep so far. That’s just variance. Low sample size nonsense.
The best defensive teams last year still had opponents shooting 34%.
10th best team in defensive 3P% allowed 36%.
Assuming the Suns are a top-10 team in limiting opponent 3pt% and regress to a mean of 36%, that’s 2.5 more 3pt makes per100, which is 7.57 points per100.
That would boost their current defensive rating of 104.5 to 112.1 which would rank 18th so far this year.
For reference, at this point last year the Blazers had the second best defensive rating in the league.
Opposing guards will have nightmares of Okogie and Goodwin full court pressuring them for 48