Good stuff - seems like this would be the kind of skill that would be applicable on defense. Even when he is trying, he seems like an average defender. Why is this?
A good question. Without thinking about it much, a few theories:
1. He's still relatively small, at least in terms of the physical profile of most elite perimeter defenders. And, crucially, his arms are not especially long – they're not short, but the best defenders tend to have long wingspans in addition to strong cores.
2. Less energy, obviously.
3. These skills are best in man-to-man settings, where I think he's better than as a help defender.
4. Though I did harp on his jumping distance, the real reason he's such a great basketball leaper is that he can jump AND maneuver the ball in mid-air at the same time. You don't have the ball on defense.
5. The biggest reason, though, is that you don't actually do a whole lot of jumping on defense, at least not as a perimeter defender. It's much more sliding and side-stepping, where you're trying to mirror the offensive player's movements. If offense is like a triple jump, defense is more like a slalom. It's a different movement pattern.
Great
Good stuff - seems like this would be the kind of skill that would be applicable on defense. Even when he is trying, he seems like an average defender. Why is this?
A good question. Without thinking about it much, a few theories:
1. He's still relatively small, at least in terms of the physical profile of most elite perimeter defenders. And, crucially, his arms are not especially long – they're not short, but the best defenders tend to have long wingspans in addition to strong cores.
2. Less energy, obviously.
3. These skills are best in man-to-man settings, where I think he's better than as a help defender.
4. Though I did harp on his jumping distance, the real reason he's such a great basketball leaper is that he can jump AND maneuver the ball in mid-air at the same time. You don't have the ball on defense.
5. The biggest reason, though, is that you don't actually do a whole lot of jumping on defense, at least not as a perimeter defender. It's much more sliding and side-stepping, where you're trying to mirror the offensive player's movements. If offense is like a triple jump, defense is more like a slalom. It's a different movement pattern.
Brilliant read(track coach speaking)