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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
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 Posted: 09/12/08 10:23 am ::: Defensive Player of the Year |
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Without question, the toughest award to vote for ...
First, what makes a good defensive player? No statistical stew can reflect good defense.
Steals: Players who get a lot of steals can be very bad defenders (see Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury) because they give up easy baskets when they gamble. Many players get a lot of steals when they're not guarding the ballhandler. It's a valuable skill, but it's not defense, which to my mind is shutting down the person you're guarding.
Blocks: Of some value, but how many come from the weakside, and how many attempted blocks are missed, thus leaving the player's primary defensive responsibility open for an offensive rebound and a pass? But clearly, a great shotblocker can affect an entire game, so for someone like Margo, it's important. I don't think it matters much for guards.
Defensive rebounds: I saw somewhere that someone thought this was a good measure of defense, and I don't get it. You can be an awful defender and still be a good rebounder -- unless of course you expand the definition of defense to include rebounding, which makes some sense but then dilutes the whole concept.
Really, the only way to determine defense, as Dean Oliver said in his great book, "Basketball on Paper," is by breaking down film and watching each possession -- thus accounting for switches, transition baskets and the odd zone.
So all that said, who deserves this award?
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dukegirl125
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Posts: 244
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| Posted: 09/12/08 10:32 am ::: |
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| KATIE SMITH!!!
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shock6666
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
Posts: 2066
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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| Posted: 09/12/08 10:34 am ::: |
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| dukegirl125 wrote: |
| KATIE SMITH!!! |
Ditto
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 09/12/08 10:58 am ::: |
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| Ticha Penicheiro
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cherrystreet
Joined: 24 Jul 2005
Posts: 4119
Location: houston,tx
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| Posted: 09/12/08 11:21 am ::: |
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| This is wide open but I don't see it being a past winner.
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Richyyy
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
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Location: London
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| Posted: 09/12/08 12:58 pm ::: |
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| cherrystreet wrote: |
| This is wide open but I don't see it being a past winner. |
I do. Still think Leslie will win this (not that I'd necessarily vote for her). Players often win awards like this one on reputation as much as anything, and if there isn't enough rep and support behind anyone then as ever people resort to stats. Catchings missed half the season and played most of the rest of it semi-hurt on a bad team; Jackson will have missed too many games to retain; Douglas and Beard have had messy seasons; Ticha, Tully and Smith probably would've won it already if they were ever going to; Anosike's a rookie and on a mediocre team; Atunrase doesn't play enough; Hornbuckle's a rook and overshadowed on her own roster, etc. etc. etc.
So in the end I think enough voters will go with the grand old dame from the Sparks. She's comfortably leading the league in blocks, second in rebounds, she's still a very good help defender, and she isn't realistically in the MVP debate so she can have this from the voters instead as compensation.
Of course, I may well be completely wrong. And I'm really not sure who I'd vote for. This is always a mess of an award, because different players are better at different kinds of defense, and because it's so hard to quantify. Players like Buescher, Milton-Jones and Camille Little (and sometimes Katie Smith) who guard all sorts of different kinds of opponents tend to impress me.
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abontorab9
Joined: 19 Jun 2008
Posts: 6207
Location: Connecticut
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| Posted: 09/12/08 2:14 pm ::: |
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| Katie Smith or Nicky Anosike
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jap
Joined: 01 Apr 2007
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| Posted: 09/12/08 2:50 pm ::: |
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Delisha is the best pure defender on the Sparks and is usually assigned to slow/shut down the opponents best scorer. Michael Cooper, a former NBA defensive specialist himself, stated that Delisha can slow/shut down just about any player from positions 1-5.
Delisha is right up there along players like Tamika Catchings, Katie Smith, etc.
Unfortunately, award voters normally want to tie their votes to statistical categories and ignore those qualities that are not or can't be measured. So unless a player has racked up a good number of rebounds, steals, or blocks, that player may never be considered, no matter how good they are.
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RavenDog
Joined: 19 Feb 2007
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| Posted: 09/12/08 5:23 pm ::: |
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| Catchings is my vote with Katie Smith and DMJ second. Lisa Lesley is a great defender under the boards but can guard anyone outside the box with those stilt legs........
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mercfan3
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 09/12/08 5:25 pm ::: |
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Katie Smith..
I'd also say that the trio of Parker Leslie and DMJ all deserve to be looked at.
I'd also mention Chelsea Newton, but typically a player's got to be more "known"....I think she's the best defensive player in the league though.
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eyevolley4
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: 09/12/08 5:27 pm ::: |
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| RavenDog wrote: |
| Catchings is my vote with Katie Smith and DMJ second. Lisa Lesley is a great defender under the boards but can guard anyone outside the box with those stilt legs........ |
Catchings?
Sorry. No.
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cherrystreet
Joined: 24 Jul 2005
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Location: houston,tx
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| Posted: 09/12/08 7:34 pm ::: |
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| It's funny that we didn't mention anyone on the Storm and statistically they have the best defense in the league I believe. I guess it's great team defense on their part.
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SFO
Joined: 03 Feb 2005
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| Posted: 09/12/08 8:42 pm ::: |
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| Our GREAT defensive players....Smith, Nolan, Pierson, and Taj do not seek the accolades. That does not make them less deserving. They just do their job.
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SFO
Joined: 03 Feb 2005
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| Posted: 09/12/08 8:43 pm ::: |
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| And.... Hornbuckle ain't bad either.
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NYL_WNBA_FAN
Joined: 28 May 2007
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| Posted: 09/12/08 8:45 pm ::: |
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| SFO wrote: |
| Our GREAT defensive players....Smith, Nolan, Pierson, and Taj do not seek the accolades. That does not make them less deserving. They just do their job. |
That willingness is a part of what makes them so good.
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abontorab9
Joined: 19 Jun 2008
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| Posted: 09/12/08 8:51 pm ::: |
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I'm tired of this going to someone good at blocks and boards.
Time for this award to have some meaning.
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caune
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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DetroitIndyGirl
Joined: 21 Jan 2008
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| Posted: 09/12/08 11:18 pm ::: |
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| I'd go with Katie Smith, although I think Tully would also be a worthy candidate.
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Thrillrider08
Joined: 04 Jun 2007
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| Posted: 09/12/08 11:21 pm ::: |
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Tully
Catchings
K. Smith
in that order  |
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