CAVS.SPACE

Since 1968-1969, the NBA has identified its top defensive players for each season, with 10-12 players being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and NBA All-Defensive Second Team . Through the 2012-2013 season, votes were cast by the league's head coaches (with coaches not being allowed to vote for their own players). However, the process was changed to media voting, as All-Defensive Team voting by the coaches did not always match well with the media's voting on NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Regardless of the voting process, most of the league's best defenders--not just above average, but elite defenders--get acknowledged at some point in their careers. Legendary football coach Bear Bryant once said: "Offense sells tickets. Defense wins championships." In basketball, both offense and defense are important, but defense certainly helps teams to win championships. In looking at championship defenses since the NBA began acknowledging its All-Defensive Fir...

With the NFL Combine taking place this weekend, team officials (management, coaches, and scouts) along with media analysts and fans will be watching as NFL prospects look to prove their fitness and abilities. With the NFL Draft two months away, highlight videos of college football stars are all over YouTube, ESPN, and the NFL Network. In true highlight fashion, viewers are amazed by the plays made by star players. However, highlight videos are not the whole story. Highlight videos only seek to show players at their best. It is definitely worthwhile to evaluate players throughout the course of a game and in practice. (There are plenty of those videos on YouTube now, too.) In taking a step back to see the full picture of a player, evaluators can better see the details that matter. When it comes to evaluating talent, especially in trying to look at potential stardom and greatness, evaluators should consider the greatness of Larry Bird. Bird has amazed people as a player, coach, and...