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 First and Second Teams, the team defenses of NBA champions have averaged a rank of 6.6 (6th-7th) in opponent points per game and 4.7 (4th-5th) in defensive efficiency. (Pace has been all over the place, averaging out at 14.2 (14th-15th), with the league increasing from 14 teams in 1968-1969 to 30 teams in 2004-2005.) In looking specifically at defensive efficiency, only two champions have finished outside of the league's top ten during the regular season: the 1994-1995 Houston Rockets (12th) and the 2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers (21st). Data tables are pictured at the end of this article.
With that said, how do selections for the All-Defensive Teams relate to championship defenses? Do NBA champions have elite defenders or just good team defense?
In comparing all NBA champions since 1968-1969 with their relative current, past, and future All-Defensive Teams, NBA champions have had an average of three current/past/future All-Defensive Team members on their team (including 1.5 current, 2.4 past/current, and 2.1 current/future (this is a 'slash', not a 'division sign')). Only five NBA champions did not have a current All-Defensive Team member--but every NBA championship team since 1968-1969 has had at least one current/past/future All-Defensive Team member.
How does the Cleveland Cavaliers' defense currently look? Heading into Sunday, they ranked tied for 2nd in opponent points per game and tied for 7th in defensive efficiency. On their roster, they have one former All-Defensive Team member: LeBron James. At the trade deadline, they traded their second former All-Defensive Team member: Anderson Varejao. Regarding the rest of their defense, Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert are the most likely to have a chance to develop into elite defenders, with Richard Jefferson being a solid veteran defender. With that said, only three NBA championship teams have gotten away with having only one current/past/future All-Defensive Team member: the 1993-1994 Houston Rockets, the 1994-1995 Houston Rockets, and the 2008-2009 Los Angeles Lakers. For the Rockets, Hakeem Olajuwon was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and nine-time All-Defensive Team member. For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant is a 12-time All-Defensive Team member. In comparison, LeBron James has earned All-Defensive Team recognition twice with the Cavaliers and four times with the Miami Heat.
In team history, the Cavaliers have had six All-Defensive Team members:
Meanwhile, over the years, the Cavs have also signed and traded for other former All-Defensive Team members:
Despite being slower now due to last season's Achilles tendon tear and gaining 10-15 pounds due to limited activity during his recovery, Varejao was still the Cavs' best post defender. Tristan Thompson has shown some lateral quickness but has not yet developed Varejao's defensive instincts. Thompson struggles guarding bigger players due to his lack of height. Also, he and Timofey Mozgov misread some pick and roll plays, allowing opposing players to get into the paint uncontested. As it stands, either Thompson or Channing Frye is now the team's best post defender. With Mozgov struggling, Coach Lue may give some minutes to Sasha Kaun, who looked to be a better post defender than Mozgov when the two were playing in Russia.
Injuries have also limited the availability of Dellavedova and Shumpert. Although Dellavedova has missed only six games this season, he is currently on a minutes restriction due to nagging leg injuries. Shumpert has been worse off, missing 25 games and not moving into the starting lineup as had been expected since he was acquired from New York last season. Meanwhile, James has not been a consistently elite defender since returning to Cleveland, in part due to playing more minutes than anyone else in the NBA over the past six years. Lastly, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love--the other two members of the Cavs' big three--have developed reputations of being below average defenders.
In three months, we will see which teams--and which elite defenders--emerge as the NBA champions. In the meantime, here are detailed numbers on the number and names of All-Defensive Team members on past NBA championship teams:
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 First and Second Teams, the team defenses of NBA champions have averaged a rank of 6.6 (6th-7th) in opponent points per game and 4.7 (4th-5th) in defensive efficiency. (Pace has been all over the place, averaging out at 14.2 (14th-15th), with the league increasing from 14 teams in 1968-1969 to 30 teams in 2004-2005.) In looking specifically at defensive efficiency, only two champions have finished outside of the league's top ten during the regular season: the 1994-1995 Houston Rockets (12th) and the 2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers (21st). Data tables are pictured at the end of this article.
With that said, how do selections for the All-Defensive Teams relate to championship defenses? Do NBA champions have elite defenders or just good team defense?
In comparing all NBA champions since 1968-1969 with their relative current, past, and future All-Defensive Teams, NBA champions have had an average of three current/past/future All-Defensive Team members on their team (including 1.5 current, 2.4 past/current, and 2.1 current/future (this is a 'slash', not a 'division sign')). Only five NBA champions did not have a current All-Defensive Team member--but every NBA championship team since 1968-1969 has had at least one current/past/future All-Defensive Team member.
This means that every NBA champion has had at least one elite defender in his prime as a central part of its team defense.
How does the Cleveland Cavaliers' defense currently look? Heading into Sunday, they ranked tied for 2nd in opponent points per game and tied for 7th in defensive efficiency. On their roster, they have one former All-Defensive Team member: LeBron James. At the trade deadline, they traded their second former All-Defensive Team member: Anderson Varejao. Regarding the rest of their defense, Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert are the most likely to have a chance to develop into elite defenders, with Richard Jefferson being a solid veteran defender. With that said, only three NBA championship teams have gotten away with having only one current/past/future All-Defensive Team member: the 1993-1994 Houston Rockets, the 1994-1995 Houston Rockets, and the 2008-2009 Los Angeles Lakers. For the Rockets, Hakeem Olajuwon was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and nine-time All-Defensive Team member. For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant is a 12-time All-Defensive Team member. In comparison, LeBron James has earned All-Defensive Team recognition twice with the Cavaliers and four times with the Miami Heat.
In team history, the Cavaliers have had six All-Defensive Team members:
Meanwhile, over the years, the Cavs have also signed and traded for other former All-Defensive Team members:
Despite being slower now due to last season's Achilles tendon tear and gaining 10-15 pounds due to limited activity during his recovery, Varejao was still the Cavs' best post defender. Tristan Thompson has shown some lateral quickness but has not yet developed Varejao's defensive instincts. Thompson struggles guarding bigger players due to his lack of height. Also, he and Timofey Mozgov misread some pick and roll plays, allowing opposing players to get into the paint uncontested. As it stands, either Thompson or Channing Frye is now the team's best post defender. With Mozgov struggling, Coach Lue may give some minutes to Sasha Kaun, who looked to be a better post defender than Mozgov when the two were playing in Russia.
Injuries have also limited the availability of Dellavedova and Shumpert. Although Dellavedova has missed only six games this season, he is currently on a minutes restriction due to nagging leg injuries. Shumpert has been worse off, missing 25 games and not moving into the starting lineup as had been expected since he was acquired from New York last season. Meanwhile, James has not been a consistently elite defender since returning to Cleveland, in part due to playing more minutes than anyone else in the NBA over the past six years. Lastly, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love--the other two members of the Cavs' big three--have developed reputations of being below average defenders.
Therefore, there are legitimate concerns that the Cavaliers lack the elite lockdown defenders needed to win the NBA championship this season.
In three months, we will see which teams--and which elite defenders--emerge as the NBA champions. In the meantime, here are detailed numbers on the number and names of All-Defensive Team members on past NBA championship teams:
