Iguodala Breaks Down Defending Melo, Bron, Durant, Kobe and more

[Walt]

Behind the screen: Inside the defensive mind of Andre Iguodala - CBSSports.com

He narrates video in addition to the print video. Worth watching, especially for hardcore basketball fans.

 

[Ritzy Sharon]

great piece. read/watched it earlier.

If watching Dwight Howard play defense is like watching a killer hippo flashdance, and if watching Tony Allen defend is like watching a lion track down caribou as it tries a futile effort at escape, watching Iguodala is watching an architect build a skyscraper in minutes. The angles, the accuracy and the careful blend of creativity and required pragmatics are stunning. And so much of it springs from what goes on in his head.

:iggy:

And with Iguodala on the court? The Nuggets surrender just 100.1 points per 100 possessions, better than 8 points fewer than they do with him on the bench.

But wait, there's more! According to Synergy Sports, Iguodala is fifth among players (with 400 minimum possessions) in overall points per possession allowed, he causes the fifth-most turnovers of any player (with 100 possessions) guarding the pick and roll, and most important, he's the second best player in guarding players one on one, in isolation, minimum 50 possessions. He's the only wing player in the top five.

And yet those numbers don't do service to the intangibles or process of the work he does, guarding point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards. He switches from opponent to opponent, pressuring, contesting and making good possessions into bad.

"I learned one move from Joe Johnson which is pretty funny," he says. "Sometimes when they're driving or want to get open and they're pushing off on me, they push off a lot, and they get away with it. So when they push off, I just lean back, but I grab their hand with me, so as they're pushing me, I grab them so they gotta come with me. When they're trying to come off and I'm holding that, that gives me a second to recover. That's them shooting the ball or catching and shooting the ball, right there is one second. So I'm back in front just by doing that."

 

[Hiphoplives4eva]

my naija brother...

 

[villain]

this was ill

he right about melo sweet spot too
once he get u down there it's the torture rack u gotta keep him out as far as u can

 

[EQ.]

im not even a hoops fan like that but i respect when people master their craft well enough to describe the science/reason behind their actions.

 

[mastermind]

this is the first time I have ever seen an NBA player explain defense so clearly. Its really fascinating.

This piece>>>>>>>that Michael Lewis garbage on Battier

 

[OTC]

 

[AAKing23]

I miss that nikka Iggy's defense for my sixers He's a defensive mastermind that never gets enough credit for it.


He gave us 7 good years tho

 

[Absolut]

One of the best pieces I've read on hoops

 

[BROWARD]

Good post

 

[Malcolmxxx_23]

very good read

 

[Arcavian]

that was brilliant

 

[bigmanharris]

shyt was beautiful.....I love the intellectual side of basketball.....

 

[FreedS[ohh]lave]

Pretty interesting..

Im not a big fan though...I dont fukks with nikkas who are offensively challenged in the halfcourt..fukks shyt up in the playoffs when the game slows down

 

[Absolut]

Pretty interesting..

Im not a big fan though...I dont fukks with nikkas who are offensively challenged in the halfcourt..fukks shyt up in the playoffs when the game slows down

true bruce bowen fukked up all those suprs playoff runs