Switching Defense: The New Trend
As the NBA grows older and becomes more advanced, we begin to see trends develop.
In the 1990s, everybody wanted the game to revolve around a back to the basket center. In the 2000s, games were decided by players creating shots off the dribble and burying their opponent one-on-one, like the Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryants of the world.
Now, we reside in a modern era where post ups rarely occur, isolations are frowned upon, and teams are putting a heavy premium on ball movement and spacing.
When we think about trends, we tend to only think about offense — the result of people limiting their viewing point to the ball and defender. By doing this, we only effectively know how good a defender is guarding their man one-on-one and not how they do within their team’s scheme. We have only started to scratch the surface when it comes to measuring defense, and as fans of the game, there is way more to learn past just watching one guy slide his feet in front of another.
This year, the Warriors had the most efficient defense in the league but played at a faster pace than any other team. For most squads in the NBA, that’s not a recipe for success — more possessions mean more opportunities for the other team to score. When you think about it from that perspective, it makes Golden State’s No. 1 ranking this year even more impressive.
So, how were they able to play such a fast pace while also stifling opponents? Steve Kerr and assistant Ron Adams were able to concoct a scheme where the players switch almost everything. When the offense runs a screen on or off the ball, the Warrior defenders just swap assignments.
They didn’t have a ton of funky rules on what to do, it was that simple — they just switched.
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Teams will switch on occasion if a certain matchup calls for it, but Golden State is really the first team to employ it full time.
Their success has had a ripple effect on other teams, too. Boston played around with the idea of having a switching system and may implement one next season. In the playoffs, we’ve seen Cleveland and Houston begin to do the same after going nearly the entire season without it being a focal point of their defense.
Take this clip from Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals as an example. Houston does a great job switching assignments and James Harden gets his hand up to contest Harrison Barnes’ 3-point attempt.
Is the Warriors’ switching defense becoming a new trend? There is certainly a good possibility of that happening, but you have to have the right personnel to do so.
The Warriors have a plethora of wings who are long and capable of guarding any position without it being too terrible of a mismatch. The Rockets have several of those guys on their roster, too. However, while switching doesn’t allow for teams to get their guys open off of screens, it can leave a team susceptible to mismatches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN75rAckpMY
If switching defense becomes a new trend, we will see teams as soon as this year’s draft start taking players of that profile: Long and capable of guarding multiple positions, be it on the perimeter or on the low block.
Here are three prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft that fit that type of mold and have the tools to make an impact at the next level defensively.
Justise Winslow | 6-7 Small Forward | Duke
Winslow’s physical profile is oddly similar to Draymond Green. Both underwhelmed with their measurements at the Draft Combine, measuring around 6-5 without shoes and weighing in at 230 and 235 pounds respectively.
Something else they have in common: The versatility to switch and guard multiple positions.
Winslow played the four almost exclusively at Duke, so he has experience guarding bigger players. Like Draymond, he uses his length to bother players and contain them within his grasp.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | 6-7 Small Forward | Arizona
Hollis-Jefferson’s measurements were similar to Winslow’s, surprisingly measuring at 6-5.5 without shoes.
Jefferson has drawn a lot of comparisons to Tony Allen of the Grizzlies as an elite wing defender who has the ability to guard anyone on the perimeter. Hollis-Jefferson’s length helps him with that, coming in at 7-2, but his offensive limitations will stunt his growth at the next level. After all, the Warriors stuck Andrew Bogut on Allen during their second round series and won because of it.
As we’ve seen with Allen and others, however, being an elite defender can help you carve out a role as a key part of a rotation in this league.
Norman Powell | 6-4 Shooting Guard | UCLA
While Hollis-Jefferson might be getting all the Tony Allen comparisons, I think Powell is a better comparison to the Grizzlies ace. Both measure 6-4 and 215 pounds, and have long wingspans to wreak havoc on the perimeter.
Powell’s wingspan was 6-11 at the combine, one of the longest for a guard in the entire draft. Not only does he have the length to guard multiple positions, he has speed to keep up with both shooting guards and point guards as well.
No matter what the scheme, any team would benefit from having a kid with this type of athleticism and length.
Powell projects as a second rounder, but his defensive prowess is going to earn him a spot in this league. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he snuck into the later part of the first round on draft night because of it.