Analysis: Trying to play good NBA defense is a ‘wild, hot mess’

DENVER (AP) — Contrary to all thosehigh-scoring games, players still are playing defense in theNBA.

Seriously, they are.

It’s just the task of stopping two-time reigning MVP NikolaJokic or Luka Doncic or Joel Embiid or anyone else in the leaguehas become more challenging than ever.

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle may have described theassignment of locking down a premier — or even a reserve — playerthe best: “It’s a wild, hot mess trying to guard in the NBAnow.”

A combination of rule changes, style-of-play alterations, theongoing addiction to the 3-point shot and more have added up to thegame being significantly tilted toward the offensive player.

Someone will win “Defensive Player of the Year” this spring,even after a season where no one seems to be able to stop anyonewith the ball. It’s almost certain that more players will average20 points per game than ever before. A decade ago, there were adozen or so players. This season, 50 isn’t out of the question(there were 27 last season and 31 in 2020-21).

The NBA will analyze all the variables after the season. Butsince its sense is fans love scoring, and there’s nothing out therecontradicting that stance, a massive swing of the rules pendulumtoward helping out defenders doesn’t seem likely.

“For me, a fan, the talent level is just off the charts, andthat has a lot to do with what we’re seeing,” NBA Commissioner AdamSilver said in Paris last week. “Of course, the enormous increasein 3-point shooting is going to lead to more scoring, too,especially when these guys, even the big men, shoot 3-point shotsas well as they do.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a case that defense is not beingfocused on as it once was,” Silver added. “I’ve been around theleague long enough to remember when the claim was guys played nodefense at all, and so there’s a fair amount of defenseplayed.”

From zone defenses to constant rotations, teams are trying alittle bit of everything to slow down offensive stars. Still, thestars shine. In January alone, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scored71 points on Jan. 2; Chicago’s Zach LaVine knocked down 113-pointers on Jan. 6; and Miami’s Jimmy Butler went 23 of 23 fromthe free throw line on Jan. 10. (Editor's Note: Damian Lillarddropped 60 points on Wednesday as well.)

Playing defense is harder these days, but not impossible.

“It just requires a real connectedness defensively,” Carlisleexplained.

Scoring is up again this season, with teams averaging morepoints (114.2) than the league has seen at any time in the lasthalf-century. Sacramento leads the way with 119.7 points per game,with six players averaging 12 or more points.

It’s hardly a surprise to longtime NBA veteran Ish Smith that 44players are currently averaging at least 20 points a game.

“I guarantee you, when I come and show my kids the game in 10 or15 years, we’re going to be talking about how it might be 100 guysnow averaging 20,” cracked Smith, the Nuggets guard who broke intothe league in 2010. “It’s just a tribute to guys getting better.Everybody can dribble, shoot, pass — and it makes itdifficult.”

Bottom line: The standouts are simply doing what they do best —stand out. Embiid (33.4) and Doncic (33.0) lead in points per game(33.6), Jokic in triple-doubles (15), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander intwo-point field goals (421) and Buddy Hield in 3-pointers(196).

“The league is in such a great place and people are so intochecking out highlights and seeing high scores for entertainment,”said David Adelman, an assistant coach for the Nuggets and son oflongtime NBA coach Rick Adelman. “I don’t think the NFL is anydifferent. I mean, it’s hard to be a defensive back these days.That’s probably the hardest job in sports, maybe.

“So I don’t see (the NBA) changing it. My son is 9 years old andhe loves watching the NBA because we’re scoring 130 points. That’sjust the way it is.”

Given rule enforcements designed to allow more freedom of momentin both the post and on the perimeter, it’s only natural to expectfree throws to be on the rise. There have been an average of 23.8attempts at the line this season, which is on pace to be thehighest since 2010-11 (24.4).

“Generally, when you look at some of these really, really,explosive individual performances where guys have put up hugenumbers, I think you can immediately look at the free-throw line.There’s always a correlation,” Chicago coach Billy Donovanexplained. “The free throw and the fouling has become a realchallenge, because the minute you get your hands on people, thoseelite scorers know how to manipulate and draw fouls.”

The league has tried to minimize that, at least when it comes toshooters looking to draw contact on flailed 3-pointers. But the NBAknows any rule change or shift always gets countered somehow bysmart players, who just find another avenue to get to where theywant.

“I remember people were saying, ‘It’s all about dunking and guyscan’t shoot.’ Now it’s, ‘They shoot too well. It should be more ofan inside game,’” Silver said. “We’ll keep looking at it.”

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to thisreport.