http://www.vantagesports.com/#story/VNKtLCUAAIYNrZ9i/no-dwight-howard-no-problem Another article from Vantage. It suggests: Motiejunas's Contest+ FG% is 45.7 percent, while Howard's is 33.5 percent. Both players have an Opponent FG% Against of 46 percent. Donatas Motiejunas is defensively similar to the injured Dwight Howard and offensively superior. In other words, Dwight "intimidates" opponents into making worse shots, but the two have equal defensive impact because Motie contests more. Meanwhile, Motiejunas is more effective offensively in both scoring and facilitating.
One on one defense is one thing, but since Dwight has sat our overall defense has fallen off a cliff, eye test confirms this too.
people aren't willing to challenge dwight, that's the thing. If they're choosing to take a long 2 rather than go at him, advantage us.
It's not as much opponent player FG% as much as it is his help defense. DMo can't touch Dwight's help defense. And since we have Dwight, other players can gamble more, since they know Dwight is in the middle.
A healthy Dwight is a better defender than DMo but the problems start when Dwight, healthy or not, starts thinking he has any semblance of a post game
You can also count on DMo to get a foul on an unnecessary charge attempt much in the same way you can count on Dwight to get whistled for bowling someone over. In all seriousness, Dmo is obviously a great positional defender and plays smart, grounded defense. I just don't like seeing my seven footers trying to draw offensive charge fouls on PG's behind the three point line. Dwight's rebounding and shot blocking puts him on another level. I can't find the video but Dwight made a huge game saving block against the Blazers in last seasons playoffs, no? It's those kinds of plays that can be demoralising to an opponent. I'm glad we still have them both, and I'm looking forward to seeing Dwight wreck shop once he gets back healthy and hungry. Even hobbled, the intimidation factor has been there with Dwight.
Interesting take. What those stats don't show is that no Dwight vastly impairs our rebounding game. I love DMO, but he does not board like a 5, nor does anyone on our team. So, no Dwight Howard, YES problem. Our team stands no chance against Deandre, Chandler, Gasol, or most playoff teams without Dwight. They'll dominate the post even with these feel-good stats.
when dwight comes back dorsey is sitting not dmo. wrong comparison, it should be dorsey and i don't need stats to tell who wins there.
For what it is worth, according to the NBA stats defensive dashboard: In Feb, when Motie is defending a player, they shoot 50.7%, the players he is defending otherwise shoot 46.7%. At less than 6' from the ring, they shoot 60%. In Jan: 46.5% total, otherwise 45.8%. <6' 56.1% December he was 46.1% against (otherwise 46.4% against), and 57.6% <6' November was his 'awesome' month: 31.3% against (otherwise 45.7%), ,6' 34.1% Pretty much his 'defensive impact' has been declining from that amazing November, or, looking at it another way, the amazing November has been 'thinned' by his 'regular' defence the rest of the way? The concern for me is that he seems to be in decline in all numbers each month....
I disagree. A healthy Dwight at times is unstoppable in the post, you have to go to him every now and then to see if he can get into a rhythm, he adds so much to the offense if he's got it going.
On the other hand, holding the defence together at the back lately is [gasp!] Terrence Jones He is 33.3% against in Feb (otherwise 44.9); and 34.8% at less than 6' from the ring. January 20% against (45.6 otherwise); 30.8% less than 6' Season: 35.9% against (44.7% otherwise); 45.1% less than 6'
http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/...-houston-rockets-behind-deandre-jordan-021115 Also see Tyson Chandler and Andrew Bogut.
There is seriously something wrong with the interpretation of these stats if they're saying DMos defense is as good as Dwight's
Show all the stats you want, but there is a reason Jones is starting to eat in Dmo's time. Start with that comparison before Howard's. This is why they say never to look at stats in a vacuum because quite frankly, this is a seriously incorrect conclusion.
When you have guys like Devin Harris and DJ Augustin running layup drills on you in the paint it shows the importance of Dwight Howard...Healthy or not his presence brings so much to our defense along with his ability to grab defensive boards/finish defensive possessions
I don't think there is any stat that accurately measures individual defense. The numbers shown in another thread show that team defense did not decline after Howard's first absence. It started declining after Howard came back and continued to decline after he was out again. So from the team defense perspective, the decline does not seem to correlate to Howard's absence.
