Who is the Kings best defensive player?

King Baller

King Baller

All-Star
Most teams you watch it is easy to point out the best defenders. GSW have Green and Iguodala and Houston had Ariza and still have Capela.

On the Kings I think the best defenders are WCS among the Bigs and Fox at the point of attack. But perhaps another player will emerge as the "BEST" defender this season. Will Wenyen Gabriel get a chance to show what he can do? Is Jakarr Sampson still a King? If he is will he get a chance to play designated defender?
 
as of today, it's gotta be Koufos for me. I'd imagine with time Giles will grow into a good defender, he has the tools and motor to do so if he so chooses to make that his calling card. I also like Bogs' potential to become a decent defender, he has the wingspan to do so, which is a good start at least.
 
This is a great question. I more or less agree with the statements above, but when it is not obvious who the best defenders are that suggests that we have a way to go. You can make a case that Koufus is the best defender and best rebounder on the team and should start.

Fox is the guy with the quickness to lockdown opposing players. We have seen it in spurts. I like Bogdan and Giles on defense.

The Kings greatest weakness is team defense. When they figure out the concept then it won't be important who the best defenders are. Just don't count on guys like Zbo to play any defense.
 
Willie is actually the answer, and really it's not all that close because what he's asked to do many of the other bigs simply cannot handle in 30+ mpg.

The NBA features, by-far, the best stable of bigs in any league who are able to drop low quickly and get steals, no other league is remotely close with this level of athletecism... Willie can do this, he can hedge and recover, he can get down in a defensive stance on the perimeter vs NBA talent wings...

The offense is so potent in the NBA that often times for defenses it's a 'chain is as strong as it's weakest link' situation, now this is basketball it's what happens, but it's not all Willie's fault. Gobert has been the best defensive player for years but didnt win DPOY til this year when they upgraded the defense of the guards with Rubio and Mitchell...

As the Kings continue to phase out weaker links around Willie he will look better and better.. We're bout to see this offseasons progress soon enough (WOOOOOO!!!!!!!)

Koufos deserves honorable mention for sure though, I couldn't fault anyone for saying him, because he is actually rather effective in his minutes and when you watch him defend closely enough he passes the eye test easily.
 
Willie has defensive attributes that are great. Based upon his rebounding, rim protection, and inconsistent efforts and focus, his overall value on defense isn’t that great.

JR Smith will hit a breathtaking 3, then shoot 1-5, turn the ball over, and fail to keep track of plays the rest of the quarter. Because fans understand the stats and offense, nobody would consider that good.

Willie blocks a shot off ball, contests will on a switch, and gets a steal in the quarter ... but contributes a ton to the Kings being atrocious on defense. That happens all the time
 
The adjustments and progress from Fox on defense this season for sure will be the best to watch.

Defending the PG position in todays NBA, and out west, is an impossible task, the Kings will not be able to find anyone who's remotely as well equipped for the job as Fox anytime soon...

 
Larry David said:
Willie has defensive attributes that are great. Based upon his rebounding, rim protection, and inconsistent efforts and focus, his overall value on defense isn’t that great.

JR Smith will hit a breathtaking 3, then shoot 1-5, turn the ball over, and fail to keep track of plays the rest of the quarter. Because fans understand the stats and offense, nobody would consider that good.

Willie blocks a shot off ball, contests will on a switch, and gets a steal in the quarter ... but contributes a ton to the Kings being atrocious on defense. That happens all the time
Click to expand...

Yeah, he's just like JR smith, except without the championship ring right?. He's not consistent enough for your tastes? thats the point you're trying to make? thats the problem with the kings these days,**goes out on the porch an shakes a stick at the neighborhood kids** those players on rookie deals just arent consistent enough!! he plays on a team thats not consistent though.

Posts like this remind me of Jack and the beanstalk, and this for sure isn't the only one, their hilariously prevalent here.. Way too many act like Jack's mother, like the Kings swapped their cow(draft pick) for some regular old beans... when it comes to young players who don't fit every piece of their draft billing immediately....

Have you ever been on a team full of inconsistency and tried to stay consistent? while facing teams who are far more consistent and cohesive? and then been judged on your performance statistically? does that seem like an objective way to judge things?? How would you perform at work with a camera on you, you'd never lose focus, because you're a real pro?
 
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Ozymandias said:
Willie is actually the answer, and really it's not all that close because what he's asked to do many of the other bigs simply cannot handle in 30+ mpg.

The NBA features, by-far, the best stable of bigs in any league who are able to drop low quickly and get steals, no other league is remotely close with this level of athletecism... Willie can do this, he can hedge and recover, he can get down in a defensive stance on the perimeter vs NBA talent wings...

The offense is so potent in the NBA that often times for defenses it's a 'chain is as strong as it's weakest link' situation, now this is basketball it's what happens, but it's not all Willie's fault. Gobert has been the best defensive player for years but didnt win DPOY til this year when they upgraded the defense of the guards with Rubio and Mitchell...

As the Kings continue to phase out weaker links around Willie he will look better and better.. We're bout to see this offseasons progress soon enough (WOOOOOO!!!!!!!)

Koufos deserves honorable mention for sure though, I couldn't fault anyone for saying him, because he is actually rather effective in his minutes and when you watch him defend closely enough he passes the eye test easily.
Click to expand...

Lol Willie hasn't played like that since his rookie year.
 
Ozymandias said:
Yeah, he's just like JR smith, except without the championship ring right?. He's not consistent enough for your tastes? thats the point you're trying to make? thats the problem with the kings these days,**goes out on the porch an shakes a stick at the neighborhood kids** those players on rookie deals just arent consistent enough!! he plays on a team thats not consistent though.

Posts like this remind me of Jack and the beanstalk, and this for sure isn't the only one, their hilariously prevalent here.. Way too many act like Jack's mother, like the Kings swapped their cow(draft pick) for some regular old beans... when it comes to young players who don't fit every piece of their draft billing immediately....

Have you ever been on a team full of inconsistency and tried to stay consistent? while facing teams who are far more consistent and cohesive? and then been judged on your performance statistically? does that seem like an objective way to judge things?? How would you perform at work with a camera on you, you'd never lose focus, because you're a real pro?
Click to expand...

My point is he’s not a very good defensive player and people overrate his defense.
 
King Baller said:
Most teams you watch it is easy to point out the best defenders. GSW have Green and Iguodala and Houston had Ariza and still have Capela.

On the Kings I think the best defenders are WCS among the Bigs and Fox at the point of attack. But perhaps another player will emerge as the "BEST" defender this season. Will Wenyen Gabriel get a chance to show what he can do? Is Jakarr Sampson still a King? If he is will he get a chance to play designated defender?
Click to expand...

Fox has the quickness to be a good defender but was horrible last year. He failed to stay in front of his man and often got lost on switches.

Right now it’s a hard question to answer. On rep most likely Shumpert but let’s hope we see growth this year.
 
The good thing is our core players have potential to be good defenders. Fox, Buddy, Bogdan, and Giles with Giles having the potential and fire to be an anchor on that end.
 
jcassio said:
I think we have a roster full of good defenders "potentially," so it's hard to pick one. Especially when none rise to the level of "great defender." But Koufos is such a rock. I'll pick him as our best defender until someone else emerges.
Click to expand...

I think if this thread is made at the same point next year, Giles is going to emerge as the obvious choice for many of us. He just has that "IT" factor on that end of the court. I know it was just Summer League but it was eye opening to see him defend like that in his first few games back after a long layoff. Give him a year to learn the game and mix that with the intensity he brings on the court and you're going to have a no brainer of a choice by this time next year.
 
ESP47 said:
I think if this thread is made at the same point next year, Giles is going to emerge as the obvious choice for many of us. He just has that "IT" factor on that end of the court. I know it was just Summer League but it was eye opening to see him defend like that in his first few games back after a long layoff. Give him a year to learn the game and mix that with the intensity he brings on the court and you're going to have a no brainer of a choice by this time next year.
Click to expand...

That definitely stood out in his summer league run. Just the way he moves on that side of the court and his activity on always trying to make something happen. The fact that he's big and strong enough to hang with the big boys down low while being athletic enough to hedge out on to the perimeter and stick with wings is going to be really, really exciting to watch develop.
 
Well, if you go on defensive rating alone, then Willie and Koufos are the winners. The irony is that both are entirely different kinds of defenders even though they play the same position. Koufos is a very good post defender, and is a smart P&R player, but put him in isolation on the perimeter against the other teams PG or SG, and he's probably going to lose that battle. Willie on the other hand excells on the perimeter and if he struggles anywhere in isolation, it's in the post when he's up against bigger, stronger centers.

However, Willie is asked to do things defensively that Koufos couldn't attempt to do. As a matter of fact, there aren't many centers in the league that can do the things defensively that Willie can do. Willie's problem is focus, focus, and focus. He'll tend to lose his man on occasion by doing too much ball watching. Not unique to him by the way, but he's the one that stands out because he's the last line of defense. Personally, I think way too much is made of shot blocking. Not that I don't love seeing it as much as the next person, but at the end of the day, I'd rather have a center that's capable of plugging holes in our defense 15 to 20 times a game than a center that blocks 3 shots a game.

I've said it before, next time you watch a game, count how many times Willie leaves his man to stop the ball on the perimeter, and then get back to his man. Shots get blocked because no one stopped the ball on the perimeter. Stop the penetration, and you don't need the blocked shot. Make no mistake, Willie isn't perfect. He makes mistakes! In a way, all the criticism is a compliment. It means we know you can do more and do it better. We expect more from Willie than we did Jason Thompson, or most of the pretenders that have had pitstops in Sacramento. It's criticism out of frustration.

All that said, he's still the best defender on the team. I fully expect Giles to battle him for that title in the future. He has terrific defensive instincts and excellent lateral quickness. I can see a very good defensive duo of Willie and Giles in the future. Of course I usually have these visions when I'm drinking. ;)
 
ESP47 said:
I think if this thread is made at the same point next year, Giles is going to emerge as the obvious choice for many of us. He just has that "IT" factor on that end of the court. I know it was just Summer League but it was eye opening to see him defend like that in his first few games back after a long layoff. Give him a year to learn the game and mix that with the intensity he brings on the court and you're going to have a no brainer of a choice by this time next year.
Click to expand...
You may be right. I wouldn’t bet against Giles becoming the defensive leader of our team after 1 full season. But other than Z-Bo, we’ve got a whole roster that screams defensive potential. Even Buddy. I like it.
 
ESP47 said:
I think WCS and Koufos are the Kings two best defenders.

I have Hield pegged as the breakout defender on the perimeter. He improved quite a bit last year and I expect him to take another step this year.
Click to expand...


It's hard to gauge any of the Kings big men as defenders because when they play off the pick and roll and back down to the middle it's just total annihilation from the opposing guards which almost nullifies whatever positives they bring on that side of the ball and Kosta is a prime example of that. The Kings inability or unwillingness to switch leaves it almost impossible for them to compete defensively against modern NBA offenses. Maybe this year we can finally see Willie used more as a switch big like he was at Kentucky, I would like to see it.

My personal belief is that Fox has great tools defensively and has the highest upside on the team. I'm not sure currently because the team concept is so flawed.
 
Good defenders at the 3 and 4 positions are essential in today's NBA and the Kings have none. Until they find good wing players that can defend this team will be at a disadvantage somewhere on the floor almost nightly.
 
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