Comments on: A Stat for Bruce Bowen

By: Hints of a Better Defense | 48 Minutes of Hell

Hints of a Better Defense | 48 Minutes of Hell — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:56:49 +0000

[...] the summer, Steve Ilardi shocked me by advancing an statistic which advertised Manu Ginobili as the league’s third best perimeter defender over the previous 6 seasons. That conversation was in the context of Bruce Bowen’s retirement, but Dr. Ilardi included [...]

By: Crow

Crow — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:21:48 +0000

Adjusted +/- helps in understanding performance as a teammate and performance in a role and especially defensive performance.

Sports without numbers is just motion and hope. Don’t care about the numbers at many levels and in fine detail and at the pro level you leaving a lot of room for stuff that can hurt you. To care about the numbers doesn’t necessary mean staring them all the time and knowing them precisely, and some coaches and GMs don’t as much as I might think they should. But caring about them they do in their own way or at their own peril.

By: JT

JT — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:42:41 +0000

Where’s the stat line for winning over my heart?

By: Tim C

Tim C — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:54:20 +0000

Yeah, I spent the better part of the weekend getting to know him. Just thought I would share. Thanks for reading

By: Robby

Robby — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:36:59 +0000

Bowen’s contribution might not reflect the stat sheet. But if watch the Spurs games closely, you will notice how he affects the game on the defensive end.

He is a great defensive player that sadly didn’t win the DPOY award througout his career… I’d also like to mention on a side note that Duncan has been voted to the All defensive team 12 straight years and yet, he haven’t won the said award…

By: Timothy Varner

Timothy Varner — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:28:38 +0000

Strangely enough, Tim, I was just getting to know DeJuan Blair.

By: Tim C

Tim C — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:26:24 +0000

I’d be interested in knowing where RJ ranks on that list. And as Pressurez said, I’m happy to know that our other defensive stopper will be back healthy this season.

By: Pressurez

Pressurez — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:15:25 +0000

Well I’m glad our real defensive stopper should be back fully healed from his ankle injury:)

By: Anthony McDonald

Anthony McDonald — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:23:22 +0000

Seriously, who cares about numbers?!? Basketball, and most sports, aren’t about numbers….it’s about the joy we had watching him. Bowen was a pro’s pro. He defensed the Kobe’s, Nash’s and Ray Allen’s of the world. I don’t need a jacked up formula to tell me that he was a game-changer. To me, he should be on the All Spurs First Team…..along with Duncan, Robinson, Parker, Gervin.

By: Rye

Rye — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:15:40 +0000

I’m not surprised. Whenever Bowen or Thomas were on the floor last season, particularly in tandem with Duncan, the Spurs often looked elite defensively. I had no statistical data (until now) to back that up, just my own two eyes.

The whole “Bowen has lost a step” notion was overblown. He may not have been at his absolute peak, but he was still a highly effective defender.