Pruiti on San Antonio Denying Durant

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Our friend Sebastian Pruiti of NetsAreScorching and NBA Playbook took a closer look at the Spurs’ ball denying efforts at the end of regulation and overtime against the Thunder. It’s a helpful look at the team’s defensive triumphs and failures.  This is one image from a larger collection of grabs (with notes):

  • SpursMan

    All this breakdown shows me is, while Bogans did a good job defending the play in regulation, RJ was late to switch and wasn’t in westbrooks face to alter the shot. RJ is still not crisp on his rotations and defense. I get a sense that he always plays a little away from the shooter.

  • JT

    I think RJ was also preventing Westbrook from getting closer to the paint and also preventing some bogus foul call…

  • Sauce

    excellent point SpursMan. i agree that jefferson does seem to give that extra breathing room to shooters much like ron artest. i think it is more fear of fouling on the shot. i would like to see him get closer.

  • John

    Westbrook didn’t really qualify as much of a shooter either – that was the only jumper he hit outside of the lane all night long. I thought it was great defense – RJ made sure that he took exactly the shot we wanted them to have.

    It would have been better if we could have forced Green to take the shot, I guess, but the primary goal was to keep the heating-up Durant from taking the shot. Secondary was to restrict Westbrook to a jumper outside the painted area – which is what we got. He hit it (credit to him), but I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the shot they were hoping for or anything.