The point guard is not just the quarterback of the offense, but also defense as well. Lin can serve as the vocal leader on defense, calling out signals and being an extension of Kenny Atkinson on the floor. His job will be to make sure that his teammates are in the right place and have the right assignment.
It is intriguing what the starting lineup will be to open the season and I will focus primarily on what the best defensive rotation should be. The ideal starting lineup would be Lin, RHJ, Bogdanovic, Booker, and Lopez. Lin, Bogdanovic, and Lopez could provide enough offense, while RHJ and Booker will mostly focus on defense and rebounding. Spacing could be an issue with just Lin and Bogdanovic as the 3 point shooters, but both RHJ and Booker should start because of their defensive ability. With this starting lineup, three of the five players (Lin, RHJ, and Booker) are above average defenders and their defense could help the team stay in games and be competitive. Besides Lin, among the newcomers, Booker will make an impact with his defense as well. His presence on the floor will help with rebounding, as Lopez is not a good rebounder (7.4 per game for Lopez’s career). Among power forwards, Booker was ranked eighth in DRPM (2.37) and he has a reputation of being a high motor and max effort player on defense. (A positive DRPM indicates that the team gave up less than 100 points per 100 defensive possessions with the player on the floor).
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ranked Third in <ahref=”https://www.espn.com/nba/statistics/rpm/_/sort/DRPM/position/2″>DRPM (2.05) among shooting guards last season and he would make a good duo with Lin defensively if they could start together in the backcourt. The NBA game now is mostly dominated by the guards on offense, and having Lin play alongside Hollis-Jefferson should give the Nets a good chance to limit the offensive production from the opposition. Atkinson mentioned that one of the top goals as a team is to improve the defense and it is up to him and his staff to implement a defensive system that will best suit the players. Nets added more young, versatile, and athletic players like Caris LeVert, Isiah Whitehead, and Anthony Bennett to the roster. All of these players have the potential to become good defenders that could defend multiple positions. Another player who I think is capable of playing good defense is Chris McCullough who is returning for his second season. He is an athletic 6-foot-11 power forward has a wingspan of 7-foot-3, which will help him defend the paint as well as get steals with his reach. Acquiring more athletic players was definitely a need, as the team had too many slow and plodding guys on the roster last season.
It appears that the Nets now have players that are capable of guarding multiple positions. This versatility should help the team improve on defense. Hopefully the young players will receive valuable playing time this season. They could become contributors, as one of the main goals going into the season is player development. In addition, having an athletic and versatile defensive lineup could give the team a better opportunity to play small ball and possibly create mismatches on the offensive end. This is something that Atkinson has discussed as an option. It will be interesting to see the different lineups throughout the season.
Good offense often starts from playing solid defense, and the Nets should push the ball as much as possible in transition which plays to Lin’s strength after they get stops. As the saying goes in sports, offense gets the glory, but defense is about effort, passion, and desire. A respectable defense will be required if the Nets want to be a surprise team and exceed expectations, which are too low in my opinion. Playing defense is like doing the dirty work, and the Nets need to play with determination and grit to make up for their lack of talent. The number one commitment this season should be on defense, and I hope that Atkinson and the Nets are up to the task.
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