“Protecting the Rim” is one of the hot phrases in basketball these days. Every GM is looking for a rim protector, and now with the new SportVU data we can get a much more accurate measure of how well ...

Don't give up shots at the basket. That seems to be the No. 1 goal for any defensive scheme in the NBA. Layups and dunks are generally the most efficient shots in the NBA, so you want to make sure you ...

If you follow the Orlando Magic, you’ve heard the narrative. The Magic have lacked rim protection ever since they traded three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard and entrusted their ...

The Los Angeles Lakers' lack of size and rim protection has been a glaring weakness ever since they traded Anthony Davis. Those issues were more prevalent than ever in their 116-104 Game 3 loss to the ...

The Oklahoma City Thunder have boasted the best defense in the NBA throughout the 2024-25 season. In fact, many observers consider OKC's defense one of the most suffocating in recent memory, and the ...

For five seasons under then-head coach Mike Budenholzer, the Milwaukee Bucks were an elite defensive team. There was a slight dip in the 2021-22 season when center Brook Lopez missed most of the ...

Last year, the NBA started publishing "tracking data," which is gathered using a system of cameras that track every player movement on the floor. It provides a bunch of cool stuff to look at, and ...

Small ball has probably overtaken it at this point, but not too long ago “rim protection” was the biggest buzzword in the NBA. A single elite rim protector can alter a team’s defense in a way no other ...

After proving herself as college basketball’s best defender through multiple accolades, Los Angeles Sparks rookie forward Cameron Brink revealed her unflinching confidence on how that would translate ...

There’s no shame in admitting it—it’s all but guaranteed that nearly every single one of you reading this has accidentally hit the face of a curb with one of your car’s wheels. It’s that ...

Back in 2015, Mark Jackson said something that pissed a lot of people off. I know, stunning, right? Here’s a quote from the very first Golden State broadcast Jackson did for ESPN after being fired.

In addition to getting completely healthy and accustomed to playing with each other, the No. 1 priority of the Celtics is to improve defensively. They have been getting battered lately by opposing ...