We’ll know pretty early on if a new defensive mindset is taking hold, or the laissez-faire model continues to dominate. The key will be whether Keefe holds players accountable - if Bub dies on screens continually, will he hit the bench?
What’ll happen to Trae Young if he acts allergic to defense? That will be even more telling; will Keefe enforce the defensive dictate to everyone, even celebrated vets? The youngsters, you can be sure, will be watching to see if there’s a two-tiered system of accountability in place.
You make a compelling point. Keefe has stressed defensive improvement the last two seasons, yet the Wizards ranked in the bottom-three in defensive rating in each of those years. I think the team's personnel and eye toward the lottery were factors there. But now that those restrictions are removed and his roster is very talented, the first few games will be telling on whether the defense has actually improved.
Right. And Keefe of course isn’t expecting Young to suddenly morph into Anthony Davis - as Young himself stated, his stature is limiting. But coach has every right to expect Young to exert himself on D. It really is a matter of effort more than anything else on that end - much more so than scheme, although that can certainly help.
Young was quite honest about his defensive role. He said he'll give maximum effort but understands he's likely the weakest defensive player, which he said is fine considering the defensive talent around him. Young and Carrington both said defense is all about effort. We'll see how that translates into defensive stops this season.
We’ll know pretty early on if a new defensive mindset is taking hold, or the laissez-faire model continues to dominate. The key will be whether Keefe holds players accountable - if Bub dies on screens continually, will he hit the bench?
What’ll happen to Trae Young if he acts allergic to defense? That will be even more telling; will Keefe enforce the defensive dictate to everyone, even celebrated vets? The youngsters, you can be sure, will be watching to see if there’s a two-tiered system of accountability in place.
You make a compelling point. Keefe has stressed defensive improvement the last two seasons, yet the Wizards ranked in the bottom-three in defensive rating in each of those years. I think the team's personnel and eye toward the lottery were factors there. But now that those restrictions are removed and his roster is very talented, the first few games will be telling on whether the defense has actually improved.
Right. And Keefe of course isn’t expecting Young to suddenly morph into Anthony Davis - as Young himself stated, his stature is limiting. But coach has every right to expect Young to exert himself on D. It really is a matter of effort more than anything else on that end - much more so than scheme, although that can certainly help.
Young was quite honest about his defensive role. He said he'll give maximum effort but understands he's likely the weakest defensive player, which he said is fine considering the defensive talent around him. Young and Carrington both said defense is all about effort. We'll see how that translates into defensive stops this season.