As the NBA Cup Final was played in Las Vegas on Tuesday, a lot of the talking heads and think pieces around the league are trying to ask: “What is wrong with the NBA?”
There is much fretting over and blame cast toward the NBA’s predilection for 3-point shooting as creating a boring league. That is usually from commentators who want a return to the post-up and iso-heavy play of the mid-1990s or do not want the NBA to succeed for reasons.
But that is a lazy take. It is not looking at the full diversity of the league. Nor is it looking at the development of defense in the league. The NBA Cup Final – a 97-81 Milwaukee Bucks victory – displayed defense. And three teams that played a role in the NBA Cup and made major statements all base their identities on their defense.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets each traveled to Las Vegas. The Orlando Magic were a pair of Damian Lillard shots away from making the trip west.
These three up-and-coming teams share one important trait: They have built their futures on defense. They are the top three defenses in the league.
There is still an offensive revolution occurring, but defense is back in style and essential to three young teams knocking on the door of contention.
“I absolutely love it,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It tells you where this generation of players can put their minds to and understand that defense wins championships. Knowing that it’s about energy, it’s about effort. It’s about focusing on the details. It’s a want to”
The Thunder have the top defense in the league giving up 103.1 points per 100 possessions. They have size with Isaiah Hartenstein and (when healthy) Chet Holmgren. But they have players who are all committed to defending and can switch with ease.
That versatility is key with the Houston Rockets too. They are second with a 105.3 defensive rating. They also have a versatile set of defenders and come off the bench with devastating defenders in Tari Eason and Amen Thompson.
And then there is the Orlando Magic with a 106.1 defensive rating. The Magic are comfortable switching every position and feature two of the best perimeter defenders in the league in Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. They force turnovers and disrupt everything in the paint while having the length and speed to chase out to the 3-point line.
This is what defenses have to be like in the league now. And these three young teams embody the future of defense in this league.
“The athleticism nowadays of the people coming into the league is second to none honestly,” Jalen Suggs said. “Not only the athleticism, but the versatility to guard 1, 2, 3 and 4. A lot of these guys make it really tough.”
This is what the Magic do. They can switch so seamlessly and effectively that teams cannot find a favorable matchup. They gum teams up with that intensity on defense. And then they force turnovers and mistakes.
Orlando is second in the league forcing a 17.5 percent turnover rate (behind only Oklahoma City’s 19.0 percent turnover rate). The Magic also tend to get a lot of deflections, steals and blocks. They lead the league with 6.9 blocks per game and are fourth with 9.6 steals per game. Orlando is also fourth with 18.1 deflections per game according to NBA.com‘s hustle stats.
The Magic are one of the most disruptive defensive teams in the league. There are holes and the Magic’s over-aggression can get them in trouble, but they are physical, and they wear teams down.
Everyone understands the struggles the Magic have had on offense. Orlando is the worst 3-point shooting team in the league and ranked 25th in offensive rating, the worst mark among teams with winning records.
Their defense has kept them in games. And in the fourth quarter, the Magic are confident their defense has worn teams down to give them a chance. They have racked up wins regardless.
These young teams know who they are. And despite what everyone might have you believe, they know defense is their ticket to success.
