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Enes Kanter even bigger beast defensively then offensively?

The Black Swordsman

The Black Swordsman

Well-Known Member
Enes Kanter even bigger beast defensively than offensively?

Anyone else would have probably guessed that Enes Kanter has a higher PER (adjusted for 48 minutes) then players like Derrick Favors and Jonas Valanciunas.

What many people probably wouldn't know is that is that Enes Kanter (11.5) has kept his opponents PER (adjusted to 48 minutes) less then Derrick Favors (14.7), Jonas Valanciunas (17.3), Andre Drummond (22.1), Marc Gasol (14.6), Omer Asik(15.1), Larry Sanders(20.4), Joakim Noah(16.5), Dwight Howard (15.0) and Roy Hibbert (15.3).

If keeping the opponents PER was the best sign of a defensive player Enes Kanter wouldn't just be the best defensive center in the league but the best defensive player overall. PER isn't perfect but no statistic is. It is still a nice sign.

Also for those that say he was able to maintain a low opponents PER was because he was a backup center have a good point. However I wasn't able to find a backup center for any other team that had kept the opponents PER as low as Kanters.

Another problem I realized is that keeping an opponent players PER low doesn't incorporate help defense at all.

I think Kanter has signs that point that he may be an elite man defender. Along with the signs that point he may be an elite offensive player and rebounder make him pretty well rounded.

If Kanter stays healthy there is no way he doesn't become an allstar in 1-2 years and he definitely has superstar (top 10 in nba) potential. Taller Kevin Love with elite man defense is a possibility.

Pass the kool aid.

All stats were received from 82games.com
 
I don't think he becomes a great defender. Just not enough athleticsm. He can be adequate but not great. Those stats will also be misleading in the future too because Favors will be there to watch Kanter's back. That even might be something to do with why his numbers are the way they are. Those two did play a lot together.
 
Hack said:
I don't think he becomes a great defender. Just not enough athleticsm. He can be adequate but not great. Those stats will also be misleading in the future too because Favors will be there to watch Kanter's back. That even might be something to do with why his numbers are the way they are. Those two did play a lot together.
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Agree
 
Hack said:
I don't think he becomes a great defender. Just not enough athleticsm. He can be adequate but not great. Those stats will also be misleading in the future too because Favors will be there to watch Kanter's back. That even might be something to do with why his numbers are the way they are. Those two did play a lot together.
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Marc Gasol isn't athletic.




But I think Marc is just a more cerebral player. He isn't the most prolific scorer-- but he reads, and knows the game real well. Different stratosphere than Kanter in that respect
 
Hack said:
I don't think he becomes a great defender. Just not enough athleticsm. He can be adequate but not great. Those stats will also be misleading in the future too because Favors will be there to watch Kanter's back. That even might be something to do with why his numbers are the way they are. Those two did play a lot together.
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Can you say Mark Eaton

Sent from my HTC One using JazzFanz mobile app
 
I think he'll be a good defender. He'll obviously be a good 1-on-1 defender in the post, and stats showed that he defended the pick n roll much better than expected, if I remember correctly. Plus, rebounding is the final aspect of defense, and we all know how bawse he is at that.

Kanter and Favors will compliment each other well on BOTH ends of the floor.
 
The Black Swordsman said:
If keeping the opponents PER was the best sign of a defensive player Enes Kanter wouldn't just be the best defensive center in the league but the best defensive player overall. PER isn't perfect but no statistic is. It is still a nice sign.

Also for those that say he was able to maintain a low opponents PER was because he was a backup center have a good point. However I wasn't able to find a backup center for any other team that had kept the opponents PER as low as Kanters.
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All stats have flaws and they are highly suspect if they contradict the eye. But in Kanter's case, everthing I saw from his play last year supports your analysis (repped). Even when he was (briefly) matched against the best offensive centers in the league, he held his own.
 
Ellipse said:
All stats have flaws and they are highly suspect if they contradict the eye. But in Kanter's case, everthing I saw from his play last year supports your analysis (repped). Even when he was (briefly) matched against the best offensive centers in the league, he held his own.
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Good catch about contradiction with reality. Enes held centers, even the elite ones pretty good but lacked the effort to cut similar drives, layups'n stuff by lesser heights. To my eyes at least. He is not a die hard defender. He sometimes showed laziness in that part. Emphatic blocking needs killer instincts. Enes has many of his blocks by standing pivot. No one please post the block he had on Jordan!
 
Well, his defensive rating of 107 says he's got a long way to go. Needs to drop that score by about 10 to be an elite defender. 107 is pretty poor actually. By way of comparison defensive stalwart, Al Jefferson, had a defensive rating of 104. (lower is better, indicates how many points per hundred possessions the other team gets)

My eye says he's a pretty good defender. Moves pretty well, has good instincts. Just a little short/floorbound to be a real plus on that end. I think his PnR defense is actually a plus though, and his help defense is pretty good. Not help blocking shots, but, help spacing the floor. Switching and recovering that kind of thing.

Overall I expect an average defensive player out of him most nights. With Favors bringing up the average defense of the frontcourt.
 
Why was Raja touted as a great defender? Because he wasn't athletic enough to do anything else. In fact any player who is labeled as a defender is suspect athletically, or they are an all star. Kind of like a girl having a 'great personality'. Fact is, you don't need athleticism to be 'just' a great defender. Marc has been mentioned, Eaton has been mentioned, I agree with both, and yes, Kanter can be a great defender with his tools. Hopefully he can be more than that. After a few years of Al, I am glad to have a defensive center. Yet if we are going to get anywhere, we need an offensive one to, and Kanter seems to have that as well.
 
Kanter is a career backup. Not a great player. A Role player. As soon as jazz front office realize this they can move forward. Just like I told Yall Koufus wasn't greta when MOST here hyped him up. Time to realize when it comes to bball that im just plain smarter then most of you. Watch enes play, He plays like a stiff
 
ncoloradojazz said:
Kanter is a career backup. Not a great player. A Role player. As soon as jazz front office realize this they can move forward. Just like I told Yall Koufus wasn't greta when MOST here hyped him up. Time to realize when it comes to bball that im just plain smarter then most of you. Watch enes play, He plays like a stiff
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lol...... r u serious???
 
ncoloradojazz said:
Kanter is a career backup. Not a great player. A Role player. As soon as jazz front office realize this they can move forward. Just like I told Yall Koufus wasn't greta when MOST here hyped him up. Time to realize when it comes to bball that im just plain smarter then most of you. Watch enes play, He plays like a stiff
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WOW! I would love to make a bet on this. Kanter will be in the running for most improved player this coming year.
 
head scratcher....

"In fact any player who is labeled as a defender is suspect athletically, or they are an all star."

So Tony Allen, Thabo Sefolosha, Avery Bradley and Serge Ibaka are all suspect athletically?

(scratching head)
 
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