Defending the Offensive: Why Up-Tempo Teams Can Succeed in the NBA

"Defense wins championships."

I hear this muck around the NBA (and other sports as well) all the time.

Depending on how certain folks spin it, you would think that recent championship teams like the Celtics, Spurs, and Pistons defended their way to those titles.

If there is one person out there that is as sick of hearing this as I am, it’s probably Mike D’Antoni. His Phoenix Suns “run n’ gunned” their way to into the playoffs each of the last three seasons with 50-plus wins (with 61 wins in 2006-07) but just couldn’t seem to get past the Spurs in the postseason. And of course, the critics and defensive proponents raved after each playoff elimination.

You don’t put up successive 50- and 60-win seasons in the NBA by chance or luck. D’Antoni’s system is and will be successful as long as the right kind of players are executing it. But if you look at the pieces that D’Antoni had to work with in Phoenix, you’ll understand why they couldn’t get to the next level.

Despite all of his MVPs, Steve Nash is a liability on defense—especially when defending bigger point men like Chauncey Billups or Jason Kidd. Amare Stoudemire’s defense was and still is like flipping a coin—you’ve got a 50-50 chance of him showing up to defend.

Shawn Marion, at power forward, often found himself physically overmatched when having to face up some of the bigger guys like Tim Duncan. Leandro Barbosa is known for his speed and shooting. Only Raja Bell is considered to be a true defender.

As a unit, these Phoenix teams were defensively par at best, and a travesty at worst. The mentality is that if these guys were able to defend as well as they were able to score, then they most certainly could’ve won a championship or two. But had they won a championship or two, we would all be talking about how they fun ‘n’ gunned their way to glory—not how well they defended.

Consider last season’s Boston squad. Most recall how downright brutal their defense could be at times. But if you take away the prolific scoring of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, and replace them with guys like Bruce Bowen or Raja Bell, that Celtics team finishes below .500 and doesn’t even make the playoffs.

And likewise for the last few Spurs championship teams as well. Yes, they play outstanding defense. I won’t take that away from them. But they have three prolific scorers as well—Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan. And when these guys are knocking down jumpers, all three are virtually impossible to guard.

Of this same breed were the ’04 Pistons. They punished their opponents with defense and rebounding, but also had the scorers to put up points with Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rasheed Wallace.

Think about all of these teams—the ’04 Pistons, the ’05 and ’07 Spurs, and the ’08 Celtics. All basically play the same style: a grind it out, half-court game. And they all played this style to accommodate and fully utilize the skill sets of their multi-talented big men. Can you imagine Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, or Rasheed Wallace sprinting up the court with Steve Nash or Chris Paul in transition? Please, try to stop laughing. 

The ’07 Cavaliers played some of the best defense in the league that year. But they were offensively outmatched by Tim Duncan and company on their way to being swept in the Finals.

Again, the Spurs did play outstanding defense—but ultimately, the team with the most points wins. The only true offensive weapon in Cleveland’s arsenal was LeBron James—and with the way he was smothered with double and sometimes triple teams, the Cavs lacked the offensive firepower to compensate and stay competitive. 

In fact, the ’07 Cavaliers are proof positive that defense does not win championships. Balance and efficiency on both sides of the ball does.

Teams with solid all-around games win. That is why the Spurs are great, that is why the ‘08 Celtics were able to waste the Lakers, that’s why there is a championship banner in Auburn Hills, and that is why those recent Suns teams have come up short. Not because defense wins championships and not because an up-tempo style can’t work.

And who knows?  If D’Antoni is able to acquire the right combination of players, we may eventually see a banner in New York. Well, maybe at least a playoff banner.