Originally Posted by
Pelicanidae
Agreed.
I think the problem is that a lot of people (not saying this is the case with SoCal, just speaking generally) don't really know what good big man defense looks like when it's not swatting shots. Take this possession, for example:
It doesn't look that much, but it's a lot. Right as the ballhandler lowers his stance, Favors shifts his balance to his left, ready to provide help. Sees the ballhandler going right, recovers to fill the lane from the top of the key, immediately notices the guy coming in off the screen that Jrue's on, drops into the lane. Notices the pass on the short roll and immediately adjusts his hips to get square on to the roller, and goes up vertically to contest without fouling. Doesn't get a block, so it doesn't show up as anything in the stat sheet, but you cannot defend this play any better.
That's everything. At every single point of the play, he's on a threat, covering a lane, squaring up, etc etc. But there's a lot of people who will watch that play and not see anything until the end when he jumps.