On December 25th, Beijing time, the NBA did not arrange a game, we might as well take a look at the defensive efficiency list, generally speaking, the defense wins the championship, the team with good defense, the record is basically not bad, the most typical example is the Rockets, they did not defend at all last season, this season it is because of Udoka that the Rockets have played an excellent record with strong defense.
The top 10 teams in the league's latest defensive efficiency list are the Timberwolves, Rockets, 76ers, Celtics, Magic, Thunder, Nuggets, Lakers, Grizzlies, and Pelicans. The team with good defense has basically no bad record, and only the Grizzlies are an exception in the top ten, they are only ranked 13th in the West, but their defensive efficiency ranks 9th in the league, this is because the Grizzlies' offensive efficiency ranks second to last in the league, only defense, no offense is not good, but with Morant's comeback, the Grizzlies should start to exert their strength. Also, don't underestimate the Magic, they're the 4th in the East.
The Timberwolves are arguably the team with the best record in the West, and their defensive efficiency is also the best in the league, allowing opponents to score only 107.4 points per 100 possessions. The Timberwolves have a two-tower lineup, Gobert is a three-time DPOY winner, has been selected for six first-defense attempts, and has a very strong defensive ability. At the same time, the Timberwolves also have Edwards, who is improving rapidly, and he is also very good defensively, and Conley, Reed and McDaniels are also good at defense. The Timberwolves have been a lot of overwhelms in the past, and this season probably won't be a problem, and it's no problem to make the playoffs.
The Rockets are the second most efficient in the league in defensive efficiency, conceding 109.5 points per 100 possessions, which is a huge improvement from last season, which is simply a qualitative change. Udoka once said during the preseason that whoever drags his feet on the defensive end will have to apologize to the whole team in the locker room, who dares not to defend with all his strength under this pressure? The goal of the Rockets has always been to limit the opponent to score less than 30 points, Dillon is a defensive giant, specializing in defending the top scoring point on the opposite side, Smith is offensive and defensive, Van Jordan's defense is also reasonable, Shen Jing's interior frame protection ability is very average, and Jalen Green is not good at defense, these two are the weakness of the Rockets' defensive end.
The Lakers conceded 112.5 points per 100 rounds, ranking 8th in the league, a decline compared to previous seasons, this is because the Lakers' strong defense is only limited to the front line, Prince, Reddish, Vanderbilt, James and Brother Thick Eyebrows are all forward players, but the Lakers have no defensive giants on the guard line, Russell is easy to target, Reeves is also offensive and defenseless, and Christie and Schifino are even more unreliable. So if the Lakers want to strengthen, they definitely need a guard who can defend, DeRozan is a good choice, in addition, the Lakers also need a blue-collar interior lineman, and they can't always count on the thick eyebrows to protect the frame.
In the 11th to 20th places, we see the Clippers, the Warriors and the Suns. The Clippers' defensive efficiency is 113.7 points, ranking 12th in the league, in the Clippers' starting lineup, Leonard and George can defend, but other positions are very average, Harden is actually very hard to defend this season, but against the Mavericks, Harden can't defend Doncic and is often called up. Zubac's ability to protect the rim is almost none, Mann's defense is decent, and the small guard can't defend it, and not long ago against the Green Army, the Clippers actually allowed the opponent to score 145 points.
The Warriors concede 114.5 points per 100 possessions, ranking 15th in the league, the Warriors have basically been a defensive powerhouse in the past few seasons, and this season has regressed significantly. Thompson's defensive pace has been much slower and he can't defend defenders, but fortunately, the offensive end has picked up recently. Wiggins is in a comprehensive decline in offense and defense, basically helpless, Dream Green is always suspended, no wonder the Warriors have a bad record this season, and almost everyone is declining.
Let's talk about the 18th-ranked Suns, conceding 114.9 points per 100 rounds, the Suns are not ranked at the bottom of the league or beyond our expectations, as we all know, the Suns are a typical offensive team, they can even completely abandon defense, and the Suns have no players who can defend, Grayson Allen was a defensive titan when he was with the Bucks, but when the Suns defense was gone, Durant was old and his physical strength was not enough to defend, the Grim Reaper could only focus on scoring, Booker did not defend, Nurkic had average frame protection ability, could the Suns make the playoffs this seasonDoubtful.
The final 10 teams are the Kings, Nets, Mavericks, Jazz, Spurs, Pistons, Hawks, Hornets, Pacers, and Wizards.