That's a rhetorical question Gates but perhaps a misinformed one... so an explanation/clarification is in order.
Insofar as defense is a team effort, the better that team is on defense
collectively the better each player will be in this metric. What were Kanter's numbers on our shitty Knicks squad when he was
here as opposed to when he was
in Boston? That too is a rhetorical question, one which I hope makes my point clearer. Hence the the worse the team is defensively
as a collective the more each player's numbers in this metric will likely suffer. KP's numbers suffered when he was a Knick. On a better defensive team he could have been a defensive player of the year candidate but he was drafted by the Knicks and had to play alongside defensive bums during his tenure here.
Another factor you must consider is the number of minutes a player is on the floor. It was patently clear that, as a Knick, that Kanter was not worth the money he was earning given the minutes he was allotted. In Boston this last season he was limited to 16-17 minutes a game... used very strategically/situationally to minimize the negative effect he has on defense. (I'll always admire his offensive rebounds and putbacks though.) As a Knick Kanter was awarded way too many minutes-- 24-28mpg-- and the Knicks suffered as a result. A coach must find the right balance to minimize the negative impact of incomplete and deeply flawed players like Kanter while maximizing their effectiveness in their particular narrow areas of skill. We saw this very clearly with the Boston coach.
As we both know and understand from the
team perspective
vis a vis a synergistic collective of individuals, it is always a challenge to find the right balance
within these metrics/advanced stats, specifically between an absolute vacuum and within divergent and varying contexts.
As for the eye test, I doubt you will disagree that Mitch's floor impact on defense is light years greater than Kanter's. And when KP is healthy his defensive floor impact is quite impressive too. When Mitch learns Russell's secret, ie "perceived threat" he will be able to stay on the floor longer because he won't commit fouls. I look forward to Thibs showing Mitch Bill Russell highlights and giving Mitch some of Russell's books to read.
