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New Defensive Mindset
Orlando’s newest perimeter players, Gilbert Arenas and Jason Richardson, have never been known as lock-down defenders.
That doesn’t mean the potential to be a good defender isn’t there and both have shown flashes of doing so at different point in their career.
Playing defense for the Orlando Magic is a completely new concept for each player. They’re part of a brand new system and it’s one they haven’t really seen before.
“I’m trying to get the old system out,” Arenas explained. “It’s basically, don’t let them drive, protect the middle.”
With Dwight Howard in the middle, a lot of things have changed for Arenas and Richardson.
“Now, he’s telling me, run at that guy,” Arenas said. “A lot of people are hitting shots because I’m stopping short, now I just run them off the line because of the big fella… its okay because he’s down there.”
Howard, of course, is the two-time reigning Defensive Players of the Year and protects the paint better than any player in the league.
“Whatever you did in previous years with previous teams and previous coaches, it has to go out the window,” Jameer Nelson explained. “Now the game is predicated on our defense. Our defense helps us offensively. It gives us energy and when Dwight’s out there rebounding and block shots like he’s doing, those guys have to know that they go all out on their man and hopefully stay on their man and know that they have a shot blocker and the best defensive player in Dwight behind them.”
It sound like adjusting to a player of Howard’s caliber should be easy, but that’s simply not true. Plus, not only do Arenas and Richardson need to adjust to playing with Howard but they are on a team that focuses on the defensive end more than or at least as much any other team in the league. Magic Head Coach is defensive minded and would much rather see his team give maximum effort on that end of the floor than anything else.
When you’ve played on teams like Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, that’s a big change.
“It takes more than just 18 days to adjust to new guys and adjust to a system,” Howard said. “These guys have played for different teams and I’m pretty sure none of the teams they’ve played are like this team as far as the way Stan (Van Gundy) practices and the way he teaches defense.”
Luckily for Arenas and Richardson, Orlando’s captains, Nelson and Howard, are happy to help.
You can read the full story here.
(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger, co-host of CB Sports Radio from 5-7 pm week days (1420sports.com) and ESPN 1080′s Magic Insider (http://espn1080.com). Subscribe to his RSS feed, add him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter to follow him daily. You can download the HTD app here).
Tags: Dwight Howard, gilbert arenas, jameer nelson, jason richardson, Orlando Magic, Stan Van Gundy
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