The adage “defense wins championships” has existed for generations; coaches of all levels and sports have preached it for years. But is it true?
There are of course examples of teams with a “defense first” mindset winning the NBA championship, from the 1989 Detroit Pistons to the… 2004 Detroit Pistons?
However, is it possible that these teams are the exception to the rule as opposed to the rule itself? To find out we have to dive into the statistics. To begin with, I have charted the defensive rating and offensive rating (in the playoffs) for every NBA champion of the last 12 seasons.
The Golden State Warriors, statistically speaking, have the best defense of any NBA champion in the last twelve seasons. The average NBA fan probably wouldn’t think of the Warriors as a defensive team given the highlight reels and up-tempo style that they play with. The truth is, they are an elite defensive squad. In fact, they’re arguably one of the best defensive teams of the post-hand-check era. Meanwhile, the best offense belongs to the 2014 Spurs followed closely by the 2016 Cavaliers.
What’s curious is, if you look at the offensive ratings of championship teams over the last 12 seasons, the 2015 Warriors (106.4) fall below the average (108.06). Coming into this, I didn’t expect to discover that the Warriors’ offensive rating to have been lower than the average of NBA champions over the last decade.
So what about the regular season statistics? Some say the playoffs are a “whole other ball game.” Others believe that the sample size of the regular season gives you a more thorough understanding of a team’s identity.
- In the last 37 seasons, there have only been two teams who managed to win an NBA championship without being a top-10 defensive team in the regular season – the 1995 Houston Rockets and the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers.
- 59 percent of the last 37 champions ranked in the top five defensively during the regular season.
- 57 percent of the last 37 champions ranked in the top five offensively during the regular season.
- Of the last 37 champions, only two of them have been in the top two for both defense and offense in the regular season; the 1996 Chicago Bulls and the 2015 Golden State Warriors.
- 30 of the last 37 champions have ranked inside the top 10 for both defense and offense in the regular season.
There are some issues with these comparisons; different eras mean different defensive rules and different styles of offense, etc.
Regardless, we can still surmise from this data that if you have to choose between a great offense and a great defense, it appears as if defense is the way to go. Let’s be clear though; that doesn’t necessarily mean being an elite defensive team is enough. The teams that won a title but fell outside the top 10 offensively during the regular season were only just outside the top 10 (for the most part), usually sitting at around 11th. The exceptions are the 1994 Houston Rockets and the 2004 Detroit Pistons, who were both in the bottom half of the league in offensive rating. That means since 1980, only two teams have won a title without being a top-11 team offensively.
Another observation worth making: The Los Angeles Lakers are the only team who have won a championship since 1980 while having a defensive rating outside the top 20 in the regular season. The Cavaliers ranked 21st in that same statistic this year.
So if defense isn’t that much more essential than offense, why do coaches feel the need to preach about it so much? Well, first of all, it can be a difference-maker in clutch situations, as the Golden State Warriors discovered last year.
In large part, it’s because they have to. Every kid grows up wanting to shoot like Stephen Curry or Reggie Miller and wanting to glide through the air like Dr. J or Vince Carter. Very few kids grow up wanting to defend like Ben Wallace or Draymond Green.
Scoring is fun; everyone wants to hear that oh-so-satisfying swish of the net. You don’t have to coax people into playing offense. Defense, on the other hand? That’s a completely different matter.
You can even see it from time to time in the professional leagues. Coach Mike D’Antoni recently stated that Houston would look to improve their defense in their quest for a championship. It’s no secret that effort can be an issue for some players, who often become discouraged defensively after not getting enough touches on offense. Or worse, save all of their energy for offense, where they feel they can “shine.”
The truth, in the end, is predictable. Does defense win championships? Sure, occasionally. But championships are built through both tears of joy and tears of grief. Through savvy management, generous ownership, competent coaching and a damn good roster… that can outplay almost anyone on both sides of the floor.
