It is said that defense wins championships — but to amend that statement in order to make it more specific, defensive scheme versatility wins championships.
But what exactly constitutes defensive scheme versatility? Simply put, it’s the ability to throw out different looks on a per-possession basis.
Teams at the NBA level can’t be fooled easily; they have the knowhow and personnel to throw out counter after counter against every defensive scheme out there.
Teams at the absolute top of the heap — the elite contenders who are rarely fooled and are even more capable than your average NBA team — feast when their opponents fail to give them different looks.