Everyone knows the phrase “defense wins championships.” Although it was coined by a football coach, it applies all across the board.
The Boston Celtics of the 1960’s, who were led by one of the best shot blockers of all-time, Bill Russell, won nine out of ten NBA titles by dominating every team on defense.
Many were disappointed by the first year of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ new and improved defense under Tom Thibodeau. They finished the season with a defensive rating of 109.1, which was only good enough for 26th in the league. This was very uncharacteristic of a Thibodeau-coached team, but improvement is expected this upcoming season.