Defending the Offensive: Why Up-Tempo Teams Can Succeed in the NBA

"Defense wins championships." I hear this muck around the NBA (and other sports as well) all the time. Depending on how certain folks spin it, you would think that recent championship teams like the Celtics, Spurs, and Pistons defended their way to those titles. If there is one person out there that is as sick of hearing this as I am, it’s probably Mike D’Antoni. His Phoenix Suns “run n’ gunned” their way to into the playoffs each of the last three seasons with 50-plus wins (with 61 wins in 2006-07) but just couldn’t seem to get past the Spurs in the postseason. And of course, the critics and defensive proponents raved after each playoff elimination. You don’t put up successive 50- and 60-win seasons in the NBA by chance or luck. D’Antoni’s system is and will be successful as long as the right kind of players are executing it. But if you look at the pieces that D’Antoni had to work with in Phoenix, you’ll understand why they ... (link)