2017 NBA free agency: Is Blake Griffin or Paul Millsap better?
Defense
Neither one of these guys is known for the defense but that doesn’t mean they’re slouches on this end of the floor. Both dudes are sneaky good defenders who battle night in and night out.
Last season, Griffin saw his Defensive Rating slip to a career low, 108. This was in part due to his lack of steals and blocks. He averaged a career-low 0.6 blocks per 100 possessions to go along with 1.4 steals. The steals number isn’t bad, but the blocks is not a very good number for a big man.
When you look at Griffin’s defensive numbers on a percentage basis, they may not pop out at you immediately but they are actually quite decent. Griffin records a steal on 16.9 percent of possessions and blocks in 12.2 percent of possessions. That means that more than a quarter of the possessions he’s on the floor for end in either a block or a steal by Griffin himself.
| Rk | Player | Season | Age | G | STL | BLK | PF | ORtg | DRtg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blake Griffin | 2016-17 | 27 | 61 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 115 | 108 |
| 2 | Paul Millsap | 2016-17 | 31 | 69 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 108 | 104 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
As for Milsap, his Defensive Rating slipped to 104 this past year, the first time in three years it was in triple digits. Millsap isn’t necessarily known for his blocking ability but instead for his quick hands and ability to read the passing lanes. Millsap averaged 1.3 blocks per 100 possessions and 1.9 steals. The steals number is actually Millsap’s lowest since the 2009-10 season. Last year, he averaged 2.7 steals per 100 possessions.
Millsap’s percentage numbers are very impressive. He averaged a 21.4 percent steal percentage and a 25.8 percent block percentage. The reason Millsap’s block percentage is higher even though he recorded more steals is that block percentage only accounts for the two-point attempts an opposing team takes while that player is on the floor.
At the end of the day, Millsap is your man on the defensive end of the floor. He understands how to play the game and isn’t afraid to mix his game up.