The Chicago Bulls have had the biggest turnaround in the NBA from last year. They were a border line playoff team in an Eastern Conference that had no depth, but they are now the best team in the NBA. So far, the Bulls are up 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs. This is all thanks to the Celtics-style half-court defense brought in by a former Celtics assistant coach.

Erik Spoelstra, Greg Popovich, and Lionel Hollins deserve recognition for also doing a great job; first-year Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau's work this season has been unmatched. The defense he brought in was modified, and Thibodeau was able to shut down top offensive teams like the Miami Heat. He frustrated LeBron James and Dwayne Wade when the Heat faced the Bulls.

Thanks to Derrick Rose, the Bulls were a decent team offensively. However, it was Thibodeau's plan that made Chicago the most efficient team defensively. The Bulls' defensive efficiency was 97.4, ahead of Boston's 97.8 mark. Their defense helped them become the second most efficient team in the league, .5 under the Heat. They were more efficient by 1.5 than the next three teams: the Lakers, Magic, and Spurs.

The Bulls were the best in the league with a 46.27 effective field goal percentage allowed, and that's all thanks to Thibodeau's scheme and his rigorous work with his players during practice. Rebounding is a big part of good defending, and the Bulls were the best rebounding team in the league. The Bulls were exceptional at defending the short range jumper and were easily the best in the league at covering 3's and long 2's. That's what you call perimeter defense.

Tom Thibodeau's defense starts with interior defense, but it's strength is perimeter defense. Simply put: they do not get shot on. Still not sold? The Bulls have the highest defensive ratio in the league- over Boston and Miami- and it shows how well a team defends shots by dividing the other team's expected shooting percentage which is based on the league average. For example, the league average for 3's could be about 30 percent- hypothetically speaking. So, you crunch all the expected numbers for every spot on the court, and you create expected shooting percentage. You then divide by shooting percentage to show how well a team really is defending.

Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Ronnie Brewer, Omer Asik, and Carlos Boozer are all solid defenders *insert high level for Brewer and Noah*. They execute well defensively on the court, but the Bulls would never be this great defensively without Thibodeau. The Bulls are a close-knit team now with Thibodeau, and everybody is a brother. They always have fun on and off the court, and this is how basketball teams should be. It's also another reason for me picking Tom Thibodeau as my 2010-2011 NBA Coach of the Year.

2010 PSW Coach of the Year

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NBA, Celtics, Bulls, Derrick Rose, Tom Thibodeau, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, Omer Asik, Taj Gibson, Heat, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Erik Spoelstra, Magic, Lionel Hollins, Spurs, Greg Popovich, Lakers

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3/2011 Team Scope: San Antonio Spurs

March 1st 2011 15:42

Let's open up March with a team scope. But unlike yesterday, this scope will be of an NBA team that is on pace for a record season. The Spurs have depth and star power along with coaching to become the best team in the league this season. First off, I would like to give a shoutout to Forest Bennett, a PSU fan just like me! How you doing man? Hope you enjoy this one Forest, and all you other great readers of this blog!

The Spurs just received that their star point guard is out for two to four weeks with a sore calf muscle. For most teams in the NBA, this would be crushing news. It is terrible news but having George Hill as your backup point guard softens the blow. Tony Parker is one of the three best point guards in the league at driving. He brings so much to the table for the Spurs, and his leadership is invaluable to the team. However, Hill is a good scorer in his own right that really stepped up last year when Parker was injured.

Manu Ginobili is another great driver that combines his ability to score and handle the ball- the shooting guard can also play the 1 when called upon- along with solid defense. Ginobili is also an indispensable leader for San Antonio. Backup shooting guard Gary Neal was undrafted this season as a rookie, but he has made a name for himself as a solid role player who has a decent shot. The Spurs have many of these kinds of role players, which is a testament to their ability to draft well and scout talent well and find key guys that they can plug in every night. The Spurs look for pieces to add to their team that can help support the main cast of stars. That's smart managing by the front office right there. That's why these guys consistently win.

I love Richard Jefferson. RJ has been one of my favorite players in this league for a while. I defended him last year when he struggled saying that it would take time for him to learn the system. He's got it down now, and he has now become a solid contributer. Nobody on this team has eye-popping stats. The Spurs spread the ball around and display teamwork instead of relying on one player. Jefferson has been solid overall this year, and that's the kind of production that really helps teams win games. I would rather have six solid players than three superstars, one average player, and two scrubs.

Tim Duncan doesn't need to dominate anymore, and he won't anyway at this stage in his career. However, Duncan still is an efficient player that also makes solid contributions. Duncan still gets the boards, and he has had an incredible defensive year so far. Backup power forward Matt Bonner shed the tag of "scrub" ever since joining the Spurs. Again, Bonner is another one of those solid contributors. I really love his 3-ball. Bonner can shoot, and he is one of the few big men- like Dirk and that guy named Channing who is today's Sports Personality of the Day and has two straight games with buzzer beaters in OT- that can shoot really well from behind the arc.

DeJuan Blair is another player that I love. The Spurs made a great choice in taking Blair, even when teams were scared that he plays with no ACLs. You read that right. San Antonio's medical staff said that it was worth the risk because he never showed signs of breaking down in college. Blair always dominated Hasheem Thabeet in college, so I wasn't surprised that Blair is a better player than Thabeet. Blair stepped in and became a quality role player even as a rookie for the Spurs. Now, the Pitt grad is the team's starting center. Antonio McDyess is a solid veteran presence for the Spurs.

Greg Popovich is obviously a great coach that gets the most out of his players. Although he is controversial, he is still a great coach that deserves his reputation. As you can see, the Spurs are a team based on the foundations of teamwork, chemistry, and a team that surrounds itself with solid role players that fit in well and do their job. That is why they are so successful. It's no shock as to why they are dominating in the league. The way the Spurs were built is the model for how teams should be built in the future. Don't make big 3's. Make a well-rounded and deep team.