Late Closeouts, Empty Glass: Breaking Down the NBA’s Worst Defense

Last year, this defense was the whole identity of the team. We watched a roster nobody believed in become a problem every night because they chased, they swiped, they dove on the floor, and they made you earn every bucket. Four games into this season, that team is gone.The Suns are 1-3 and have allowed 122 points or more in all four games. Dillon Brooks stood at the podium and called it what it is: “We’re 30th in defense, so that’s not great. That’s terrible.” Then they spent three day