03-26-2026, 03:28 PM
(03-26-2026, 01:50 PM)cow Wrote: Interesting that you mention defensive rating as I went and checked that out earlier today based on my admittedly sporadic viewing of Mavs games this season. What my eyes have told me and based on expectations is Cooper is that he's been disappointing in that regard or at least I expected someone more impactful. While he leads defensive rating of all rookies, 115.3 isn't the biggest feather in his cap. The team as a whole is a mess though and on the flip side, his offensive game is much more effective than I'd expected.
Defensive rating is not a useful measure across teams. Most NBA rookies struggle to have a strong defensive impact (Lively was an outlier). I'm guessing next season with a year under his belt and (hopefully) a more coherent lineup he will provide a much stronger impact on that end.