In addition to som e great points in this post like Longo and Truth pointing out the no handcheck rules and their effects...


A big thing is how teams run offenses now. The league has shifted from strict iso to iso with a pick and roll. Pick and rolls are extremely hard for guys to defend on the perimeter.

When you look at that pg point of attack:
-When a pg gets picked he has to figure out left/right from the top of the circle with not forced boundaries like sidelines or baselines.

-In addition to that, depending on who he's guarding he has to decide whether he's going to exert extra energy to fight over or through a pick set by a 7ft 250 lb man, or go underneath and allow a deent shooter to take the jumpshot.

-A good pick will put a defender a half step to 1.5 steps behind the man they're guarding, so then you have to expend energy and try to attempt to catch up to a guy who is probably already the quickest player on the team.

-then in cases of guys like Kyrie and Cp3 you have guys who even if you expend all that energy to catch up and get a hand near them (with help D) they do an incredible job of making shots in traffic.


Wing players can be a little better because theyre'
1) taller/have more length and size to fight through screens and get a hand up
2) generally more traditionally athletic (they got them springs--hi Basa)
3) they can force guys to the baseline side +help or force them to the middle +help--so there are some natural boundaries that shut off 1 option for the ballhnadler.

When A guy like Bron catches the ball up top and runs PNR option---its almost impossible to stop. On the flip side Bron can be an elite defender because he has a great combination of Height (to get back in the picture if he's beat), Size (to just blow up screens), athleticism, (to stay close enough to his man and or catch up) + a lot of times he's guarding wings on a side and doesnt have to deal with the point of attack up top (though because of all the aformentioned attributes he's good at those things too). He is also able to go under picks and still challenge shots pretty well because of his size and explosiveness.