SALT LAKE CITY — During his time in the NBA, Jerome Williams earned the moniker as the “Junkyard Dog” for his tenacity on defense and uncanny ability to stop even the most prolific scorers.
But with what he’s seen in the NBA in recent years, where scoring has gone up, the 6-foot-9, 206-pound Williams isn’t impressed.
So what changed?
“There is less defense now in the NBA. More three-point shots now in the NBA and I think the difference is there are less of the defensive specialists that there were in my era. Back then there was a conscious effort to find defenders that could really defend 94 feet and really specialize in stopping people and I think that has changed. “
Asked if the Warriors can be stopped, here’s Williams’ take:
“You can change shots, you can wear offensive players down with your defense. Nobody’s ever gonna stop an NBA player from scoring. But what you do is you make it harder for them over a course of 48 minutes and that’s when the 4th quarter comes when you can make a difference for your team as a defender.”
Among the current crop of NBA stars Williams is particularly fond of one Milwaukee Buck.
Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I think Giannis does a great job because he takes charges, he blocks shots, gets rebounds, all-around player, he leads the break, unselfish, he’s a dog. He’s a dog.
Hard to disagree.
