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Mailbag: Better defender – Mason Plumlee or Ed Davis?

By David MacKay

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That is a tough one because although Mason Plumlee and Ed Davis are both primarily rim protectors, they go about defending it very differently. This is partially due to the natural abilities of each, and partially due to their respective backgrounds.

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Davis is a bit springier than Plumlee. He tends to be more of a roamer than a straight up position defender, which works well because of his quickness. You will see him keep his man vaguely in check while looking to help more often than not. He is incredibly smart about rotating from the weak side for a quick block, and is even pretty respectable at stepping out on mid-range shooters.

However, he does get bullied in the post on occasion. Although he is 6’10” with great length for a forward, his general lack of bulk betrays him against higher level back-to-the-basket players. He is best suited for keeping similarly athletic fours in check while preventing the drive, rather than battling for position with sturdier bigs.

Plumlee, on the other hand, plays with more of a “get the position, hold the position” mentality. He is quick like Davis, but uses his speed to get where he needs to be and maintain the ranks. In the past, this has worked well for him, but a big part of that was having good help around him; especially Kevin Garnett, who was perpetually ready to erase any mistakes. When Plumlee is forced to defend players that move around a bit more, he is less comfortable leaving his post.

Plumlee continues to improve, though. His post defense is, for the most part, nice and tight. Having Garnett in his ear during his formative years gave him a solid foundation to build from. Although not a stalwart by any stretch at this point in his career, he is the Trail Blazers’ best option for containing low-post virtuosos, like Marc Gasol and Al Jefferson.

Overall, I would say that Davis is the better defender right now, not necessarily because he might have a greater impact, but because he makes his mark with more deliberate and fast-paced decision making. Yet, each has potential to excel within their niche for the Trail Blazers.

Ed Davis & Mason Plumlee videos via Dakota Schmidt & YESNetwork

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