I think nearly every team in the league needs to switch pretty much 1-5, even when they don’t have the right personnel to do it because that’s how the game has evolved offensively. Most good teams have bigs that can shoot and take players off the dribble one-on-one. And most really good teams have a guy or two who is a match-up problem regardless of what kind of defense you play on him.
Switching 1-5 even if your team is unathletic is primarily to cover the three point line at every position. Because that’s where the game has gone. You can’t leave any competent three point shooter wide open because nowadays even just a “good” shooter will likely make a wide open look at three around 50% of the time. Might as well switch and give up the easy two on a mismatch switch or a blow by drive than a wide open three because at least you save one point.
Now you don’t switch when you defend a team with only a couple good shooters and a couple guys who you don’t fear at all shooting. And that’s why it’s so glaring how wide open a guy like Stewart is left alone. And that allows a very tilted team defense to help on other scoring threats.
I don’t mind switching with this team, even though several guys are not athletic enough for it to be really effective because I don’t think any other set defense is that much better with unathletic players regardless anyway, not even zone. Good teams will find a way to get good looks against a zone as well. And it also emphasizes how this team could benefit from a better balance of athleticism, especially in the starting unit. I like Stewart. And Saddiq has been pretty solid his first two years. But I view neither as long term starters on this team for precisely the lack of athleticism argument. Need a bigger, longer PF/C who can shoot playing next to Duren. And need a bouncy speedster who can guard the best big wings in the league at the 3. Switching everything and watching how poor the defense is because of it emphasizes how this team could use upgrades on the wing and upfront.
