Bryant said the Lakers were so focused on offensive strategy that they lost their defensive edge.
Without Stoudemire, the Knicks could hand larger roles to Camby and Kenyon Martin, providing a much-needed defensive edge.
Victorino, a former Gold Glove winner in center field, could give the team a defensive edge by playing in right.
Yet the Knicks have shown a timely defensive edge, winning close games and holding off late rallies.
The Knicks have flattened out as a team after their stunning start to the season, and more than anything, they seem to have lost their defensive edge.
The Nets arrived here with recent victories over the Boston Celtics, the Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers, and with a suddenly imposing defensive edge.
The role isn't a good fit for Ms. Berry, who, no matter what part she is playing, gives it a brittle defensive edge.
He liked Mobley's scoring touch, but especially his defensive edge, and had him penciled in as the starting off-guard.
The defensive edge offered by the machine gun and the trench system was overwhelming, and the only way to counter it was through infantry assaults, in which soldiers got up out of the trenches and walked toward the other side.
In 18 games, 11 of them victories, the Nets have developed a tangible defensive edge, a resiliency that has spurred two five-game winning streaks and established them as a top-tier playoff team.
