Bowen - Old School Defender

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Bowen's 'D' makes him a burr of a Spur

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

SAN ANTONIO – The man cheats.

Don't believe it? Just listen to what one of the most gifted offensive players in the NBA has to say about the Weapon of Mass Reduction – also known as San Antonio defensive whiz Bruce Bowen."He kicks, he trips, he does everything," says Detroit's Rip Hamilton. "He gets away with all types of cheap shots and things like that.

"But I tell people, 'If the refs allow you to get away with it, then it's good D.' "

Tonight, Bowen will be trying to get away with it again against Dirk Nowitzki – taking away drives, bodying up and stepping under the Mavericks' MVP candidate whenever he takes a jumper.

It's what Bowen does. As one of the best face-up defenders in the league, the 6-7 forward aggravates his opponents like nobody else in the game. Even Sacramento's Ron Artest, considered Bowen's only equal when it comes to one-on-one defense, doesn't tick off offensive players like Bowen.

"He's a defensive specialist," says Mario Elie, who has played with and against Bowen and has coached him – and against him – as well. "His job is to go out there and guard the best player. And he does a good job of it. Him and Artest are two of the best one-on-one defenders in the league. You tell them to go guard Kobe [Bryant] and they're the two guys who will take that challenge.

"He'll grab and hold like everybody else. Everybody cheats a little bit. All the great defenders do that. When you get a reputation around the league, you get away with stuff because you're a great defender."

The Mavericks have seen Bowen's tactics up close and personal. He held Nowitzki to 14 points Dec. 1 when the Spurs won at American Airlines Center. Nowitzki was only 6-of-15 from the field in the Mavs' loss at San Antonio last month.

Nowitzki said Bowen plays him as well as anybody. But he doesn't think it's necessarily because of Bowen's one-on-one skills.

"But San Antonio overall is a better defensive team," Nowitzki said. "It helps having Tim Duncan and Nazr Mohammed in your back pocket protecting you. That's not to take anything away from Bowen. He takes a lot of things away from you."

The Mavericks picture Adrian Griffin as a poor man's Bowen. He doesn't get any offensive plays called for him. But when healthy, he's a starter on a team headed for 60 wins. Bowen has limited offensive skills, too. The only fear factor he instills is when he spots up in the corner for 3-point shots.

"He has his niche," Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. "Defensively, he's got that quick first step. He can take away that first move. And most times defensively, people get beat off the first move."

Nowitzki said it hasn't gotten to the point that Bowen gets under his skin. But there is no doubt that the job Bowen does against him is among the best, if not the best.

That said, he's had some huge games against the Spurs, including 38 points in Game 1 of the 2003 Western Conference finals. Bending the rules is part of the game.

"He's a hard-nosed defender," Nowitzki said. "There are great defenders that get away with a little more – the Artests, the Bowens. But they worked hard for that reputation, so you have to give them credit."

Bowen's abilities on offense (7.8 points per game) aren't what got him invited to training camp for the U.S. Olympic team. His defensive attitude clearly is recognized throughout the league.

He faced Bryant and the Lakers three times in March. And before the last meeting, Bryant caught Bowen before the game and congratulated him – prematurely – on being the league's defensive player of the year.

That's an honor usually reserved for centers. But it may be awarded to Bowen this year.

Even so, it's still Nowitzki's responsibility to be the aggressor.

"You have great offensive players in this league who don't let anything bother them," coach Avery Johnson says. "Even when I played, you had supposedly great point guard defenders and they were supposed to get under your skin with their growl or their stare or how they would grab or hold you. There are things you can do on the court to try to take care of that. I've participated in that kind of stuff before. Just be physical."

And don't get frustrated if rules get bent or broken.