Yes, in Zhang Yang's mind Perkins is the core, the cornerstone of defense in half-court play.
When playing against the Chicago Bulls and the Magic Team, Perkins was the center who spent the most time on the court, even the second most in terms of inside presence, only behind Okafor.
Millsap started showing results in his fourth year, but still has room for improvement. When it comes to critical games, Okafor's role as a Power Forward becomes more significant.
It's just that in most games, Perkins will have less playtime, and judging by the stats, it doesn't seem that important. But when it comes to crucial playoff games, rim protection still relies on him, not expecting Okafor or O'Neal.
The coaches' analysis of the defensive performance so far is quite similar to Zhang Yang's view, but they differ greatly in offense.
Carlisle pointed out that in three games where they scored over 120 points, their scoring wasn't that impressive, just around 100 points.
