As a data scientist raised in Brooklyn with roots in African and Irish immigrant culture, I’ve seen how offensive hype blinds us to real defensive value. This piece dissects the 2027 draft’s hidden patterns—how Kevin Durant, Kristaps Porzińskis, and Delon Clark’s defense metrics were mispriced by traditional scouting. Using machine learning on Opta and NBA tracking data, I reveal why the smartest models often lose—not because of talent, but because of systemic bias in how teams evaluate spacing, switch efficiency, and perimeter pressure. Read this if you’re tired of draft-day myths.