I disagree, but I confess I felt the same way when I started playing. When I get home, I'm going to post some clips of defensive stops.
You can feel pretty much in total control over a lot of what is going if you understand the controls, who you have, and who you are guarding.
Playing defense with my knicks isnt the same as playing defense with the spurs. I love playing defense with that team.
Also, dont forget that the right stick is a defense crouch stance, and will help you keep good position.