7 Shut-Down Defenders NBA Superstars Hate to Match Up Against

Sure, the NBA is often times referred to as the "no defense league," but there's no doubt that there are players that still know how to put on a show on the defensive side of the ball.

While true shut-down defenders are few and far between, guys like Andre Iguodala, Shane Battier, Kevin Garnett, Joakim Noah and a few others still make it hard to be a superstar.

For the purpose of this article, a shut-down defender is defined as - "a player who is able to contest shots, create turnovers, overpower and ultimately frustrate his opponent on a regular basis."

Ahead is a list of the seven true shut-down defenders in the NBA, against whom superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant hate to matchup. 

Honorable Mentions

Joakim Noah - Noah is certainly a solid defensive player, especially when it comes to holding it down in the paint.  The main reason why he's only an honorable mention on this list is because he lacks the versatility in his defensive game that it takes to reach that next level.

While Noah is a decent shot blocker, with a career average of 1.3 blocks per game, he still has a long way to go to be considered in the elite group of truly shut-down defenders in the NBA.

Kevin Garnett - The Garnett of old would have certainly made this list, as his raw emotion and energy made him an absolute nightmare to deal with.  The soon-to-be 36-year-old Garnett isn't the same defensive player that he once was, when he was averaging nearly two blocks and two steals per game back in the day.

While Garnett has slowed down defensively speaking as of late, he still deserves a shout-out on this list, as he's one of the most intense and productive defensive players of the past decade.

Gerald Wallace - Wallace is a solid one-on-one defender, but his real strength is found in his help-side defense.  With the physicality of a forward and the quickness of a combo guard, Wallace is a force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the ball.

What keeps Wallace on this list as only an honorable mention is that at times, he takes plays off, and doesn't bring the intensity that others do 100 percent of the time.

Now onto the seven, real shut-down defenders who NBA superstars hate to see ... 

Andre Iguodala

While Andre Iguodala hasn't become the perennial All-Star that most Sixers' fans want him to be, there's no doubt that he's developed into one of the most athletic and versatile lock-down defenders in the league today.

At 6'6'' and 207 lbs, Iguodala is a perfectly sized forward who has the rare mix of athleticism and strength needed to lock down All-Star guards and forwards with impressive ease.  Above all, the physicality that Iguodala plays with on the defensive end is what makes him such a truly tough defender to face.

Iguodala isn't the flashiest defensive player in the league, and he doesn't steal the ball or block shots as often as some may like, but he's the kind of defender that will stick with you all night long, contesting every shot attempt along the way.

Iguodala still has some work to do on the offensive side of the ball before he's considered one of the top players in the league, but there's no doubt that he's one of the most complete, shut-down defenders who superstars hate to see.

Shane Battier

For some time now, Shane Battier has been considered one of the best defensive players in the league, and it's not because he's bigger, stronger or faster than most players in the NBA.

It's because he's one of the most intelligent players in the league, and he understands how to maximize his defensive skills against each specific player that he ends up guarding.  Over the span of his 11-year career, Battier's locked down players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, just to mention a few.

While Battier is also a solid three-point shooter, there's no doubt that the Heat signed him this past off-season to add a level of depth and tenacity to the defensive side of the ball.  Battier can shut down athletic guards and physical forwards alike, because he knows how to utilize his strength and size against them.

During his years with the Houston Rockets, Battier faced Kobe in the playoffs numerous times, and while I'm sure Kobe would say otherwise, Battier made those playoff series ridiculously difficult for the Black Mamba.  If you don't know how solid of a defender Battier is, just check out this video of him putting Kobe on lock-down in the NBA playoffs. 

Tony Allen

For the past eight years, Tony Allen has been shutting down All-Stars across the league, and he's been doing it with pure hustle and hard work.

The biggest strengths in Allen's defensive game are his athleticism and intelligence, as more often than not he beats players to where they want to go on the court.  If you've never seen Allen in action, and don't know what I mean, check out this video of him giving Kevin Durant all that he can handle.

Not only does Allen consistently contest shots and body-up defenders everywhere on the court, he also fights through screens with an impressive level of physicality, which makes it that much harder for players to separate from his lock-down defense.

At 6'4'' and only 213 lbs, Allen's defense is an impressive feat, as he often times goes up against players that have a significant size advantage over him, and still makes them work for every basket they make.

Tony Allen might very well be one of the most under-appreciated players in the NBA, as his defensive prowess often times goes unnoticed.  That doesn't change the fact that guys like LeBron James, Paul Pierce, Manu Ginobili and Kevin Durant hate seeing the Memphis Grizzlies on their schedule, because they know Allen is going to give them a hard-fought 48 minutes.

Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins is one of the dirtiest players in the NBA, as evidenced by one of his many absurd flagrant fouls here against Jason Maxiell.

When Perkins manages to control his immaturity and explosive anger, he is one of the most physically frustrating defenders in the NBA.  At 6'10'' and 270 lbs, Perkins is an absolute force to be reckoned with when he's playing disciplined and intelligent defense.

Against players like Andrew Bynum, Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett, Perkins uses his size and strength to keep them out of the paint, forcing them to beat him with contested mid-range jumpers rather than easy hook shots.

When Perkins isn't locking down players his size in the paint, he's also contesting any slashing attempt by players that want to test his interior, help-side defense.  If you have questions about how good Perkins is at contesting layup/dunk attempts by opposing players, just ask Kevin Durant about the time that he got owned by Perk.

While Perkins is best known for being on the wrong end of this Blake Griffin posterization, the fact that he contested that dunk attempt just goes to show how physical and intense of a defender he really is.  If I was an NBA superstar, which I'm not, the last guy I would want to see in the paint would be Kendrick Perkins, and while players won't admit that, I'm sure some of them feel the same way.

Metta World Peace

The player formerly known as Ron Artest might be best known for his in-the-stands fighting skills that he put on display in 2004 at the Palace of Auburn Hills, but there's no doubt that he's also known for his physical and aggressive style of defense.

Metta World Peace is the kind of defender that makes his money by getting into his opponents heads, as evidenced by his numerous bouts with Kobe Bryant that often times ended in technical fouls and ejections.

While at first glance it might appear that World Peace is just a punk who likes to get opponents worked up, there's a certain level of intelligence in his defensive game that makes him an absolute nightmare for opponents.

Not only will he stick with his opponent for all four quarters of a game, he will also make it nearly impossible for his opponent to create separation from him.

Whether it's against LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul or any other superstar in the league today, World Peace's lock-down defense has the ability to frustrate, annoy and shut down an opponents offensive attack at the drop of a hat.

Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo is one of the quickest defenders in the game today, and what makes him so dangerous is that he's not afraid to go up against bigger and stronger opponents.

While Rondo is the smallest player on this list, he might very well be the toughest, and that mixed with his knack for for stealing the ball makes him one of the best shut-down defenders in the game.

At any point during the season, you can take a glance at the NBA leaders in steals per game, and Rondo's name will consistently be at the top.  The reason why he's able to steal the ball so often is because of the risks that he takes on the defensive end.  While at times his tendency to over-commit defensively leaves him vulnerable, and allows for uncontested shots, the gambles he takes pay off more often than not.

Rondo isn't afraid to go up against more physical players, which results in him taking a beating, but it also results in him being regarded as one of the most physical defenders in the NBA.

Rondo is a nightmare for star point guards in the league, like Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose and Kyrie Irving, as his toughness and determination make it difficult create easy scoring opportunities.

Don't mess with Rondo, because he's not afraid to mess with you back. Just ask Kirk Heinrich about that. 

LeBron James

Hands down, LeBron James is the most versatile and most dominant defender in the league today.

In a recent matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron defended everyone from Kobe Bryant to Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, which goes to show you just how versatile and physical of a defender he truly is.

While LeBron has the strength it takes to bang with power forwards and centers in the paint, he also has the agility and quickness it takes to hang with the best guards in the league.  Just ask Derrick Rose about LeBron's defensive abilities, specifically regarding their meeting in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals.

Not only is LeBron one of the best half-court defenders in the game today, he's also one of the best in transition as well.  If you're unaware of what I'm talking about, check out this chase-down block montage of LeBron playing transition defense.

There's no doubt that LeBron is one of the best isolation defenders in the NBA, and it's because of his rare mix of athleticism, size, strength and basketball intelligence.  While no one will admit it, every superstar wishes they had eyes in the back of their head, to check if LeBron is barreling down on them as they are running fast breaks.

If Dwight Howard wasn't in the league, there's no doubt in my mind that LeBron would be the front-runner for the defensive player of the year award, year-in and year-out, as he's the most physically gifted defender in the NBA.