Metta World Peace and the 5 Best Defensive Stoppers in NBA History

There's a difference between being an elite defender and a legitimate stopper. Sure, there are plenty of dominant big men who earned Defensive Player of the Year honors thanks to their abilities to block or otherwise intimidate shots.

But, those aren't stoppers. They're the guys who salvage the plays perimeter defenders failed to stop.

There's also something odd about calling superhuman MVPs like Michael Jordan, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant "stoppers." Part of what's made these larger-than-life athletes so exceptional is that they do everything brilliantly.

A true stopper, however, is largely defined by his defense–and not just his quick hands or penchant for sneaking into a passing lane. Those are important defensive virtues to be sure, but stoppers typically stay at home on defense. They make their impact felt by keeping scorers in front of them, preventing penetration and bothering jump-shooters.

Guys like Tony Allen and Shane Battier are prime examples of the modern stopper, but no active player has epitomized the art like Metta World Peace in his prime.

In his days as Ron Artest, World Peace was once named Defensive Player of the Year and twice selected to the All-Defensive First Team. He's averaged nearly two steals a game over the course of his career, but he's made an even bigger impact with his relentless motor and unparalleled toughness on the perimeter.

Here are five other stoppers who've given scorers nightmares over the years.

5. Gary Payton

Gary Payton will easily go down as one of the all-time grittiest defensive point guards. He wasn't as strong as Jason Kidd, but he made up for it with quick feet and even quicker hands.

But while a career mark of 1.8 steals a game says plenty about the impact he made, it was his ability to stick to opposing point guards that earned him his nickname "The Glove." That unrelenting determination to stay glued to his man earned Payton a Defensive Player of the Year nod and nine selections to the All-Defensive First Team.

4. Bruce Bowen

Bruce Bowen's defensive excellence was indispensable to the San Antonio Spurs' last three championships.

He never produced big numbers on either end of the floor (just 0.8 steals per game for his career), but he bothered scorers enough to earn five selections to the All-Defensive First Team and another three selections to the All-Defensive Second Team.

Bowen never stopped moving, frenetically pursuing and harassing his assignment as if every possession was the game's last. He was neither especially strong or athletic, instead relying on sheer determination and work ethic to become arguably the game's best on-ball defender in the early 2000s.

3. Michael Cooper

Selected to the All-Defensive First Team five times, Cooper was described by Larry Bird as, "the best defender" ever to guard him.

He had the prototypical length and quickness to make life difficult for shooters on the wing and was accordingly named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. Like Bowen, Cooper was the league's best ball hawk, but he played incredibly sound and effective on-ball defense nonetheless.

Also like Bowen, it's easy for Cooper's defensive accomplishments to be overshadowed given the other stars contributing to the Lakers' dynasty, namely Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Worthy.

2. Sidney Moncrief

At 6'4", Sidney Moncrief didn't have the best size for a shooting guard, but he was one of the most tenacious on-ball defenders of the 1980s. Twice named Defensive Player of the Year, it's even more telling that Michael Jordan respected his defensive ability tremendously.

Moncrief was also a solid scorer, earning trips to five All-Star games and averaging over 20 points in four consecutive seasons.

But, it was his defensive skills that set him apart from his peers. Few players before or since have been able to lock down the perimeter so effectively.

1. Scottie Pippen

Yes, Scottie Pippen was much more than just a stopper. He remains one of the game's most well-rounded players by a long-shot and would have been just about any other team's first scoring option.

Nevertheless, it was Pippen's defense that made the Bulls the ridiculously dominant team they became in the 1990s. He was a lock-down defender to be sure, but he was also capable of altering plays, averaging two steals and 0.8 blocks per game during his career.

In addition to the six titles and seven All-Star games, Pippen was selected to the All-Defensive First Team eight times (and twice to the second team). He remains a model for defensive versatility to this day and will forever be one of this games all-time great stoppers.