NBA Power Rankings: The Top 10 Defenders of the Past 30 Years
I love defense.
Sure, plenty of basketball fans can appreciate defense, but the majority of those that tune in these days prefer to watch a fast-paced, high-octane offense over a grind-it-out group of tenacious defenders.
Over the course of the last 30 years, basketball has seen many changes, not the least of which has been the evolution of defense. Obviously, the league has been known more for the fast-break offenses of the Showtime Lakers and the meticulous Celtics, but both were eventually dethroned by the Bad Boy Pistons and their lock-down defense.
The '90s belonged to Michael Jordan and his symphonic Bulls, but they had to get through the battle-tested and gritty New York Knicks and later the Miami Heat. And for all their offensive prowess, they also possessed two of the best defenders of their generation.
The Lakers have had two great stretches that flanked dominating turns by lock-down Spurs and Pistons teams, as well as a Celtics team that once again threatens their supremacyโthis time with arguably better defense than at any other time during the past 30 years.
High-scoring teams like Phoenix and Dallas may sell tickets, but only the teams that can mix in strong defensive players can truly be dominant. As the saying goes, "defense wins championships," even in today's less physical game.
So here are the greatest individual defensive players of the past 30 years.
10.(tie) Joe Dumars
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Okay, I am probably going to take some heat for having three guys on this list that were longtime Pistons, as I am the Featured Columnist for that club.
Of all the players on this list, Joe Dumars had by far the least gaudy numbers. He wasn't known for blocks or steals and was an average rebounding guard, at best.
But what Dumars was known for was lock-down man-to-man defense. Dumars didn't gamble on the perimeter because he rarely had a shot-blocking presence down low. Instead, he stayed in front of his man and refused to let him pass.
Dumars was a five-time All-Defensive first or second team selection, a six-time All Star, an All-NBA second or third team selection three times and was the NBA Finals MVP in 1989.
What sells me on Dumars more than anything is the fact that Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time, referred to Dumars as the best defender he ever faced.
10.(tie) Dennis Johnson
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Dennis Johnson was a remarkable defender. Despite being only about 185 pounds, he had the strength to stay in front of big guards like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and a host of others.
Though not exceedingly quick, D.J. still managed to come up with his share of steals using a tremendous basketball IQ and instincts which were second to none.
Johnson was a nine-time All-Defensive first or second team selection, two-time first or second team All-NBA pick, and won championships with both Seattle and Boston.
9. Gary Payton
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Gary Payton was the peskiest defender of the past couple decades. He was nicknamed the "Glove" for his ability to stick to his opponent.
Payton was quick, strong and had good size for a point guard. This allowed him to take chances on the perimeter, often leading to steals and easy baskets.
Payton also was a noted trash-talker, not only getting inside of his opponents' jerseys physically, but inside their heads mentally.
Payton was a nine-time All-Star, one-time Defensive Player of the Year, a nine-time All-Defensive first or second team selection and nine times made the All-NBA first, second or third team.
While I didn't like the fact that Payton bounced around the league towards the end of his career chasing a championship, his days in Seattle were truly legendary, and few could frustrate an opponent quite like the Glove.
8. Alvin Robertson
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Possessor of some of the quickest hands in NBA history, Alvin Robertson was a one-man defensive force in the 1980s.
Three times he led the league in steals, he was an All-Defensive first or second team selection six times, Defensive Player of the Year once and a four-time All-Star despite being an atrocious shooter.
Robertson also racked up the incredibly rare quadruple-double and was a very underrated rebounder despite being only 6'3".
Robertson's career was somewhat undervalued since he played primarily with an also-ran Milwaukee Bucks team during his prime, and by the time he made it on to better teams like the Pistons in the '90s, much of his famed quickness had evaporated.
7. Sidney Moncrief
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Sidney "The Squid" Moncrief, before injuries robbed him of his quickness, was one of the league's premier defenders.
In fact, the long-armed guard was the first Defensive Player of the Year, winning the first two years that the award existed.
For his career, Moncrief, who played mainly for the Milwaukee Bucks, was a first team All-Defensive selection four times, second team once, a five-time All-Star and an All-NBA first or second team selection five times.
Unlike most of the others on this list, Moncrief also had a very solid offensive game, averaging over 20 points per game in four different seasons.
Moncrief is often overlooked, much like Alvin Robertson, because the Bucks rarely made it out of the first round of the playoffs. But anyone that played against him in his prime will tell you that few were tougher to get past than the Squid.
6. Scottie Pippen
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Let me get this out there: I do not like Scottie Pippen. I think he was a whiner, a front-runner and is one of the most overrated players of all time.
But make no mistake about it, Pippen was a talented defender and brought it every night.
What made Pippen so impressive was his quickness and length. He could play excellent on-the-ball defense, but his help-side defense was just as impressive. When perimeter players played Chicago during the '90s, they knew that they would be played by two of the best, most tenacious swingmen in history in Pippen and Jordan.
Pippen was a six-time All Star, 10-time first or second All-Defensive selection, seven-time All-NBA first, second and third team selection, and he won six NBA titles.
5. Dikembe Mutombo
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Dikembe Mutombo became famous for wagging his finger in the face of his opponents after blocking their shot. Eventually, the league cracked down on this gesture, but it is impossible to think of the towering center without this signature move.
Mutombo, a 7'2" monster from the Congo, was a game-changer in the paint. Teams had to change their approach before playing against Mutombo. He had the power not only to change shots but change mindsets.
Mutombo was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time All-Star, six-time All-Defensive first or second team selection and three-time All-NBA second or third team selection.
Mutombo never won a title, but his one-on-one matchups with Shaq, Olajuwon and Ewing were legendary.
4. Hakeem Olajuwon
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Hakeem Olajuwon might be the best center of the past 30 years in the NBA. He could dominate on both ends of the court, and he ultimately led his Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles in the mid '90s.
Olajuwon's game was initially built on stellar defense. Olajuwon used cat-like quickness and towering length and strength to dominate the post.
Olajuwon led the league in rebounds twice, three times in blocks, and was able to get 100 blocks and steals in the same season 12 times.
Olajuwon was a 12-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, nine-time All-Defensive first or second team selection, 12-time All-NBA first, second or third team selection, two-time MVP of the Finals and he even was MVP of the entire league in 1994.
3. Ben Wallace
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Like Dennis Rodman before him, Ben Wallace became a superstar despite averaging fewer than 10 points per game.
While Rodman depended on his intelligence and great instincts for the bulk of his rebounds, Wallace used pure strength. Both had exceptional leaping ability and the quickness to match up with a number of different positions.
But while Rodman was known as mostly a position defender that would come up with the occasional steal or block (and playing psychological mind games on his opponents), Wallace lit up the stat line with swipes and swats.
Wallace was the face of the resurgent Pistons of the 2000s, helping to lead them to a title in 2004 and within one quarter of repeating in 2005. He was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, four-time All-Star, twice led the league in rebounding, once in blocks and had over 100 steals and 100 blocks in the same season seven times.
Wallace was also either a first or second team All-Defensive selection six times and made the All-NBA second or third team four times.
It can also be argued that he and his teammates' lock-down defense led the NBA to change several rules to allow for easier scoring, since during their title run they held opponents under 70 points on a regular basis.
2. Michael Jordan
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Everyone knows that Michael Jordan was one of the greatest scorers (if not the greatest) in NBA history.
However, most forget that Jordan was also quite possibly the best defensive shooting guard in NBA history as well.
What made Jordan so remarkable was the intensity that he played the game with. He not only played excellent on-the-ball defense, but he was known for swiping steals, blocking shots and grabbing boards, to boot.
Nevermind all of his other accomplishments, Jordan was a nine-time All-Defensive first team selection.
What really made Jordan so special as a defender was that despite expending an incredible amount of energy on offense, he still managed to be a shut-down defender while being matched up against the opponent's best player, something most of today's stars can't claim.
1. Dennis Rodman
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Dennis Rodman is one of the most colorful personalities ever to play basketball. But while many may remember him only for his antics, what truly made him great was his ability to take over a game from the defensive end of the court.
Rodman was an interesting story even before he became an NBA star. He was only 5'11" when he was a senior, but shot up to 6'8" just as he was wrapping up high school. He eventually was discovered and spent some time in junior college before ultimately getting drafted by the Detroit Pistons.
Rodman was initially a sixth man with Detroit and earned his minutes on a very talented team by providing lock-down defense. What made Rodman so special was his ability to guard every position on the court. He had the strength to match up with centers and power forwards, the quickness to guard point guards and the size to guard everyone in between.
What really seperated Rodman was his incredible basketball IQ, something that allowed him to anticipate where an errant shot would land, making his rebounding ability unparalleled.
Rodman helped Detroit win two championships and Chicago win three more. He was Defensive Player of the Year twice, twice an All-Star, eight times either All-NBA defensive first or second team, and he led the league in rebounding seven times, including a season when he averaged 18.7 per gameโthe highest since Wilt Chamberlain averaged 19.2 in 1972.
The "Worm" was truly a player that set himself apart from all others due to his intelligence and hard work, not to mention a level of energy never seen before or since.
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