LeBron James and the 15 Most Suffocating Defenders in the NBA
Defense is known to be the staple of every winning sports team, but there are always players who take it to another level for the benefit of the team.
Defense is measured many ways. It's calculated by rebounds collected off the glass, steals accumulated by gutsy defenders playing the passing lanes, shots blocked in and around the paint, and the underrated hand in the face of an amazing shooter. Any way you value it most, defense is the key to winning championships.
Most players who have reached the enviable platform of playing professional basketball know what it is to play a little defense, but very few understand the kind of pride that the elite defenders take in doing the teams' dirty work. Players like Shane Battier and Glen Davis take great pride in hitting the floor and taking charges that will result in their team having a better chance at victory.
It's understood that not every member of your team's roster will be first team all-defense, but it's always nice to know you have a guy on your squad that will go the distance to ensure that the oppositions offensive game doesn't spell doom for your teams chances at victory.
This article is dedicated to the gritty defenders who will stop at nothing to take you out of your offensive rhythm.
They will talk trash to your player.
They will swipe, shove, and take the critical charge.
They will put a hand so close to your sharpshooter's eyes, they'll be able to give them a certified palm reading afterward.
These are the 15 most suffocating defenders in the NBA.
Thabo Sefolosha
1 of 15
Thabo Sefolosha, along with one other member of this elite defender club, is particularly special because he can do one thing, contain Kobe Bryant.
I know what you're thinking here, but no, they cannot stop him.
That's like saying you can stop a blizzard from striking, when the best you can really do is go inside.
But I digress...
Thabo Sefolosha is able to lock down amazing talents like Bryant because he is simply a relentless defender. There is not much flash or trash talking to his game, but he doesn't require it to be effective. Sefolosha is an elite defender because he doesn't give shooters enough room to shoot...
....or breathe, for that matter.
He shines because he never takes a possession off. He takes pride in locking down his man on the hardwood, and that's what it takes to be an elite defender.
Ron Artest
2 of 15
Ron Artest may have lost a step since his days of Defensive Player of the Year, but he's still one of the most lockdown defenders in the league today.
While many defenders use their quickness and speed to leap into passing lanes, Artest often prefers to use his muscular frame to knock around his talented opponents. He excels in bodying up against said opponent, taking away any space they once had, and then swiping away the ball with his quick hands toward another team member.
He also succeeds largely due to his ability to get into the head of his opponent. He will figure out exactly how you like to play the game, and what pushes your buttons on the hardwood, and then he will proceed in throwing it in your face. Once he gets in their head, the battle's halfway over.
He also gambles a lot in passing lanes, which can be risky, but he seems to come through when games are on the line. People can be quick to criticize Artest for his temper, but his ability to flare up the competition usually works in his favor, as most players play worse when angry.
Dwyane Wade
3 of 15
Dwyane Wade is equipped with all of the tools to be a solid lock-down defender.
He rebounds the ball well on both ends of the floor and doesn't wait for the bigs to clean up the glass. Wade also has a great knack for blocking shots. It really doesn't matter how tall you are—if he times his jump right, he's going to send your shot into the fourth row.
Wade also has a superior defensive awareness when playing the passing lanes. Any lazy pass in his patrol area will result in a lightning fast breakaway dunk by the Flash himself. His much in the clutch also comes in handy when coming up with crunchtime steals. Wade like Kobe, always knows when something big needs to be done, and he has more than enough talent and awareness to do it.
While Dwyane Wade will always be best known for his offensive dominance on the court, his elite level defense is what makes him an all-around superstar.
Stephen Jackson
4 of 15
Captain Jack may not be the most consistent defender in the league today, but there's not many other players I would fear more if I had the ball with the game on the line.
He averaged 1.5 steals per game last year and has always proven to be a pest with his on-the-ball defense. He achieves this with his long arms and quick hands, which make it easy for him to pick your pocket if you fail to guard the dribble.
His defense is among the elite for the simple fact that he does a little bit of everything. He is a more-than-capable rebounder and a great ball thief. He can block a shot when he needs to and can smother any of the best wing scorers in the game today. He may seem like an odd selection for some of you hoop fans out there, but simply watching a few games of his would show his knack for disrupting the flow of whomever he's guarding.
He can be lazy on some nights, which will always prevent him from being the best, but when he's in the zone, it's hard to find a better defender than Stephen Jackson.
Paul Pierce
5 of 15
There's no other way to put this, so I'm just going to say it.
Paul Pierce is a menace on the defensive end.
Like Ron Artest, Pierce relies on his size and ability to frustrate his opponent. His combination of quick hands, and a firm understanding that good defense leads to easy offense allows him to be extremely effective in disrupting an offense.
Another one of his best attributes is his refusal to give up on the play, no matter how far gone it may already be. Paul Pierce is a gambling sort of defender who will leak away from his main assignment to bring weak side help if he deems it necessary, and it often results in a fast break for the Celtics.
He also doesn't seem to have any sympathy for his competition, which is perfect for the defensive scheme he follows in Boston. If he has to throw hard screens or make a little extra contact when bodying up, he's going to do it.
While Pierce is one of my least favorite players, he's also one of my favorite defenders. Anyone with the kind of passion for defense that Pierce has truly has a big love of round ball.
Trevor Ariza
6 of 15
Trevor Ariza's stock may be plummeting in the NBA this season, but let's not forget how good a defender this guy can be when provoked.
Unlike his replacement, Ron Artest, Ariza uses his lightning-fast striking capability to leap into passing lanes and create fast break opportunities. He lacks overall size, so his quick hands and feet make up for his general lack of defending the post-up approach.
Ariza also possesses a great instinct when anticipating steals. His two steals against Orlando alone prove that he can also handle big moments and what is needed of him during them. His stats have taken a rather drastic hit since leaving the Lake Show, but always remember that Trevor Ariza is a threat on defense whenever he hits the floor.
Deron Williams
7 of 15
So you know about his media-created rivalry with Chris Paul, but he's also an elite defender?
You bet your league pass on it.
Deron Williams is in the extremely unique position to be able to employ his great size and incredible speed into his smothering defensive presence. He has the quick hands and the great footwork, but what helps him most is his incredibly vast knowledge of the game.
He knows offensive sets and plays so well that he can usually predict what his man will do before his man does. This allows him to take calculated risks in the passing lanes and prevent easy trips into the lane on his watch.
And if you try to post him up?
I'm not even sure most point guards would try it.
Williams has the size to keep most two-guards in check, let alone athletically built point guards.
Add all of this to the fact that he's an above-average rebounder, and you have one heck of a standout defender in Deron Williams.
Gerald Wallace
8 of 15
His numbers have fallen since last season, but Gerald Wallace has done nothing to erase the notion that he's one fierce defender in this league.
Averaging just over one block, one steal and seven rebounds per game this season, his numbers suggest that he's extremely versatile on the defensive end of things. He accomplishes this with his "wreckless" style of play on the hardwood.
There is nothing that Wallace is afraid to go after, and sometimes he pays for his risk-taking nature. Other times, however, he enjoys playing the hero. His all-or-nothing approach to the game is exciting to watch and has often resulted in positive outcomes for the Bobcats.
His defensive strength comes from his aggressive style, and the Bobcats seem to live and die by the results. Either way, his strength and athleticism allows him to alter games with his defensive prowess at will.
Rajon Rondo
9 of 15
Lock up your money, your family and anything else you don't want stolen from you when this guy comes to town.
Rajon Rondo is off to a blistering pace in the steals category this year at 2.37 steals per game, and he shows no signs of slowing down. I'm the first guy to admit that steal totals is not what defense is, but it's an impressive facet of it, no doubt.
Rondo has proven to be a first-rate pass-first point guard in this league, but his real value lies mostly in his hustle. He dives for loose balls, picks the defenders pockets and rebounds better than some forwards. If that's not great defense, I'm not sure what qualifies.
Like the rest of his Celtic brethren, he's also a pesky little guy. Rajon Rondo seems to be absolutely glued to the ball while he's on the court, and he strikes faster than a black mamba (har-har) when he catches the offense sleeping.
Rondo is one of the league's premier defenders because he knows no quit. He has far too much heart, miles too much hustle and a genuine love of the defensive end. For Rondo, steals don't tell the story of his defense, his passion for excellence does.
But his steals are the most fun to watch, aren't they?
Shane Battier
10 of 15
And now to the other man who has been successful containing the Black Mamba.
Shane Battier is the definition of working-class hero in this league. He does nothing fancy, but he seems to do everything pretty darn well. Battier is a natural born thief on the hardwood, a gifted shot-blocker given the chance and an artist when it comes to locking down prolific scorers.
He does this by walking the fine line between smothering an opponent and fouling him. He does it so well some nights that I'm not sure Kobe Bryant ever sees the basket.
The best part about his defensive game is that there is no flash involved. He wants no thanks and doesn't expect it, either. He simply does his job, and it's obvious that he takes great pride in it. He will do whatever the team needs from him on a nightly basis, and when that combines with his God-given talents, it creates a defensive monster in white and red.
Kobe Bryant
11 of 15
The same thing that describes Kobe Bryant on the offensive end describes him on the defensive end.
Motivation.
Never mind the large number of 1st-Team All-Defense appearances he has on his extensive resume, just watch how he plays with the game on the line. It's true that no one can make the game-winning shot or stop every time, but Kobe Bryant sure comes close.
Bryant is so fundamentally sound that he has an answer for everything the offense can throw at him. He lost some speed over the last few seasons, but he noticed that and decided to perfect his footwork. By doing this he's now able to stay in front of his man and prevent the blow-by whenever he puts his mind to it.
Kobe also has the basketball know-how to counter almost any strategy that's employed to render him useless. The decades he has spent studying and playing the game of basketball has molded him into the kind of monster that can attack and exploit any weakness, and also defend those same attacks.
The one thing offenses can be happy about is that Kobe is quite the gambler. If he knows his man is not a top scoring threat, he will constantly leave him open so he can roam and disrupt more integral parts of the offense. If that man can capitalize on Kobe's arrogance, he has a good chance of altering the game.
Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant is a lot like Showtime's Dexter Morgan. There is a reason for everything he's doing, and if his plan waivers, he can always come back to clean up the mess.
Kobe may pick and choose when he wants to defend you, but when he wants a stop, he gets one.
That's just what great players do.
Josh Smith
12 of 15
I don't care how many times it's been said, Josh Smith is still the most underrated player in the entire league.
His freakish athleticism allows him to be an elite shot-blocking force, sending at least a few balls into the stands each night. His long arms allow him to intercept passes and pick pockets almost at will. Finally, his rebounding on both ends of the hardwood cannot be matched on night's that he's properly motivated.
The problem with Josh Smith is that he's not motivated enough. If he was he would make a decent percentage from the line. If he was he would think a bit more before he takes wild three-pointers.
None of this however means he's not an elite defender. It's simply up to him if that's all he wants to remain.
Kevin Garnett
13 of 15
Okay, this guy will even keep the ball from going in after this whistle has been blown.
Now that's defense, in my book.
Yes, he looks like a douche when he does that, but it's all about a tone he's setting with the other team. A tone that states that they will get nothing for free, not from him. That he will try to rob you of your points, even when they don't count.
Garnett has mellowed slightly since his glory days, but he can still wreck a scorer's night when he's up to it. He rebounds well even with multiple rebounders on the floor with him, and he consistently collects blocks and steals per contest.
What separates Garnett from other forwards with similar stats is his passion for the game. When the game gets close, he knows he has to shut you down if he's going to win. He takes that challenge so personally that it often allows him to will his way past the opposition.
He brings the thunder every time he hits the court, and you'll never get a handout from him in this lifetime.
LeBron James
14 of 15
Like Anakin Skywalker, he too gave himself to the dark side.
Still, he's one heck of a defender.
LeBron James has been labeled a "help defender" but teams need that too, right?
Famous on the defensive end for his mind-blowing steals and penchant for chasing down blocks, James has been pigeonholed as an off-ball defender. He gets little to no kudos for his on the ball, one-on-one defense, but I could think of 100 worse.
James, like all great players, simply enjoys gambling. Players of his talent level have to be challenged, and sometimes they do it by gambling. James simply thinks that whoever is making a play would be better contained if he "took his talents" to them.
His style results in many blown assignments, but even more chase-down blocks. James has the luxury of being able to recover more quickly than the average professional.
All that being true, he can still block, rebound and collect steals like buffalo nickels.
James has an ultra-impressive defensive versatility that could challenge for Defensive Player of the Year, every single year.
Dwight Howard
15 of 15
I don't think there's a real NBA fan amongst us today who would deny that Dwight Howard is the best defensive player in the league today.
Let's just say he's not a household name because of his free throws.
Dwight Howard is the best in the business not because he's tall, and certainly not because he's got bigger shoulders than Schwarzenegger in his heyday. He's the best because he is committed to a game plan, and he sticks to it with an immeasurable passion.
He is the perfect combination of size, athleticism, timing and sheer will. Howard's home is deep in the painted area, and you better have one good game plan to sneak one by him. Although Howard is known primarily as a shot-blocker, he's no one-trick pony.
He also rebounds on most nights with commanding authority and almost always manages to get a steal per game. If you add this to the countless shots he also alters, he has a gargantuan impact on every game the Magic play.
Dethroning him as Defensive Player of the Year will take nothing short of a miracle at this point in his career.
Hope you enjoyed the read this week!
Look for more of my articles on my profile page, and I'll see you on here next time!
