NBA Power Rankings: Kobe Bryant and Each Teams Most Overrated Defender
Disclaimer: The 30 players you are about to see are not bad defenders in any way shape or form. I am merely pointing out that the media sometimes gives too much recognition and credit to these players as defenders.
Any NBA player can go out onto a court today and score a few points. Making baskets is the easy part of playing basketball because it only requires one objective. Playing defense is the difficult part of playing the game of basketball. It requires anticipation, agility, and precise timing that only the smartest of basketball players possess.
Defense is the key to every winning team and it requires an effort from every individual on the court. A team that plays defense and gives an all out effort will win a game nearly every time because they know how to do more on the court than scoring points. They're willing to sacrifice their energy and highlight reel plays for the greater objective of winning a game on defense.
Every team has at least one quality individual defender that can lead the defense. The elite teams in the league all have that one player that can inspire a team on the defensive end, while being able to will their team to victory. However, sometimes we can give a specific defender too much credit.
All the players you are about to see are quality defenders, but sometimes get more recognition than they deserve. Even if they're only a motivated defender, they can still be regarded as an overrated defender that focuses more on one challenge than the primary objective in every game by playing quality defense to obtain a victory.
Atlanta Hawks: Zaza Pachulia
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Atlanta Hawks forward/center Zaza Pachulia is on the team basically for his role as a defender. He's on the floor to play tough defense and to frustrate opposing players with his style of play.
However, Pachulia can sometimes be a push over. He can frustrate opposing players and get in their heads, but it's rare to see him back his words up with some physical play. He's recognized as a stopper in the middle against the bigger centers of the league, yet there is no possible way to see Pachulia hang around with the likes of Dwight Howard.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas certainly doesn't take too kindly to how overrated Pachulia is as a defender.
Boston Celtics: Kevin Garnett
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Is Kevin Garnett one of the best post defenders of all time? Absolutely.
At 34 however, Garnett has lost a step on both sides of the ball and it has caused him to allow more athletic, younger power forwards or centers to beat him at times. With injuries beginning to show, Garnett has used more of a mental approach, rather than a physical one, to throw off his match-ups offensive game.
Garnett is a very emotional player and he can use it to his advantage by psyching his opponents out, but the strong-willed won't fall under his tactics every time. His physicality is the defining part of his defense and since it has lacked, his defensive game has declined as well.
Charlotte Bobcats: Boris Diaw
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Sometimes regarded as the defensive specialist for the Charlotte Bobcats, French native Boris Diaw is recognized as such for his versatility and agility as a 6'8" forward/center. He's valuable to any team because of his defense on small forwards, power forwards, and even centers and his ability to actually keep up with them.
Diaw can be valuable on offense and defense, but might get too much credit sometimes as a defender. As successful of a defender he has been, Diaw has never led any of the three teams he has been on to any sort of post season success. Being anointed as a defensive stopper, Boris can sometimes let his guard down against the more athletic small forwards of the league.
Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose
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An offensive juggernaut in the form of a 6'3" guard playing for the Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose has taken the NBA world by storm in only three years.
However, the one negative to his game has been his defense. On a team like Chicago where defense is key, Rose has been exposed as a possible weak link in the chain. His defense in this years post season has been suspect after a few disappointing defensive performances against young guards Darren Collison and Jeff Teague.
Collison was effective before getting hurt and Teague had his break out performances of his career when Rose was defending him. He had 21 points three out of the Hawks six games against Chicago and was the key offensive contributor for Atlanta.
Rose has become one of the league's top performers, but he has lacked on the defensive end thus far. Luckily for Chicago, he's only been in the league for three years and can see a decade's worth of practice help Rose in the future.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Ryan Hollins
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A 7' footer is one of the highest commodities an NBA team can possess. The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to lock up one of those players during a trade last off season when they acquired Ryan Hollins from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite his height and incredible length, Hollins has yet to average over a block per game and has yet to average more than 17 minutes per contest. While he does have the size and athleticism to become a threat in the low post, his lack of strength is greatly detrimental to his defensive game. He's only 240 pounds and is a push over against the wider players of the league.
In the future, Hollins is going to need to put some weight on if he wants to be recognized as a quality defender in the post.
Dallas Mavericks: Shawn Marion
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One of the top swing men in the league today, Shawn Marion has been the perfect complement to any of the four teams he has played with thanks to his versatility and his ability to be explosive.
His agility and size allows him to keep up with small forwards and power forwards. Even at 33 however, it seems that the agility that allowed Marion to be versatile is deteriorating and it's causing him to lose his skill set as one of the top defenders in the league.
Denver Nuggets: Kenyon Martin
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Kenyon Martin is the type of player that you want to steer clear of on the court. He's a hard-nosed defender with a short fuse that's ready to go off whenever provoked.
Almost too short of a fuse.
Martin can be a good defender, but he can also let his emotions get the best of him during times where the Denver Nuggets need him. He has gotten into a number of altercations and has initiated conflicts where none was necessary. Having an emotional player can help your team in many ways, but Martin has let his emotions get the best of him too many times and he has become more of a liability than a beneficiary in many cases.
Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace
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How does a four-time Defensive Player of the Year somehow become overrated within only five years of winning his last award?
Age for one.
Despite being paid like he is still the Defensive Player of the Year award, Ben Wallace is 36 years old and has shown regression over the past few seasons in his second stint with the Detroit Pistons. He is still averaging over a block per game, but he hardly provides the impact that he brought to every game when the Pistons were at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Wallace at one time was the best defender in the league, but now he is only a shell of himself.
Golden State Warriors: David Lee
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He certainly wasn't going to fit in with the Golden State Warriors run and gun offensive system. Instead, the organization was looking more for defense when signing David Lee to an $80 million deal for the next six seasons.
However, the Warriors failed to realize that Lee is hardly the answer to any sort of defensive stopper. He was solid averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds in his first season with Golden State, but he lacked on defense and the Warriors still allowed 106 points per game. With Lee as a power forward and in the Western Conference, he has to play the best in the league from Tim Duncan to Dirk Nowitzki.
Lee is a strong rebounder, but he is a weak defender and hardly uses his wide 6'9", 245 pound frame for the sake of defending his match-up.
Houston Rockets: Jordan Hill
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It might be too soon to begin making assumptions, but it seems that former number eight pick Jordan Hill is going to be a bust. He hasn't received significant minutes and rightfully so for his lack of versatility on the offensive end.
Hill does contain the advantage of athleticism and being recognized as a high-flyer, but is extremely undisciplined on both sides of the ball and it has cost him over his short two year career. Despite averaging 15 minutes per contest mostly off the bench, Hill still averages over two fouls per appearance and usually only provides help off the bench for a short period of time before getting into foul trouble.
New York might have given up too early on Hill's development, but he could still have a bright future ahead of him if he continues to improve his play on both sides of the ball.
Indiana Pacers: Roy Hibbert
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In only three seasons, Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert has begun to emerge as one of the league's more formidable threats in the post. His 7'2" frame and impressive post game have allowed him to emerge as one of the better scoring centers.
Hibbert did average a career high of two blocks per game last season and has begun to show strides on the defensive end, but he still is extremely foul prone and it is detrimental to the team when they lose him due to the lack of a reliable back-up center. Hibbert has average over three fouls per game in his first seasons is the league and has yet to play over 30 minutes per game despite starting for the past two seasons.
In time when Hibbert becomes experienced and less foul prone, he'll be recognized as one of top centers in the NBA. Until then, he is still giving up too many fouls and it greatly affects the way he plays defense and the team when they lose him due to foul trouble.
Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Kaman
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Chris Kaman recently proved his worth in the 2009-'10 season when he broke out for 19 points and nine rebounds per game. As an offensive center, Kaman can surprise people with his skill set in the post and in the mid-range. He's a valuable commodity when he's healthy.
That's the problem.
Kaman has the offensive weapons to be recognized as a quality center, but spends a little too much time in a suit on a bench. Over the past four seasons, he has played in over 55 games only once and is recently coming off of a season where he only played in 32 games. Kaman's defense is greatly affected by his consistent injuries and he has hardly a chance to prove himself with a full season.
His shot blocking also comes into question. He averaged a career high of three in 2007-'08, yet has never even come close to mark before or since then.
Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant
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When motivated to beat his match-up, Kobe Bryant is recognized as one of the top individual and emotional defender in the game.
Much like Dwyane Wade however, Bryant will only give an over-the-top effort when he is extremely motivated and wanting to beat out his match-up. He will mail it in sometimes in 'meaningless' regular season games and begin gambling, that can cost his team games when he's not playing the correct type of team defense to win games.
Despite making this seasons All-NBA Defensive squad, Bryant's age and health is also beginning to wear down on his performance on both sides of the ball.
Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph
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He definitely became the most beloved player of this years post season. Before getting bounced by Oklahoma City in a tight Semi-finals, Randolph was playing some of the best ball of his career by averaging 22 points and 10 rebounds per game in 13 Memphis post season games.
Randolph is one of the league's top rebounders and post players, but he's not the type of post player to rely on for defensive purposes. Randolph has a wide frame to throw players off, but also lacks the quickness to keep up with the quicker power forwards of the league.
Despite standing at 6'9", Randolph has never averaged more than a block per game.
Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade
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When motivated, Dwyane Wade is probably one of the league's best individual defenders. His work on Kobe Bryant during their two match-up's in the regular season proved that Wade can turn on the defensive jets whenever he wants to.
The problem is he only does it when he's motivated. He'll become a lock-down defender if it's absolutely needed for the sake of his team or when he's going against a prolific player, but he isn't consistent enough to be recognized as one of the league's best defenders.
Wade will sometimes gamble or lay off his defender on too many occasions and before it's too late, his match-up has found a rhythm making it even more difficult to stop him.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love
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In only three years time, Kevin Love has taken the world by storm. Not only has he sort of made basketball relevant in Minnesota gain, but he has also proven just how valuable a quality rebounder and post player can be.
Love's defensive game on the other end pales in comparison to his work on the offensive end. He can play the power forward or center positions and also has the size to contribute heavily despite what position he is playing. However, Love is hardly a banger on defense and is more willing to use his energy to hope for a rebound before playing any defense.
The former UCLA star is 6'10" and has never averaged more than a block per game in three seasons.
Milwaukee Bucks: Drew Gooden
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Now on his ninth team in eight years, Drew Gooden is getting passed around more than a popular socialite at a fraternity party.
He plays the role as a reliable utility man to come off the bench and contribute 10 points and eight rebounds per game. He can be a threat on the offensive end of the court, but his defense lacks and he's hardly a threat to anyone when playing defense. Gooden is averaging less than a block per game for his career and can give more effort on offense than defense when playing.
New Jersey Nets: Brook Lopez
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And you thought Andrea Bargnani was a bad rebounder? He at least has an excuse since he spends most of his time on the perimeter, New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez has no excuse for averaging six boards per game last year.
Lopez is a terrific scorer around the basket for a player his size, but his work on the glass and on the defensive end could use some help. He lacks any sort of quickness and agility to stop a guard or forward that has entered the paint and is too afraid to get his hands dirty at times, which explains his horrid lack of rebounding.
Brook has been a quality shot blocker, averaging nearly two per game for his first three seasons in the league, but he can still work on his overall defense.
New Orleans Hornets: Emeka Okafor
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Emeka Okafor gets a lot of credit for being a quality defender for his ability to block shots. However, the other dimensions of playing defense for Okafor could still use some work.
The main problem with Okafor as a starting center is that he is an extremely undersized one. He only stands at 6'10" and has shown problems in the past defending the taller, lengthier forwards and centers of the NBA. Having a center that can show the versatility that Okafor has is valuable, but it might not be worth it when he's getting pushed around by the bigger centers.
New York Knicks: Chauncey Billups
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In his prime when he was leading the Detroit Pistons to one Conference Final appearance after another, Chauncey Billups could have been regarded as one of the league's best defensive point guards.
Now at nearly 35 years old, that defensive presence that Billups used to be able to boast is mostly a thing of the past. Chauncey has yet to show any sort of decline in his offensive production, but his defense has suffered and he lacks the speed and agility that he used to possess as a younger guard. Billups defense against the younger guards of the league has suffered.
Now that he is with New York, defense luckily won't be stressed.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Kendrick Perkins
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Despite only standing as a 6'10" center, Kendrick Perkins is able to intimidate opposing players with his wide frame and hard-nosed defense.
Perkins is recognized as a banger in the paint that can compete with the likes of Dwight Howard, but can receive too much credit at times as a defender. He is extremely foul prone and has averaged over three fouls per game since his third year in the NBA.
Being a physical center can be greatly beneficial to your team, but it can also be detrimental if you're playing too physical and being sent to the bench for foul trouble.
Orlando Magic: Jason Richardson
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For a time, Jason Richardson was one of the scarier wing players to come across. His athleticism helped him evolve into one of the league's top offensive threats, while also being one of the top three-point shooters.
From a defensive standpoint however, Richardson is hardly a threat. He has allowed a number of players to go off and doesn't usually provide the effort on defense that he does on offense. Richardson would be more concerned with scoring a three-pointer before limiting his match-up to make sure that they don't return the favor.
Richardson has the athleticism to be a quality defender, but the effort just isn't there most of the time.
Philadelphia 76ers: Spencer Hawes
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After two solid seasons with Sacramento, Philadelphia decided to sign center Spencer Hawes in an attempt to make the post a more physical and threatening place for guards and forwards to travel down.
Hasn't worked yet.
Hawes might be starting, but by the end of the game it's Thaddeus Young taking on the role as undersized center. Spencer stands at 7' and tips the scales at 245 pounds, yet still provides hardly any resistance to any player that comes his way down the lane. His work against opposing centers isn't anything worth noting either as Hawes only averaged 20 minutes per game because of his lack of defense.
Phoenix Suns: Vince Carter
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As a member of Phoenix, defense is one of the last aspects of the game to worry about. However, even Vince Carter can still receive too much credit as a defender.
Carter has the athleticism to be one of the league's top all-around players on both sides of the ball. Usually though, Carter would rather exploit his athletic advantage on offense rather than attempting to defend an opposing player.
He is a quality scorer, but can sometimes prove too much of a liability on defense.
Portland Trail Blazers: Wesley Matthews
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It turns out that the Portland Trail Blazers organization wasn't insane after offering Wesley Matthews a deal well worth over $30 million.
Matthews work on offense in his first season with Portland last year was exceptional as he emerged as one of the top young shooting guards. His work on defense can still use some work however as he lacks the experience to defend the more experienced and physical shooting guards.
Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins
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A player of DeMarcus Cousins size with an offensive game is one of the highest commodities available in the NBA today.
However, it's not worth it at times when that player is averaging four fouls per game and complaining about each and every one. Cousins was still able to average 29 minutes per game despite the excessive foul trouble. However, his attitude greatly affects his game in a negative light and it affects just how physical he can play on defense.
In time, Cousins will be disciplined enough to not average those four fouls per game. For now though, DeMarcus still has a lot of work after a successful rookie campaign.
San Antonio Spurs: Richard Jefferson
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Suddenly becoming a three-point specialist after two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, analysts also credit Richard Jefferson with being one of the league's better wing defenders.
However, Jefferson sometimes receives too much credit for his work on defense. He's agile and long enough to keep up with most forwards, but isn't physical enough to compete against the bigger forwards of the league.
His lack of physicality can hurt a team like San Antonio that basically relies on that aspect of the game for defensive purposes.
Toronto Raptors: Amir Johnson
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You might not have heard enough of Amir Johnson to call him an overrated defender. If you see how much he is getting paid per season though, you will then notice just how overrated he is.
Johnson began receiving significant minutes last season with Toronto as the starting power forward after the departure of Chris Bosh and showed promise after averaging 10 points and six rebounds per game. However, he is still very undisciplined averaging four fouls per game in only 25 minutes worth of game time.
Toronto has a lot of pressure on their hands attempting to convert Johnson into the next big deal of the franchise.
Utah Jazz: Raja Bell
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Once regarded as one of the top defensive guards in the NBA, Raja Bell was regarded as such for his physical play against opposing shooting guards.
That physical play however can sometimes go too far and Bell's tactics can be regarded as dirty from time to time. He is most known on defense for his work on Kobe Bryant and most remembered for his clothesline on Bryant as a means to vent some frustration.
Bell's physical play can back fire and could hurt his team more than help it.
Washington Wizards: Josh Howard
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Another player once regarded as a terrific wing player, Josh Howard has been on the decline on offense and defense since joining the Washington Wizards.
Howard has usually been recognized as a tougher defender than he actually is though. In his time with Dallas when he was actually winning games, analysts began to gave him more credit than he was originally due. He has the agility to keep up with most guards and forwards, but isn't too physical to hang around with most opposing match-ups.
