The NBA's Top Defenders

It's a fact, a team is only as strong as its individual defenders. Playing defensively will always matter to the point of making or breaking a game. NBA's Golden State Warriors are living proof, having been to the NBA finals for three years in a row not because of their uncanny ability to shoot the ball, but of stopping it instead.

The award for the best defenders in the NBA today goes to:

Draymond Green - Golden State Warriors
Green is a highly versatile player able to stop players in a one-on-one situation. He also has a knack for providing cover for his team-mates. This combination makes him one of the true greats as far as defence goes.

Jun 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) shoots against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half in game five of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ezra Shaw/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

Born on March 4, 1990, Green plays primarily in the power-forward position and has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team.

Rudy Gobert - Utah Jazz
The 25 year old French player does not only play for Utah Jazz but also represents the French National Basketball Team in international competitions. He plays at center position and was the NBA blocks-leader in the 2016-2017 season. Gobert's ability to protect is crucial to his team's almost flawless attack. Rudy has earned himself such sterling reputation that if you don't bet on the team he is playing on, you may as well start looking for rugby league betting tips instead, as he is pretty much always on the winning side.

Anthony Davis - New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony Davis is a natural born leader and a sterling defender to boot. Last year, Davis finished right on Rudy Gobert's heals - averaging at 2.4 rejections per game. Davis is unique in many ways, but most prominently probably his size/agility ratio. Pushing seven feet, the American player's athleticism seems to be in no way affected by the sheer size of the man.

LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron is the holder of his very own signature defence move, chasing down offensive players and blocking shots on the fast break at dizzying speeds. James' strategy is bound to improve even more. The American recently wrote on Instagram that his love for Basketball was driving him insane and that nothing was better than the feeling of discomfort that he experienced as a result of pushing himself to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Kawhi Leonard - San Antonio Spurs
Leonard is something of a specialist in the defence department, with no other NBA player quite on his level when it comes to successfully playing one-on-one defence, especially when defending on the perimeter. Leonard is king of strength and conditioning training and played two seasons of College Basketball for San Diego State University before being identified as being NBA quality in 2011. Kawhi Leonard is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

The NBA’s Top Defenders to NBA Basketball Blog

Top of This Page