jericho

Ever since I started following NBA play closely in the late '70s, I've heard several players described as the "best perimeter defender" of an decade, an era, or even all-time.

It seems to me this is more nuanced and less spectacular than what we see from a big man like Mutombo, Abdul-Jabbar, Walton, Russell, Thurmond, or Chamberlain. The big man swats shots dramatically, sends bodies flying, and is frequently the most noticeable person on the court. But the debate gets spicier and more complex when you're rating perimeter defenders, especially guys who don't stuff the stat lines.

The usual suspects tend to be: Gary Payton, Walt Frazier, Michael Cooper, Michael Jordan, Sidney Moncrief, and Scottie Pippen. Also popping up are names like Don Buse, Ron Artest, Alvin Robertson, and Bruce Bowen.

So who gets your votes for the top all-time perimeter defenders?

jericho

I'm still pondering this myself, but at this point my list (in rough order) goes:

1. Payton
2. Frazier
3. Pippen
4. Moncrief
5. Jordan

BadBaronRudigor

I would put Frazier, Payton and maybe Alvin Robertson or even Mookie Blaylock as the best on the nose defenders of ballhandlers, but to me a perimeter defender is a guy who can shutdown or at least slowdown a great wing scorer . . . to me that list would start with
1. Moncrief
2. Pippen
3. Cooper
4. Bowen
5. Dumars
with special mention of Michael Jordan who didn't do it every night like the others but could rise up and play at a Moncrief level defensively whenever the pressure was on and would be the man I would want on the perimeter for the big stop if it wasn't Moncrief who is still the best I've ever seen when healthy.

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BadBaronRudigor

Dumars might be higher but although listed at a height close to Moncrief, he didn't play nearly as "big" and could be posted by a big athletic wing (though not easily).

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BEEZ

Moncrief
Dumars
Pippen
Cooper
and Gervin. People forget how tough he was on D

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I have no clue!

croco

No mention of Dennis Johnson ?

Dualie

Payton
Pippen
Dumars
Jordan
Artest

The first four seem to be a given to me. As for Artest, I think before his off-court issues, he was a lockdown defender, much more than Bowen is now portrayed to be.

KennethTo

1) Pippen
2) Payton
3) Moncrief
4) Cooper
5) Dumars

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Phil Jackson: "Bowen is a tenacious defender and will occasionally stick his leg underneath a player when he's up in the air."

Jordan23Forever

Of those I've seen:

Pippen
Jordan
Payton
Artest
Bowen or Alvin Robertson

I feel that Pippen and Jordan are the best overall defensive players on this list because they had the largest impact on games defensively due to their superior help/team/off the ball defense in addition to sterling man-to-man defense. Payton is almost in their class in that regard, but not really the shot-blocking force MJ and Pip were in their primes.

bballlife

George Gervin?

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jericho

I assume he meant Kiki Vandeweghe or Tom Chambers.

jericho