RSP83

Since SLAM Magazine have published 2 issues that listed the 50 best dunkers and the 75 greatest players of all time. I'm curious and interested to see who do you guys think are among the best defenders of all time. what do you guys think? You guys just post all players that you think are top defenders in the league since you can remember. I'm interested to make a list of the 50 best defenders of all time. Your post is expected.

Now, I'm going to list all the players who comes up into my mind. (not in order, just a list of players) I'll start with some former NBA defensive players of the year:

Sidney Moncrief
Mark Eaton (he's here because he was a DPY, but I don't think he's going to make the list, I'll check his stats later)
Alvin Robertson
Michael Cooper
Michael Jordan
Dennis Rodman
David Robinson
Hakeem Olajuwon
Dikembe Mutombo
Gary Payton
Alonzo Mourning
Ben Wallace

Bill Russel
Wilt Chamberlain
John Havlicek
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
Willis Reed
Jerry West
Jerry Sloan
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Slick Watts
Don Buse (??? who's this guy.. I found out he's a 4 time all-d 1st team)
Dennis Johnson
Larry Bird
Michael Ray Richardson
Darryl Dawkins
Bobby Jones
Kevin McHale
Maurice Cheeks
Joe Dumars
John Stockton
Charles Oakley
Nate McMillan
Terry Porter
John Starks
Scottie Pippen
Mookie Blaylock
Kevin Garnett
Jason Kidd
Allen Iverson
Ron Artest

Please add some names if you know more. My knowledge of NBA defensive players is still limited. Feel freee to give critics.

plasticman23

I don't know if i would put Iverson or Bird on there. Bird was an exellent team defender but he couldn't gaurd anyone 1 on 1. Iverson gets a lot of steals but i never considered him to be a great defender, but i could be mistaken. Other than that i can't think of anyone i would add or remove. I'm sure there are tons of old-school guys that should be included, but i'm too young to name any.

lakers_less_340+

Don Buse here's a link with stats from a very good site


http://www.basketball-reference.com/.../busedo01.html

GrandKenyon6

Iverson does not belong. Just because he gets steals does not make him a top defender.

Cloud786

tim duncan needs to be on there

Pnack

bruce bowen

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lakers_less_340+

Agreed, in fact he has never made the 1st or 2nd all nba defensive team!

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...l_defense.html

Rednecksbasketball

Eaton definatly, the guy was a real good downlow defender, if he wasn't he'd had last 1/2 a season in the NBA.

Also you left out guys like Jerry Sloan, Tim Hardaway and Bill Walton(pre Celtic days)

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Hakeem

Bird, Stockton, Porter, Starks and Iverson shouldn't be there.

Eaton was fantastic. Ewing and Mason also need to be there.

Bone Crusher

Payton is the most overrated defender of all-time.

Diophantos

Nope.




Original list is pretty good. You had just about everyone I thought of on there. It's gonna be a ***** to rank them though.

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joshed_up

payton in his prime wasn't a bad defender at all, hence "the glove".

and i agree on the ranking. how are u gonna compare ben wallace and ron artest!? different positions.

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