Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

Rank the top 10 defensive players in NBA history.

Short list:

Alonzo Mourning
Alvin Robertson
Andrei Kirilenko
Anthony Mason
Artis Gilmore
Ben Wallace
Bill Russell
Bill Sharman
Bill Walton
Bob Dandridge
Bob Pettit
Bobby Jones
Bobby Wanzer
Bruce Bowen
Buck Williams
Caldwell Jones
Charles Oakley
Chris Paul
Clyde Lovellette
Dan Roundfield
Dave Cowens
Dave Debusschere
David Robinson
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Rodman
Dick McGuire
Dikembe Mutombo
Dolph Schayes
Don Buse
Doug Christie
Dwight Howard
Dwyane Wade
Elgin Baylor
Fat Lever
Frank Ramsey
Gary Payton
George Yardley
Gerald Wallace
Gus Johnson
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hal Greer
Horace Grant
Jamaal Wilkes
Jason Kidd
Jerry Sloan
Jerry West
Joe Dumars
John Havlicek
John Stockton
K.C. Jones
Kareem Abdul-jabbar
Kevin Garnett
Kevin McHale
Kobe Bryant
Larry Bird
Latrell Sprewell
LeBron James
Lenny Wilkens
Manute Bol
Marcus Camby
Mark Eaton
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Lucas
Maurice Stokes
Michael Cooper
Michael Jordan
Mookie Blaylock
Moses Malone
Nate McMillan
Nate Thurmond
Norm Van Lier
Oscar Robertson
Patrick Ewing
Paul Pressey
Paul Seymour
Paul Silas
Rajon Rondo
Ron Artest
Scottie Pippen
Serge Ibaka
Shane Battier
Shaquille O'Neal
Shawn Marion
Sidney Moncrief
Slater Martin
Theo Ratliff
Tim Duncan
Tom Gola
Tom Sanders
Tyson Chandler
Walt Frazier
Willis Reed
Wilt Chamberlain

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

1. Olajuwon

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

I'd like to add up the votes, but need a top 10 to be able to do so.

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

Shawn Marion should at least be on the short list.


but my top ten would be:

by position, it's too hard just doing a ten. I can narrow it to ten latter.


Center
1 Bill Russell
2 Wilt Chamberlain
3 Nate Thurmond
4 Hakeem Olajuwon
5 Dikembe Mutombo
6 Lew Alcindor
7 Bill Walton
8 Ben Wallace
9 David Robinson
10 Alonzo Mourning



Forward
1 Dennis Rodman
2 Scottie Pippen
3 Kevin Garnett
4 Tim Duncan
5 Gus Johnson
6 Dave Debusschere
7 Michael Cooper
8 Ron Artest
9 Bobby Jones
10 Maurice Lucas


Guards
1 Walt Frazier
2 Sidney Moncrief
3 Gary Payton
4 Dennis Johnson
5 Michael Jordan
6 Norm Van Lier
7 Joe Dumars
8 K.C. Jones
9 Jerry West
10 Jason Kidd

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

I'm not sure why some of these names are even on here when discussing "greatest defensive players in NBA history," specifically, top ten. Bob Cousy, for instance, being a nominee for one of the 10 greatest defensive players ever to play the game is utterly absurd. On some lists it seems that people just list names of every good player they can think of rather than players who actually qualify for whatever the given category is that's being discussed.

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

Rodman, Ben Wallace, Pippen

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

No love for Michael Cooper?

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

Okay, I'll do my best:

1. Bill Russell
2. Dennis Rodman
3. Hakeem Olajuwon
4. Wilt Chamberlain
5. Kevin Garnett
6. David Robinson
7. Tim Duncan
8. Scottie Pippen
9. Michael Jordan
10. Sidney Moncrief


Ugh, I wish I could add B. Wallace and D. Howard and Payton and Bowen and W. Frazier and Dennis Johnson and Horace Grant and Bobby Jones and T. R. Dunn and John Stockton and Dave DeBusschere and Michael Cooper and Mutombo and McHale and Van Lier...

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

Added.

If you could narrow down your top 10 overall, that would be great. Thanks for the positional lists though.

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

Yeah, Cousy's name probably doesn't belong on the shortlist.

However, it certainly wasn't due to me simply selecting the best players ever; I tried to select players who had All-Defensive 1st or 2nd Team selections or, if they played prior to that accolade being given out, then those who were regarded as great defenders.

Cousy's name appeared on one of the All-Defensive 2nd Team's selected by GOAT in an excellent article he wrote a while back (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=190405), hence he made the list by default.

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

Pat Ewing anchored one of the top defenses of all time, and no one has him on their list. You are all just haters or just dumb. Which is it?

Mourning ahead of Pat :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

Walton ahead of Pat :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

Rodman is my top pick, mostly because he purely specialised in rebounding and play hard on the defensive end.

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

Ewing was indeed very good and in my book better than Walton and Mourning, even better than Mutombo. But he never had the presence of Olajuwon or Robinson.

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

1. Hakeem Olajuwon
2. Scottie Pippen
3. Dennis Rodman
4. Kevin Garnett
5. Kobe Bryant
6. Tim Duncan
7. Ben Wallace
8. David Robinson
9. Garry Payton
10. Michael Jordan

Re: Vote for the Top 10 Defensive Players in NBA History
 

01 - Bill Russell
02 - Hakeem Olajuwon
03 - Scottie Pippen
04 - Kevin Garnett
05 - Dennis Rodman
06 - Michael Jordan
07 - Walt Frazier
08 - Wilt Chamberlain
09 - Jerry West
10 - David Robinson