Rank these guys DEFENSIVELY

[Fire Colangelo]

Mutumbo
Kareem
Garnett
Duncan
Hakeem
Rodman
Bill Russell
Wilt
Thurmond
Ben Wallace

1-10 go.

[LAZERUSS]

Mutumbo
Kareem
Garnett
Duncan
Hakeem
Rodman
Bill Russell
Wilt
Thurmond
Ben Wallace

1-10 go.

Russell
Wilt
Thurmond

[fpliii]

Just wondering, why'd you decide on Rodman instead of Robinson?

[KyrieTheFuture]

Mutumbo should be last is all I know.

[Marlo_Stanfield]

Wilt
Russel
Thurmond
Mutombo

[K Xerxes]

Mutumbo
Kareem
Garnett
Duncan
Hakeem
Rodman
Bill Russell
Wilt
Thurmond
Ben Wallace

1-10 go.

Players I've seen:

Hakeem
Garnett
Wallace
Duncan
Rodman
Mutombo

The order of 2-5 may be different tomorrow. Close.

[Harison]

Bill Russell
Hakeem
Garnett
Thurmond
Duncan
Wilt (mature)
Kareem (peak)
Rodman
Ben Wallace
Mutumbo

[WillC]

01 - Bill Russell
02 - Hakeem Olajuwon
03 - Kevin Garnett
04 - Dennis Rodman (totally different type of player though, so hard to rank against these guys)
05 - Tim Duncan
06 - Nate Thurmond
07 - Wilt Chamberlain
08 - Dikembe Mutombo
09 - Ben Wallace
10 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

[LAZERUSS]

Bill Russell
Hakeem
Garnett
Thurmond
Duncan
Wilt (mature)
Kareem (peak)
Rodman
Ben Wallace
Mutumbo

Interesting that you use the term "mature" for Wilt, when in fact, he was dominating defensively from day one. How about this example? In Wilt's rookie season, he faced Russell in 11 regular season H2H's, and held Russell to a .398 FG% in those 11 games, in a season in which Russell had the highest FG% of his career (.467.) As a sidenote, in those 11 games against Russell, Chamberlain shot .465, in a season in which he shot .461.

And how about Hakeem, who was just crushed by KAJ in his first two seasons (allowing a 38-39 year old Kareem to average 32 ppg on a .621 FG% in those ten straight games), or being beaten to a pulp by Gilmore in those two seasons (Artis averaged 24 ppg on a .677 FG% against Hakeem in those two seasons, and covering 10 straight games)? Hell, a peak Hakeem surrendered a 29 ppg .595 FG% Finals to a young Shaq in '95.

[Dro]

1. Russell (no brainer)
2. Wilit
3.Rodman
4. Hakeem
5. Duncan
6. Mutombo
7. Thurmond
8. Garnett
9. Kareem (moreso when he was Lew)
10. Wallace

Also, Kareem was past his prime..but if we're talking Alcindor, Id probably put hm at 3rd....I think Rodman is one of the greatest and most underrated defenders in NBA history...

[LAZERUSS]

1. Russell (no brainer)
2. Wilit
3.Rodman
4. Hakeem
5. Duncan
6. Mutombo
7. Thurmond
8. Garnett
9. Kareem (moreso when he was Lew)
10. Wallace

Also, Kareem was past his prime..but if we're talking Alcindor, Id probably put hm at 3rd....I think Rodman is one of the greatest and most underrated defenders in NBA history...

I agree with you about Kareem (and Alcindor.) From '71 thru '74, Kareem anchored the best defensive teams in the league.

[Dro]

I agree with you about Kareem (and Alcindor.) From '71 thru '74, Kareem anchored the best defensive teams in the league.
Yes definitely...a beast on defense...Laker fans don't truly know how much of shell of his former self he really was and he was still an above average defender for his first few years in LA.

[LAZERUSS]

We now have solid reserach into Wilt's LAST season (thanks to ThaRegul8r and Psileas), and we now KNOW that Chamberlain averaged 5.42 bpg in his last season. This along with being voted First-Team All-Defense (for the second straight year.)

Keep in mind that this came in a league with a peak Kareem, and Nate Thurmond.

Why is that 5.42 bpg number significant? Because the NBA actually started officially recording BPG the very next season. And in that 72-73 season, Kareem averaged 3.5 bpg, and Thurmond was at 2.9 bpg. Furthermore, Mark Eaton set the "official" record of 5.56 bpg just 12 years after Wilt retired.

Psileas' research also credits Wilt with over 6 bpg in his known games in his 71-72 season. And in the playoffs that year, Chamberlain was over 7, including a Finals of 7.4 bpg.

Harvey Pollack, who is the most repected statisician in any sport, had Chamberlain with seasons of 10+. And Wilt just waxed Russell in that category in their known H2H games.

[Reggie43]

Players I have seen

1) Hakeem
2) Mutombo
3) Duncan
4) Rodman
5) Garnett
6) Wallace

[K Xerxes]

Russell
Wilt
Thurmond

Btw, would you say in that order? Do you believe Russell was a greater defender than Wilt? Genuinely curious.

[KyrieTheFuture]

Holy shit how are people putting Mutombo above Garnett?

[SHAQisGOAT]

Yes definitely...a beast on defense...Laker fans don't truly know how much of shell of his former self he really was and he was still an above average defender for his first few years in LA.

Shell? :lol Most would agree his peak came around 1977, so his 2nd season with the Lakers. Total beast til around 1980 and still great/really good afterwards. Plus he was still making all-defensive 1st in 1981 and in 1980 would most likely won DPOY if it was awarded already. I swear, Kareem's crazy underrated defensively, that man would've had like 3 DPOY's in his shelf if it was awarded, in his prime.

[Harison]

Shell? :lol Most would agree his peak came around 1977, so his 2nd season with the Lakers. Total beast til around 1980 and still great/really good afterwards. Plus he was still making all-defensive 1st in 1981 and in 1980 would most likely won DPOY if it was awarded already. I swear, Kareem's crazy underrated defensively, that man would've had like 3 DPOY's in his shelf if it was awarded, in his prime.

The problem with Kareem most remember him as an ancient guy who didnt play D (in his later years), but in his prime he was a two-way beast.

[fpliii]

Players I've seen live:

Garnett
Hakeem
Robinson
Mutumbo
Duncan
Mourning
Ewing
Ben Wallace
Dwight
Rodman

Russ, Nate, Wilt, KAJ would all rate favorably (and do by the numbers) I'm sure if I had the chance to watch them.

[Dro]

Shell? :lol Most would agree his peak came around 1977, so his 2nd season with the Lakers. Total beast til around 1980 and still great/really good afterwards. Plus he was still making all-defensive 1st in 1981 and in 1980 would most likely won DPOY if it was awarded already. I swear, Kareem's crazy underrated defensively, that man would've had like 3 DPOY's in his shelf if it was awarded, in his prime.
When I said shell, I meant his later years as a Laker, which is why I mentioned in the same sentence that he was still above average for his first few years as Laker..Imo he was not dominant defensively during those years, but he was still pretty damn good...

[Dro]

Holy shit how are people putting Mutombo above Garnett?
Mutombo has 4 defensive player of the year awards..and if not for guys named Hakeem and Payton, he would probably have even more...The main reason Mutombo was even in the league at all, or making all-star teams was because of defense...Remember how offensively challenged that Sixers team was with Iverson and Mutombo in the Finals. Do you think they make it with KG instead of Mutombo? I'm not saying they would or they wouldn't, just asking what you think...

[ProfessorMurder]

Dude's were scared of Mutombo, he changed the game when he was in there.

Which all star game was it where there was a 2 on 1 or 3 on 1, and Mutombo was the 1, and the offense pulled back?

Mutombo was better defensively than Ben Wallace. If you put a prime Mutombo on that Detroit team, they still win in 2004, and maybe grab another. Just think of the length of him and Sheed.


Rodman is overrated defensively, not really a threat to block or steal. He was just physical with certain guys, played mind games, and rebounded insanely well. Still great, but he gets a bit too much hype.

[KyrieTheFuture]

Mutombo has 4 defensive player of the year awards..and if not for guys named Hakeem and Payton, he would probably have even more...The main reason Mutombo was even in the league at all, or making all-star teams was because of defense...Remember how offensively challenged that Sixers team was with Iverson and Mutombo in the Finals. Do you think they make it with KG instead of Mutombo? I'm not saying they would or they wouldn't, just asking what you think...
I think they would be much better but that's also because Garnett is light years ahead on offense

[Dro]

I think they would be much better but that's also because Garnett is light years ahead on offense
Thats true, but with Iverson shooting so much, I'm not sure how much impact KG would be able to make on offense....

[Fire Colangelo]

Just wondering, why'd you decide on Rodman instead of Robinson?

No reason really, these names kinda just popped into my mind at the time. You're right though, if I thought more carefully about this id probably leave Rodman out of the discussion and put in Robinson/Mourning.

[Fire Colangelo]

Thats true, but with Iverson shooting so much, I'm not sure how much impact KG would be able to make on offense....

KG would not be able to guard Shaq, not better than Mutumbo anyways. Not saying they won't win with KG, just that they would be worse defensively IMO.

[Big#50]

Mutumbo
Kareem
Garnett
Duncan
Hakeem
Rodman
Bill Russell
Wilt
Thurmond
Ben Wallace

1-10 go.
Duncan numero uno.