AK47 the best most complete perimeter defender of the past era

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmkQhAy0tYk
dude had perfect fundamentals, long as well and very smart. IMO he was better OVERALL defender than even Ron Ron. Them 2 and Tony Allen are/were far above every other perimeter defender (including Bowen). He wasnt man defender those 2 were but he was better w/ help and better overall. Iggy is close to that level but not there

AK was also allaround player can do bit of everything, pass shoot score drive dribble etc. After injury he wasnt the same but he was easy top10 player in much more stacked era when healthy and his peak he was better allaround than players we have now like Paul George, Kawhi, Harden, Griffin, Curry etc. He would prolly be top5 in todays league

[SexSymbol]

There was a reason he was rated 90+- overall in nba live 06

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

There was a reason he was rated 90+- overall in nba live 06
Didnt he lead the league in blocks that year?
crazy

[Pushxx]

He was the perfect role player back then.

I remember he was getting 3+ blocks per game.

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

He was the perfect role player back then.

I remember he was getting 3+ blocks per game.
Role player?:wtf: :wtf:
he was an allstar player:biggums:

[T_L_P]

At his peak, best non-big defender of all time - easily the best I've ever seen.

And I'd still be saying that if he averaged .5 blocks per game.

[SCdac]

AK47 was a fantasy-bball beast too. Mid 2000s

[STATUTORY]

kobe was one of the few stars of that era capable of litting him up consistently

[Pushxx]

Role player?:wtf: :wtf:
he was an allstar player:biggums:

He was a fringe all-star, but at his core he was an elite complementary player...a #3 for a championship contender.

I'm talking mostly about his skill set.

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

He was a fringe all-star, but at his core he was an elite complementary player...a #3 for a championship contender.

I'm talking mostly about his skill set.
He couldve easily been the 2nd option of a deep title team. He was Pippen lite in many respects, better than Paul George in almost every category

[pastis]

would have merited way more all def selections than kobe

[Mass Debator]

He couldve easily been the 2nd option of a deep title team. He was Pippen lite in many respects, better than Paul George in almost every category
:biggums: this dude was not very good on offense. Only scored because his team was shit and scored mostly in transition or plays he benefited from being in that system he was in. The only thing I'll give him is the occasional sweet passes but his stroke was inconsistent as hell. He was one of my favorite players until he wouldn't take a back seat to Deron and Boozer.

One heck of a glue guy though, but if you had him as a second option, your team aint going anywhere. In the end, he's probably the most underrated defensive player ever. He had all the tools, production, and contagious effort to boot. Very high bball IQ but AK47 aint no Pippen or Paul George though who were or will be multiple all-stars their entire career.

[oarabbus]

To give that 3.3blk year some perspective, Dikembe Mutumbo averaged more blocks during only 5 years of his career. Dwight Howard has never averaged 3. And AK played on the perimeter :eek:

[ImKobe]

:kobe: laughs at the title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV3S486X4go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwus3OwzCWU

[Joyner82reload]

I remember the game where he almost had a 5 by 5 at half time and was on pace for a quintuple double half way through the 3rd. I think he had something like 12 points 7 boards 8 assists 6 steals and 7 blocks with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter

Crazy thing is that there have only been 17 5x5's in NBA history and only 5 in the past 12 years. AK47 had 2 of those in a week.

[ArbitraryWater]

Anybody but LeBron.

[T_L_P]

Anybody but LeBron.

Be honest. Did you watch 03-06 AK47?

Go watch some YouTube clips. You'll be amazed. LeBron's never touched the defensive awareness/positioning of prime AK.

[ArbitraryWater]

Be honest. Did you watch 03-06 AK47?

Go watch some YouTube clips. You'll be amazed. LeBron's never touched the defensive awareness/positioning of prime AK.

No.. Well, via YouTube clips... I'm just saying, OP doesn't really appreciate AK47, his agenda is obvious.

[oarabbus]

No.. Well, via YouTube clips... I'm just saying, OP doesn't really appreciate AK47, his agenda is obvious.


Regardless of the agenda, it's true.

[fpliii]

Artest IMO but I have no problem with AK.

[Done_And_Done]

He couldve easily been the 2nd option of a deep title team. He was Pippen lite in many respects, better than Paul George in almost every category

I loved AK during his haydays but in no way does he compare to Paul George on the offensive end of the court. AK couldn't dream to go shot for shot with a superstar like Lebron in a conference finals series like PG did. Sloan's offensive PlayBook did little to involve Andrei as a common focal point.

[bizil]

He couldve easily been the 2nd option of a deep title team. He was Pippen lite in many respects, better than Paul George in almost every category

Ya but overall, AK47 isn't really second option scoring material though. And with all due respect, he ain't close to Pippen or Paul George. Offensively, they are on a completely different level than AK47 ever was. Defensively, he can defend PF's better I will give him that though. AK47's mark is he's one of the top ten most versatile perimeter defenders ever with these kind of guys:

Lebron
Artest
Bobby Jones
Marion
Billy Cunnigham
Rodman (played mainly SF on Pistons)
Pippen

All of these guys can defend PG to PF and some even could check C's. From here, u got the guys who can defend PG-SF great like MJ, Kobe, Bowen, Cooper, Moncrief, Hondo, etc.

[East_Stone_Ya]

he had some good instincts on defense :applause:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhe8WgUJGoA

[La Frescobaldi]

Artest IMO but I have no problem with AK.
not better than Kirelenko. Great defender without question but never saw the Russian's level:
Arms too short; legs too slow; frequently disappeared in transition D; can't be in the same conversation about team defense; nor did he ever understand rotations like AK; above all he always was a mental pygmy who could be duped by cerebral players like.... the whole Spurs core asset list.

[SouBeachTalents]

No love for Bruce Bowen in this thread?

[T_L_P]

No love for Bruce Bowen in this thread?

He picked an area of D and excelled at it. But it wasn't a complete defensive game.

And even though this thread is really about the best, I still wouldn't give him the nod over prime AK. Bruce's D was more about funneling guys into Duncan / the paint. AK47 was locking down entire sections of the floor whilst playing godly help defense.

[oarabbus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNLB3SGlhyA :bowdown: (even tho it was old Suns Shaq)

[La Frescobaldi]

Ya but overall, AK47 isn't really second option scoring material though. And with all due respect, he ain't close to Pippen or Paul George. Offensively, they are on a completely different level than AK47 ever was. Defensively, he can defend PF's better I will give him that though. AK47's mark is he's one of the top ten most versatile perimeter defenders ever with these kind of guys:

Lebron
Artest
Bobby Jones
Marion
Billy Cunnigham
Rodman (played mainly SF on Pistons)
Pippen

All of these guys can defend PG to PF and some even could check C's. From here, u got the guys who can defend PG-SF great like MJ, Kobe, Bowen, Cooper, Moncrief, Hondo, etc.
That's a sweet list right there. You can add Big Dave DeBusschere to it without lowering your standards any; and old Satch Sanders from the Celtics glory days was ALWAYS in the exact wrong spot for an old time Knicks fan.....
But what about Tony Allen or K Leonard? There's two current guys that can wave the D banner right smart-like.

[bizil]

That's a sweet list right there. You can add Big Dave DeBusschere to it without lowering your standards any; and old Satch Sanders from the Celtics glory days was ALWAYS in the exact wrong spot for an old time Knicks fan.....
But what about Tony Allen or K Leonard? There's two current guys that can wave the D banner right smart-like.

Yep all those guys qualify too! Tony Allen at 6'4 is FEROCIOUS as hell on D! Kind of like Moncrief used to be at that same height back in the day. I think Leonard is more in the mold of AK 47 and could defend four positions very well!

[2LeTTeRS]

He picked an area of D and excelled at it. But it wasn't a complete defensive game.

And even though this thread is really about the best, I still wouldn't give him the nod over prime AK. Bruce's D was more about funneling guys into Duncan / the paint. AK47 was locking down entire sections of the floor whilst playing godly help defense.

Damn that's a lot of exaggeration. AK was a great help defender but in no way did he ever lock down "entire sections of the court." I would only classify him as above average in man situations. Defensively you could call him a perimeter version of AD.

[La Frescobaldi]

Damn that's a lot of exaggeration. AK was a great help defender but in no way did he ever lock down "entire sections of the court." I would only classify him as above average in man situations. Defensively you could call him a perimeter version of AD.
Adrian Dantley in a thread on elite defense?:wtf:

[bizil]

Damn that's a lot of exaggeration. AK was a great help defender but in no way did he ever lock down "entire sections of the court." I would only classify him as above average in man situations. Defensively you could call him a perimeter version of AD.

Great points! I think in terms of Anthony Davis, he and KG stand in a class BY THEMSELVES in terms of versatile 7 foot defenders. I know Davis is still mad young, but he reminds of KG more than any other legends. Peak KG could defend big swingman all the way down to center. Davis can do the same! And in terms of being able to control the paint like a dominant center, he reminds me some of Duncan.

[2LeTTeRS]

Adrian Dantley in a thread on elite defense?:wtf:

Sorry; was referring to Anthony Davis.

[SHAQisGOAT]

At his best, he was just terrific on the defensive end, just a beastly off-ball perimeter defender, racking up them steals and blocks, and his m2m defense was also very good. On the defensive end he always reminded me of Bobby Jones, with slight worse m2m D, slight worse ability to create TO's, but better at blocking shots (and Bobby was already pretty good at that).