The GOAT 5-man defensive lineup

[Im Still Ballin]

Was thinking about this today. Purely a defensive lineup; and as a core, together, not as individuals.

I thought, off the top of my head, this lineup. Switch everything. Aggressive, blitzing, rotating.

David Robinson
Hakeem Olajuwon
Kevin Garnett
Scottie Pippen
Andrei Kirilenko

The only issue might be a vulnerability to quick guards. The idea was the length, mobility, and the switching would counter the Steph and Trae types.

Thoughts?

What would your lineup be?

[John8204]

C - Bill Laimbeer
PG - Walt Frazier
SG - Sidney Moncrief
PF - Nate Thurmond
SF - Dennis Rodman

[John_Connor]

G - Kobe
G - Jordan
F - Pippen
F - Duncan
C - Russell

you can't just pick great defenders. you also have to pick guys that will get favorable officiating and will get away with shit


the refs might call my team for 3 fouls the entire game. I wanted to pick Rodman and Hakeem but Duncan and Bill are more respected

[SouBeachTalents]

Jordan
Miami LeBron
Pippen
KG
Hakeem

[Im Still Ballin]

Potential guard alternatives would be: Jrue, Glove, D-Wade, Smart, Cooper, Kidd, Jordan.

[John_Connor]

Potential guard alternatives would be: Jrue, Glove, D-Wade, Smart, Cooper, Kidd, Jordan.

kobe getting no love as usual because he was gifted all defensive teams twice but robbed twice early on. go figure

[John_Connor]

Jordan
Miami LeBron
Pippen
KG
Hakeem

lebron isn't a good on ball defender. he's more of a passing lanes guy like iverson and a chase down guy

[GimmeThat]

just gets murdered in a boxing match

[Im Still Ballin]

C - Bill Laimbeer
PG - Walt Frazier
SG - Sidney Moncrief
PF - Nate Thurmond
SF - Dennis Rodman

Nate Thurmond's a great choice. Long ass arms; longer than Wilt, as quoted by the man himself.



"Nate Thurmond, he was an incredible defensive basketball player. He played me as well as Bill Russell. He was strong, with his incredible long arms, because the top of his reach was that much more than mine."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot3lKZ1Vwe8&ab_channel=NBA




Both Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain have gone on record saying they felt Thurmond was their toughest adversary. “He plays me better than anybody ever has,” Abdul-Jabbar told Basketball Digest when he was in his prime. “He’s tall, has real long arms, and most of all he’s agile and strong.” In an article in Sport, Abdul-Jabbar also said, “When I score on Nate, I know I’ve done something. He sweats and he wants you to sweat, too.”

[Kawhi_Why_Not]

Jason Kidd
Kawhi
Pippen
Tatum
Draymond

[ClipperRevival]

Was thinking about this today. Purely a defensive lineup; and as a core, together, not as individuals.

I thought, off the top of my head, this lineup. Switch everything. Aggressive, blitzing, rotating.

David Robinson
Hakeem Olajuwon
Kevin Garnett
Scottie Pippen
Andrei Kirilenko

The only issue might be a vulnerability to quick guards. The idea was the length, mobility, and the switching would counter the Steph and Trae types.

Thoughts?

What would your lineup be?

Shortest guy is 6'8". Pip was a great defender but he wasn't the greatest at keeping guys in front of him. So that's a weakness. You need someone on the perimeter who can lock down to be the GOAT defensive team IMO.

[ClipperRevival]

Jordan
Pippen
Rodman (Detroit version)
KG
Hakeem

[FultzNationRISE]

Oden
Ibaka
Lebron
Pippen
Childs


That’s the.... “all D” team if you comprendé what Im sayin

[1987_Lakers]

G - Kidd
G - T. Allen
F - Pippen
F - KG
C - Russell

[ClipperRevival]

Wow, I'm the first to mention Rodman?

I'll take that guy on my team any day. GOAT tier defender, arguably the GOAT rebounder, GOAT tier stamina, GOAT tier hustle guy.

[97 bulls]

Jordan
Pippen
Rodman (Detroit version)
KG
Hakeem

This is mine.

[John8204]

Wow, I'm the first to mention Rodman?

I'll take that guy on my team any day. GOAT tier defender, arguably the GOAT rebounder, GOAT tier stamina, GOAT tier hustle guy.

2nd post


C - Bill Laimbeer
PG - Walt Frazier
SG - Sidney Moncrief
PF - Nate Thurmond
SF - Dennis Rodman

[ClipperRevival]

2nd post

Must've missed it as I saw Laimbeer and said can't take that list seriously LOL. He was a very good positional defender down low and a very good rebounder but he can't sniff GOAT tier big defenders.

[Carbine]

Gary Payton

Michael Jordan

Scottie Pippen


Draymond Green

Dennis Rodman


I'm as big a fan of Duncan as anyone but I don't know about his ability to continuously switch all these pick and rolls these days.

With this lineup you have two guys that can defend low post players (see Rodman vs Shaq and Dray vs Jokic) and be even more impressive switching out on guards if need be.

[John8204]

Must've missed it as I saw Laimbeer and said can't take that list seriously LOL. He was a very good positional defender down low and a very good rebounder but he can't sniff GOAT tier big defenders.

He shut down two of the top five players all-time in Bird and Jordan, he was a "dirty" player that never got suspended and he led the best NBA defensive force (Rodman, Mahorn, Laimbeer) in Detroit.

Just because you don't take him seriously doesn't mean he doesn't belong as a GOAT defensive center

[ninjaseal]

G - Kidd
G - T. Allen
F - Pippen
F - KG
C - Russell

i came out of hiding to say this looks right , just put gary payton at pg and shaq at center

[Baller789]

Gary Payton

Michael Jordan

Scottie Pippen


Draymond Green

Dennis Rodman


I'm as big a fan of Duncan as anyone but I don't know about his ability to continuously switch all these pick and rolls these days.

With this lineup you have two guys that can defend low post players (see Rodman vs Shaq and Dray vs Jokic) and be even more impressive switching out on guards if need be.

Nice lineup but undersized.

I'd swap Green for Russell.

[HoopsNY]

Gary Payton

Michael Jordan

Scottie Pippen


Draymond Green

Dennis Rodman


I'm as big a fan of Duncan as anyone but I don't know about his ability to continuously switch all these pick and rolls these days.

With this lineup you have two guys that can defend low post players (see Rodman vs Shaq and Dray vs Jokic) and be even more impressive switching out on guards if need be.

Draymond over Wilt or Ben Wallace? Or even Hakeem? If switching is your concern, then those HOF'ers would have no problems in that sense.

[kawhileonard2]

Payton
MJ
Kawhi
Hakeem
Russell

[Xiao Yao You]

He shut down two of the top five players all-time in Bird and Jordan, he was a "dirty" player that never got suspended and he led the best NBA defensive force (Rodman, Mahorn, Laimbeer) in Detroit.

Just because you don't take him seriously doesn't mean he doesn't belong as a GOAT defensive center

hard to imagine Laimbeer starting today. He'd struggle in space.

[Shooter]

jordan
miami lebron
pippen
kg
hakeem

This, easily.

[FKAri]

Jordan
Pippen
Rodman (Detroit version)
KG
Hakeem

I like this the most here. I might swap Pippen out for young Kawhi. There are lots of teams that could equally effective. It would all be about how they fit in together at the end of the day.