[adjose5Participant]

I love guys who play good one on one defense. Just wanted to get your thoughts on who the best perimeter defenders in the league are.

Here’s my list, in no particular order

Shane Battier
Ron Artest
Trevor Ariza
Raja Bell
Kirk Hinrich
Tayshun Prince
Rajon Rondo
Kobe Bryant
Delonte West
Jason Kidd
James Posey
Andre Igudola
Dahntay Jones
Caron Butler
DeShawn Stevenson
Brandon Roy
Stephen Jackson
Bruce Bowen
Chauncey Billups
Josh Howard
Matt Barnes

Lebron is getting there
Dwyane Wade can be when he wants to

[HaleParticipant]

Get Kobe off that list now. He only plays defense when he has too. he is not a lockdown defender at all, it is really hard to lockdown an opposing player when you really only try for a quarter per game it.

[Michael.S.Participant]

CP3 is good too, i hate Bowen he is soooooo friggin dirty

[Tobe BryantParticipant]

If KOBE attempted to play lockdown defense the whole game on the other team’s best perimeter player then it would take away his from his OFFENSE

[JNixonParticipant]

I might be biased but I think Andre Iguodala is the best perimeter defender in the NBA. He forces some the elite superstars into their worst offensive games of the season. The only players Ive ever seen him be outplayed by are LeBron and Paul Pierce.

[Michael.S.Participant]

well good for him cuz he’s had some1 thats done that for him every season lats yr. Ariza and now Artest

[adjose5Participant]

yea i was torn with Kobe. he was on lockdown mode for the Olympic teams til the gold medal game when Rudy dropped 25 on him and he only tries to play lock down d when he plays Lebron or Wade or someone big time like that to creat this dramatic atmosphere. but being on the all nba defensive team for like 7-8 times is somewhat impressive to me

[JNixonParticipant]

The all-defensive team is like the gold glove in baseball, it is based on offensive numbers too. Kobe made the 1st team this year, but he wasnt even the best defender on his team (ariza). He honestly wasnt even the second best (Odom). He always guarded the 5th offensive option on the floor in the playoffs, so he could roam. Against Utah he matched up with Brewer or Korver, against Denver he guarded Dahntay Jones until the 4th qtr when he finally gaurded Melo, against Houston it was Battier, and against Orlando he guarded Lee or Pietrus.

[BasketballGuru24Participant]

Rondo is probably the best there….but kobe is a great man to man defender but he shows it when he wants to

[HaleParticipant]

Kobe got domianted by Melo in the first 2 games, he couldn’t do anything.

[joecheck88Participant]

melo dominated kobe but i dont think there is one guy in the league strong enough, quick enough to guard melo except LBJ but then his O would suffer

[BasketballGuru24Participant]

Kobe wasn’t guarding melo the first two games….probably guarded him 7 minutes the whole game. Ariza was guarding him ,Melo was just hot he couldn’t miss…….and that fire apperently stopped and melo….couldn’t do nothing but force shots

[HaleParticipant]

Guru you must not have watched the end of the game when Kobe got his a$$ beat all over the place. Melo made him his bitch for most of the fourth quarter.

[BasketballGuru24Participant]

No…..im pretty sure i watched the game and the serious ….which the lakers one, melo was good for 2 games and a half and didn’t much the rest of the series……see he was just on fire.

[HaleParticipant]

Doesn’t matter that they won, I can see your a Kobe fan. He still got destroyed when he covered him. It is a fact.

[BasketballGuru24Participant]

im just saying he was on fire for a couple of games and nobody could guard him…….kobe plays defense when he wants to and when he feels like provig something……..we saw what happen when kobe and lebron faced in the season and kobe held him to 22 pts and a field goal percentage of 27……..

[MagikKnickParticipant]

Bruce Bowen & James Posey are dirty players, they really shouldnt count..

And for the record Dahntay Jones isnt a dirty player, he played dirty against Kobe but typically hes not a dirty player

[HaleParticipant]

Your overrating your favorite player. He cannot guard Melo.

[sheltwon3Participant]

I think soon you may have to add Mbuah MBuah or whatever his name is from Milwaukee. That dude looks legit defense wise

[blackflash234Participant]

Rondo’s arguably the best defender in the NBA. In a few years, I think George Hill’s defence will blossom if he gets guidance from Bruce Bowen. Westbrook too.

[butidonthavemoney]

But Ronnie Brewer and Andrei Kirilenko should be on that list.

[pointguardfunParticipant]

how bout luc richard mbah a moute? he is a superb defender. he shutdown brandon roy (9pts 4-13 fg) kevin durant (12pts 5-14fg 4tos) granger(14 pts 5tos), and i watched it. i think he can be one.

[trueone313detroitParticipant]

I agree with the Andre Iguodala being one of the best. Him Artest and Dwight Howard Are in the Top 10 in my book. But Dre and Test Can Defend 2-3 positions and not get burn.

[da guru]

top 10 no order

artest
brewer
kirilenko
battier
posey
dahntay jones
rondo
prince
lebron
bruce bowen

[MattissickParticipant]

I’m not saying this as a UCLA fan but as an nba fan. Luc Mbah a Moute is a top 5 defender in the league and Kobe does belong on that list. He is a lock down defender when he wants to be. Russell Westbrook and Arron Afflalo deserve to be mentioned also as nobody ever scores on Afflalo (except the much taller Stephen Jackson) and Westbrook locked down Mayo when they played in college. Anyway, Luc Mbah a Moute had the same speeds as the point guards but he plays power/small forward. He is 6’7″ and around 225+ lbs. He is a legit defender.

[MattissickParticipant]

LeBron does not belong on that list and Kobe does belong on that list, Guru. I don’t like either one but you can’t say LeBron plays better D than Kobe. He has the potential to and he does get blocks from behind but blocks are different than good defense (just look at Spencer Hawes at the start of the year)

[butidonthavemoney]

I don’t feel like his is an elite defender yet. He has shown flashes and he really gets after the ball, but he ain’t top 5 yet. He is now the second best defender on the Bucks IMO.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Kobe has a lot of haters, which I can understand because he doesn’t guard the best player all game. It wouldn’t make sense for him to considering he’s his team’s go-to player on offense. If you think about it, MJ did the same thing and he never got his defensive ability questioned. Pippen guarded the other team’s best offensive player majority of the game, so MJ could save his energy and focus on scoring. HOWEVER, in the 4th quarter or during crunch time MJ was guarding the other team’s best offensive player… And that’s the same thing Kobe does. It’s up to the people who vote if that leads to being on the All-NBA Defensive 1st Team, but IMO he’s still one of the top perimeter defenders in the league despite just finishing his THIRTEENTH season. Not only can Kobe guard you on the perimeter, he can also block shots. I can’t count how many times Kobe has shocked me w/ the way he comes from the weakside and times blocks at the rim perfectly.

[gatorheelsParticipant]

Some younger guys that play pretty good perimeter defense IMO…. Corey Brewer, Kyle Weaver, Courtney Lee

[bballdave3Participant]

I’m sorry but Jason Kidd fell off that list probably 2 years ago, the guy is still strong but the lateral quickness is shot, pg’s are gettin a little too quick for old J-Kidd

[jojososaParticipant]

Is a lock down defender he was second n tha defensive player of tha year and 1st team all defense, u guys r talking nonsense

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Rajon Rondo is NOT an elite perimeter defender, he’s a GREAT thief, but that’s different than being an elite perimeter defender. I’d take Russell Westbrook over Rajon in that category everyday of the week. I think Rondo is almost a little too quick for his own good so he’s been relying on his natural born gifts too long. Instead of locking down on defense, he gets lazy and just goes for the steal.

Any player outta Howland’s system plays awesome defense. Mbah a Moute is definitely one of the elite perimeter defenders in the league.

[JNixonParticipant]

Im telling you, the all-defensive team doesnt always consist of the best defenders. Shane Battier is an outstanding defender and I know for a fact he plays better D than Kobe and Lebron and he only made the 2nd team. Its because he isnt a superstar scorer like those 2. I watch Lebron play D on ball all the time and he isnt more than average, but its the violent blocks he gets in helpside D that earn him a spot on the defensive team.

[ckowalskiParticipant]

I think the best perimeter defenders are Battier, Bowen, and Ariza in that order. Overall I think the best defenders period would be Artest, Odom, and Prince because of their ability to guard multiple positions. Howard is a great defender but he relies a lot on his athleticism to just outwork his man, him and LeBron have some of the most ridiculous blocks in the league. Probably my favorite defensive play of all time by Howard was when he blocked Ben Gordon’s baseline jumper 2 years ago. He got up so high he hit his shoulder on the bottom of the backboard.

[JoeWolf1]

Brandon Rush is becoming a good young perimeter defender, after next season and more playing time i think he should make the list, in college he was the only one in the country who came close to giving Durant problems, and in the NBA his defense earned him playing time when his shot wasn’t falling

[gatorheelsParticipant]

JoeWolf- that is a good pick…I forgot about Rush…I think he can really defend

[bluedevils12Participant]

list but a few objections:
Jason Kidd: in no way, shape, or form should this guy be on this list. He stopped being a good perimiter defender when he left the Nets. He is no longer quick enough to guard any of the point guards in the league.

CP3: i read sumbody say Cp3 is a good perimeter defender. Look jus becuase u got steals doesnt mean ur a good defender. Cp3 is good at anticipating things and thats how he gets steals. He’s not a good defender partially because he gets bullied by other guards.(ex Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups). And if thats not enough then think about when he plays tony parker(who damn near torches cp for 30 every time they play.)

Kobe: kobe is a good perimeter defender. i read where somebody said he couldnt guard melo and that made me ask this question: $hit who can gaurd melo? I mean he;s too big for some guys and 2 quick 4 others. He destroyed ariza, pounded kobe, showed how diverse his scoring is against lebron, and was jus 2 quick 4 artest. Melo is wat ppl like 2 call a matchup nightmare!!

[L.ShapParticipant]

I think Houston has the best perimeter defenders in Ariza and Battier. There is no other team that can match that.

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