Best Defensive Players All Time

[cincycpaw]

One name not mentioned here is Art Long. Not sure really how he grades out as a 1:1 defender, but he was the point on the press often and protected the rim pretty well. All and all a solid team defense guy.

 

[L-T]

Probably our whole final 4 team could make this list, but Herb Jones was a defensive beast.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Probably our whole final 4 team could make this list, but Herb Jones was a defensive beast.

What about Gibson and AD Jackson?

 

[L-T]

What about Gibson and AD Jackson?

I said the whole team could be on the list. That includes Jackson and Gibson....and they were amazing as well. But, I think if we asked Huggs, he would pick Herb from that group, but who knows. Thats still the greatest defensive team I've ever seen.

 

[bearcat jeff]

I said the whole team could be on the list. That includes Jackson and Gibson....and they were amazing as well. But, I think if we asked Huggs, he would pick Herb from that group, but who knows. Thats still the greatest defensive team I've ever seen.

I knew you said that. Guess I was wanting your opinion on the two. I thought Van Exel, Gibson, Jackson and Jones were the best perimeter foursome defensively I've seen.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

What makes guys like Rubles and Bishop special is that they are able to defend multiple positions. Both had the ability to guard on the wing and underneath.

Gates is a guy that hasn't made anyone's list, but he was a great low post defender. He doesn't get the talk as much because he wasn't a great shot blocker, but he was always in the right position and used his frame well to prevent other teams from scoring down low.

Gates was a very good defender, especially by his senior year. For that matter so was Mbodj.

 

[L-T]

Gates was a very good defender, especially by his senior year. For that matter so was Mbodj.

David, while those two were decent in the Cronin era, they don't deserve to be in the same conversation with many mentioned in this thread.

 

[L-T]

I knew you said that. Guess I was wanting your opinion on the two. I thought Van Exel, Gibson, Jackson and Jones were the best perimeter foursome defensively I've seen.

.......and Anthony Buford as well. He only played one year for us, but what a great one it was. He was just a tremendous leader and Huggs disciple.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

David, while those two were decent in the Cronin era, they don't deserve to be in the same conversation with many mentioned in this thread.

I can agree to that, I was responding to someone saying that Gates was a good defender. I mentioned Mbodj because I think he was just as good a one-on-one defender as Gates was if not better. He was a better rebounder and shot-blocker. I will say that being a good defender on a less talented team might skew peoples perspectives, plus a lack of offense can skew your overall perception of a player. With that said I wouldn't put Gates in this conversation because to me he wasn't a great rebounder. His shot blocks can be unfair to compare because he never played alongside anybody where he was the help defender. Most good shot blockers get blocks because they come over and swipe a shot someone else is defending. Getting blocks one-on-one is difficult because usually you foul with the body when a player attacks towards you and you have to leave your feet.