Are there some examples of big men who were below average defenders...

Kevin Garnett??

 

OP meant big tall, not big wide.

 

Chris Bosh had a meh defensive reputation in Toronto and completely changed his game to become a good defensive player in Miami.

Andrew Wiggins turned himself from a failed primary scorer into a defensive do-it-all roleplayer that has been somewhere between a 3 and a stretch 4 with GSW.

If you're looking for a true center like Alpi, how about Andrew Bogut? He was pretty bad in his first couple years in the league and gradually turned himself into an all-defensive player.

 

If Alpi can have average defense, he’s good for 35 mpg and a 15/10/5 stat line on a playoff team imo. I remember certain possessions last year where Alpi went hard on D, moving his feet like he was a guard… he’s got it in him to be good enough on that end.

 

Personally I think Jokic is a good defender. There are a couple spots where you can take advantage of him, but his size, intelligence and ability to rebound defensively makes him a plus.

 

Jokic is the most recent example. Pau Gasol was the second best player on those Lakers chip teams with Kobe. Al Horford has always been sound even with his physical limitations. Defense is more about effort than metrics. I think with Sengun the effort is there and Ime will see that. Now that he wont be hung out to dry by our guards and our coach I think he'll begin to take a step forward. He does have a knack for the ball (not like Tari or say Jarace Walker but it's there).

 

Sengun is going to look a hell of a lot better with FVV and Brooks on the perimeter.

 

You are asking the wrong question. While it’s possible or even likely that Sengun improves his defense, it will never reach the level people want out of their traditional rim protecting big archetype. The alternate outcome is he improves his offense enough where it doesn’t matter.

There is truth that center is the most important position on defense, therefore poor defender at center usually does not work for winning. However there is another axiom in basketball and that is the elite passing big man almost always overcome his defensive shortcomings. This archetype is so rare, and the rim protecting big so common that it gets confused that only the latter works for winning. In reality, almost every one of the elite passing bigs are on contending teams, while rim protecting bigs are a dime a dozen and most amount to nothing. The only two of this archetype in the nba today (outside of Sengun), one leads a top 3 seed and one is a champion and mvp. Historically, Vlade Divac, Brad Miller were both on contending teams as well. Meanwhile 27 rim protecting bigs went home with nothing this year.

The real question is, can you name an elite passing big who was a poor defender and wasn’t on a contending team, ever?

 

Objectively wrong, subjectively asinine

 

This... some people don't seem to realize just how BAD both KPJ and Green were defensively. And then you had Nix, who had no business ever being on the floor and was too fat and slow to guard a traffic cone. Opposing guards had free driving lanes virtually all season.

 

I can't remember if Vlade Divac was bad or if Hakeem just always made him look bad. Shaq didn't dominate.

 

People nowadays put so much emphasis on switchability, moving-the-feet, lateral mobility, staying out with guards… Which is fine, but maybe going to the extreme. Like, what about rebounding? That used to be such an important skill, finishing up the possession on D.

I remember those 2010 Finals, Boston with their prime Thibodau D couldn’t clean up rebounds, Bynum and Gasol were getting everything.

Sengun is a good rebounder, that matters on D.