Awful awful AWFUL list. This is a joke. Just a few of my many problems: 1. Russell at #8? What? Try #1! 2. Russell could stop Chamberlain? Um, no. Not remotely. Wilt thrashed him every time, it was the CELTICS that overcame Wilt, and Russell was just one part of that. 3. Stockton at #7? HELL NO. Stockton was a great great great great great player, and a very good defender, but he's not a top-10 defender by a longshot. Any idiot can tell you Dennis Johnson and Walt Frazier were better defensive players than Stockton. 4. Jordan over Pippen!? Biggest joke in the whole article. Pippen may be the best perimeter defensive player to ever live, and took all the toughest matchups for the Bulls. 5. Kareem should barely crack the list, if at all... and he's #2? Tell me again what makes him a better defensive player than freaking Bill Russell or Scottie Pippen?
Okay, Bill Russell, a guy who was known for his defense and getting how many championships because of it, among other things, is not top 3?
Rodman had no offense whatsoever in the nba and yet caused other teams headaches. If Chuck Hayes had ANY hope for making shots or free throws he would leave a legacy like Rodman's without the hair and problems. But, I feel as though any time you're in the NBA and have no offensive game yet are capable of starting on a team that went 72 and 10 and also 69 and 13, you deserve high praise for your specialty - which was defense and hustle. He did an excellent job in doing what he did best. Actually, the pistons used to give the bulls headaches because of Rodman's defense and so they brought him along for the ride.
For all the people Pippen saying was a great defender, can someone tell me why he was so ******* awful against a young Kobe in the Rockets vs. Lakers playoffs. We are not talking about prime Kobe either. That match up was the #1 reason Rockets lost that series. Pippen was was an excellent team defender because he formed a trio of ball pressure defenders (Jordan, Pippen + Grant) and Grant later replaced by Rodman. He gambled a lot because he had a lot of help from behind. Pippen belongs in the list, sure. But I am not sure if he is that great as people are making him out to be. And no, I do not think Pippen was a better defender than Jordan. Jordan conserved his energy for offense. John Stockton so high? Eh, he would help out on defense and get steals and would throw dirty elbows when refs were not looking. That's worthy of all time list??? I have never heard of anyone get shut down by John Stockton. Ben Wallace?? He is the definition of overrated. He got weak side blocks. Yay! You could abuse him one on one. His primary weapon when playing one on one defense is flopping. I would take Rodman over Wallace anyday.
Stockton shouldn't have made the list. No way. Guys like Dennis Rodman and Michael Cooper should have a say before him.
where is duncan? 8 all-defensive first teams, 12 all-defensive teams. anchored some of the best defensive teams in history. i agree, the list is amateurish.
I am digging dream as number 1. I am guessing Howard ends up on this list eventually, hopefully Shane too.
