Is battier and artest still the premier defenders or are there young guns emerging? Both of them are getting older and are presumed to be a step slower.
Ron "TruWarier" Artest. What he lacks in agility and quickness, he makes up for with brute strength, power, and intimidation.
I'd still say Battier. It's not everyday that you hear one of the greatest in Kobe say he guards him the best. Another underrated perimeter defender is our own Courtney Lee. He stepped up quite well guarding Kobe in the Finals in his rookie year. There's a reason why SVG started him and not Redick. Ronnie Brewer is another underrated defender. Him and Tony Allen are similar as well.
Depends on the position: PG: Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook SG: Shane or Artest or Sefalosha (OKC) SF: Nicolas Batum or Shane or Artest PF: Lamar Odom or KG C: Dwight
Artest doesn't impress me anymore,battier didn't look great last year on defense There's not really a true perimeter defender specialist like bruce bowen he's probably the best defender of this past decade Other guys who come up to mind who are good perimeter defenders: (no order) Trevor Ariza Jarred Dudley Wesley Matthews- I think he may become the next best perimeter defender Aaron Affalo Courtney Lee George Hill Tony Allen Nicolas Batum-more on pontential could be really good but he's a solid defender when healthy Thabo Safalasho however you spell his last name
Right now, I would still take Ron Ron and Shane over anyone else, and maybe add Thabo Sefalosha to the mix as well. No one prides themselves on their defense like these two guys. They may have lost a step, but that only means they are one step ahead of the rest instead of two.
Is this best perimeter defender over the long haul, or best perimeter defender when player gives a damn?
Ron Artest is the better physical defender. Shane Battier is fundamentally sound, but doesn't body up as much or gamble.
You had some good names I missed like Aaron Affalo. Wesley Matthews and Jared Dudley. These are two interesting defenders because they're in the young group coming up. Of all the young NBA defenders, no one flops more on defense than these 2 guys. You don't really think about young guys flopping, it's usually the older guys that do it. Keep an eye on these 2 guys next time they play the Rockets, you'll see what I mean about their flopping on defense. :grin:
Defensive Rating 1. Dwight Howard-ORL 95.4 2. Andrew Bogut-MIL 98.1 3. Gerald Wallace-CHA 99.7 4. Lamar Odom-LAL 100.4 5. Rasheed Wallace-BOS 100.5 6. Marcus Camby-TOT 100.8 7. Tim Duncan-SAS 100.8 8. Kevin Garnett-BOS 101.0 9. Joakim Noah-CHI 101.0 10. Josh Smith-ATL 101.4 11. Kendrick Perkins-BOS 101.5 12. LeBron James-CLE 101.7 13. Anderson Varejao-CLE 101.8 14. Ersan Ilyasova-MIL 101.8 15. Pau Gasol-LAL 101.8 16. Carlos Boozer-UTA 101.8 17. Andrew Bynum-LAL 102.1 18. Carlos Delfino-MIL 102.6 19. Dwyane Wade-MIA 102.6 20. Michael Beasley-MIA 102.6 For 2009-2010 season. Most of those guys are centers and forwards so wallace or lebron.
If anyone has synergy, they'll give 1-on-1 defensive stats for last season. That would provide good input for this topic. A nice analysis of Miami's projected defense, based on Synergy data. Some good stuff here relating to LeBron's and Wade's defense. http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/08/how-good-will-the-heat-be-on-defense.php
Artest is a great physical defender, but he lacks the true quickness to stay in front of guys like Kobe or Brandon Roy. Battier has the ability to stay in front of guys and kind of force them into certain spots on the floor, but he's not physical enough to handle a guy like LeBron, and he lacks the athleticism to be a TRUE defensive stopper. If you told me that my team was playing someone that had an elite perimeter scorer... but you didn't tell me who it was... and then I was forced to pick one person to try and stop them... I'd go with Gerald Wallace all day, every day.
