The first part of my top 100 defenders ranking is already out, listing players 11-100. Now we’re to the juicy part — the top 10 defenders in the NBA.
There’s a long-standing complaint that players don’t play defense anymore. Focus on any of these 10, and you’ll instantly see that critique disproven. The amount of skill they have defensively is as good or better than anything we’ve seen in the other eras of the NBA.
Here are the best 10 defenders in the NBA ahead of the 2024-25 season.
NBA POSITIONAL RANKINGS: PG | SG | SF | PF | C
|
Rank |
Player |
|---|---|
| 1. | Victor Wembanyama |
| 2. | Rudy Gobert |
| 3. | Bam Adebayo |
| 4. | Anthony Davis |
| 5. | Draymond Green |
| 6. | Jonathan Isaac |
| 7. | Alex Caruso |
| 8. | Herbert Jones |
| 9. | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
| 10. | Jrue Holiday |
Twenty-year-old rookies aren’t supposed to be good at defense. They’re also not supposed to finish runner-up to Rudy Gobert in Defensive Player of the Year voting, but Wembanyama defies all expectations. He could end up as the greatest defensive player of all time.
Wembanyama’s 8-foot wingspan makes him an absolute terror near the basket. He led the league by a mile with 3.6 blocks per game last season, and that’s when players were foolish enough to challenge him. He also led the league in Todd Whitehead’s HELLNAH statistic, which measures when players simply turn around and retreat rather than trying a layup. He scares everyone away simply by standing in the paint.
Wembanyama is able to do things that no other player in the league can. His block on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dunk last season was the type of play we never normally see. He can swipe the ball from out of nowhere, using that long reach to make his steals look like taking candy from a baby. And he can capably guard out on the perimeter, unlike other giant rim protectors.
The Spurs’ defense wasn’t great last year, but they were significantly better when Wemby was on the floor. He joined the worst defense in NBA history and took them to No. 21. They will be much better this year.
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Gobert joined Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo last season as the only four-time winners of the Defensive Player of the Year award. He’s anchored top-10 defenses in eight of the last nine seasons, including the best defense in the league in 2023-24.
Gobert is often criticized for what he can’t do. His perimeter defense routinely comes under fire in the playoffs — he gave up a game-winning 3 to Luka Doncic in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, which brought up the same criticisms that always seem to come up. Nobody was stopping Doncic in that series, though, and those handfuls of viral highlights take away from what Gobert does at an elite level.
Gobert’s rim protection is on another planet, and even better than Wembanyama’s was last season. Opponents shot 13.8 percent worse within six feet of the basket when he was anchoring the paint, per Crafted NBA, ranking in the 98th percentile of players. Teams take way more midrange shots when he’s on the floor, rather than trying to shoot over him.
Gobert is statistically one of the best isolation defenders in the league (also backed by film) despite getting roasted in a few high-profile situations. He ranked in the 90th percentile in post defense as well.
Beyond the numbers, the highlights speak for themselves. He may not be the most fluid athlete, but the sheer length of his 7-9 wingspan makes it supremely difficult to get a good shot off.
Adebayo’s First Team All-Defense nomination last season marked his fifth time in a row making one of those teams.
Adebayo is widely regarded as a defensive savant because of how versatile he is. He anchors Miami’s fearsome zone defense from the middle, quarterbacking rotations for teammates. He’s very capable of switching out on the perimeter onto guards or playing closer to the basket in a drop defense. He flies all over the court. He’s also a terrific defensive rebounder, grabbing the 10th-highest total in the league last season.
The Heat have been a top-10 defense for most of Adebayo’s career. Aside from Jimmy Butler, they haven’t had amazing talent on that end of the floor. Adebayo is the one making magic happen. Nobody plays 2-on-1 situations better than him, where he manages to deny lobs and slow down guards at the same time.
Adebayo doesn’t get the credit he deserves, but he’s a lockdown defender on every type of NBA superstar and a master at cleaning up for teammates’ mistakes.
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Davis’ 178 blocks last season were the fourth-highest number in the league. He protects the paint as well as anyone due to his great timing, leaping and 7-6 wingspan.
He’s also better than most of the Lakers’ guards at guarding in space. He moves his hips and feet well, mirroring the elite perimeter scorers in the league. He’s cleaned up the mistakes of weaker Lakers teammates all season. And he’s a great defensive rebounder, finishing third in the league last year in that statistic.
While Davis has never won Defensive Player of the Year, he’s widely regarded as one of the NBA’s best defenders, even getting Adebayo’s vote for the award last season. He does everything on that end of the floor, serving as an elite pick-and-roll defender.
Green is still one of the best defenders in the league when he manages to stay on the court. That has been his biggest problem, and why he dropped from the No. 1 spot on last year’s list.
The Warriors are a different team with him. His footwork, hands and knowledge of where the ball is going is unmatched in the league. He’s one of the smartest defenders in league history who makes his teammates way better, communicates at an elite level and will guard anyone on the floor. His timing on swipe down steals and ability to deflect passes consistently takes layups off the board, and he’s the greatest of all time at stopping fast breaks all by himself.
If Isaac didn’t have recurring injury problems, he would have won a Defensive Player of the Year award by now. He has the size and fluidity to be a terror on the floor, switching seamlessly and showing up at the rim at the last second to take away layups. When he comes flying in from the weak side, there’s no chance of finishing over him.
Isaac is one of the toolsiest defenders in the league. He can swallow guards on the perimeter, hang with elite wings and bang with post-up threats down low. The amount of ground he covers is unique, making him a special defender.
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It’s difficult for a 6-4 guard to have a top-10 impact. Caruso does it by guarding players much larger than him. He will start games on bruising power forwards or shifty guards. He’s regularly guarded Julius Randle, for example, doing an excellent job of matching Randle’s physicality.
Caruso completely shuts down everyone in one-on-one situations. His hands are lightning-fast. He’s a savant who will call out an opponent’s plays before they see the signal from their coaches. He’s impossible to screen. Try, and you will likely draw an offensive foul as he runs full-speed fearlessly through the narrowest of gaps.
What makes Caruso special is his innate knack for momentum-shifting defensive plays in the biggest moments without taking the kind of gambles that lead to points the other way. He’s the best defensive guard that the league has seen in years.
Jones has to be the first player to get a day named after him for his defense. May 28 will forever be known as “Not on Herb” day in Louisiana after Governor Jeff Landry made it official last year. He deserves that iconic nickname. He made his first All-Defensive team — a long overdue honor — thanks to his stifling wing defense.
Jones is a blur of activity, willing to cover anyone and every part of the court. His length surprises players, allowing him to block a ton of jump shots. He’s a shut-down one-on-one defender, great as the last line of defense as a helper, closes gaps off with his length as well as anyone and gives terrific effort.
Jones is the reason why the Pelicans fielded the No. 6 defense in the league last season.
Milwaukee’s defense struggled last season, and Antetokounmpo missed out on adding any defensive awards. The Bucks would have been near the bottom of the league without him, though. He isn’t quite at the Defensive Player of the Year level that he was back in 2020, but he doesn’t get nearly as much praise for his defense these days as he should.
The same freakish athletic tools often highlighted on the offensive end make Antetokounmpo a special defender. His speed, leaping ability and 7-3 wingspan make him one of the league’s best helpers. His rim defense is spectacular — opponents shot 9.4 percent worse against him within six feet of the basket last season. He’s been tasked more with playing center in recent years, but he can guard everyone.
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Holiday made his sixth All-Defensive team last season, playing a crucial role in Boston’s No. 2 defense. He is quite literally capable of guarding every single player in the league — he was placed on centers like Joel Embiid for parts of games last year. He’s able to do that because of his incredible lower body strength. He is one of the only guards who anchors a zone defense, and he does it well.
Holiday has perfected the defensive technique of reaching across a player’s body to poke the ball loose. And when he starts hounding guards, it’s tough for them to even get the ball, let alone get up a quality shot.
Holiday is one of the most tenacious defenders in the league and a great one-on-one stopper.
