Being a defensive specialist in the NBA today is a risky profession. There are many factors that contribute to the fact that we are seeing the most effective attacks in history on our screens every night. Some of them we already detailed in this article about the impossible mission of NBA defenses. Many others were broken down by Gonzalo Vázquez and Andrés Monje in the chapter of ‘El Reverso’: Defensive impotence’. But there are certain players who help make this impotence more bearable.
Listen to the episode ‘Defensive impotence’
Defensive versatility is key in the modern NBA. It is no longer worth having the characteristics to defend rival point guards or centers well, because if you suffer against forwards, the rival team will find a way for you to find yourself paired with one of them and attack you. That’s why we’re going to take a look at the Basketball-Index defensive versatility metric, a statistic that measures those players who defend a greater prototype of different opposing players on the court.
These are the players who rank high in defensive versatility.
15. Jonathan Kuminga.
14. Aaron Nesmith.
13. Straw Grant.
12. Kyle Lowry.
11. Paul George.
10. Hamidou Diallo (versatility rating: 88.9).
It may go unnoticed in the Detroit Pistons because they are under reconstruction, but Hamidou Diallo has been sneaking among the most versatile defenders in the NBA for a few seasons now. He came to the NBA so young that this is his sixth season already, but he is still only 24 years old and his defense continues to give him many minutes.
9. Jayson Tatum (89).
It’s curious. Last year a teammate of Tatum’s, Marcus Smart, was named defensive back of the season. Another, Robert Williams, was among the most voted. Al Horford knows more for old than for devil. However, the one with the greatest responsibility when it comes to defending against different types of attackers is Tatum. That defensive versatility, coupled with his offensive versatility, should make him an MVP candidate for years to come.
8. Royce O’Neal (89.2).
The Brooklyn Nets paid a first-round fee to get him, and it’s clear why. O’Neal can defend 2s, 3s and some 4s, and if he does it by shooting close to 40% on 3s like he has in recent seasons he becomes a good piece for any rotation.
7. Kenrich Williams (89.6)
If the Oklahoma City Thunder want to continue growing as a team and in competitiveness, and they are on the way to that, they are going to need players of the profile of Kenrich Williams. The seasoned Texan player is capable of defending three positions and this season he is hitting 41.3% of his 3-pointers from the corners.
6. Dorian Finney-Smith (89.6)
Luka Doncic’s great accompaniment in Dallas for so many years is now in Brooklyn after the transfer of Kyrie Irving. In the Nets he will not have to bear as much defensive responsibility as in Dallas, being surrounded by better defenders, but everyone knows that if someone has to be taken care of, he can do a more than good job.
5. Nicolas Batum (90)
At 34 years old and with almost 30,000 minutes in his legs alone in his NBA career, Nicolas Batum is no longer what he once was. That does not mean that he is not still a good defender, and the Clippers, who are not short of defense with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, are taking advantage of the biggest positional challenges for his defensive strategy to throw at the Frenchman.
What teams already have their ticket to the Playoffs? Up date
4. Haywood Highsmith (90.5)
I admit it: if I have not raised the minimum filter of minutes (850) a little more to be eligible for this list, it is, in part, because I wanted to mention Haywood Highsmith and give the credit he deserves to someone who came to the league for the back door, with two-way and 10-day contracts, and who has earned a place in the Miami Heat thanks to his defensive capabilities.
3. Jimmy Butler (90.8)
In Miami they know about two things: developing players who go unnoticed at first, like Highsmith, and versatile defenders. Bam Adebayo has not made the list but who is, and in a position of honor, is Jimmy Butler. When it comes to talking about the biggest stars in the league, we often forget about him, but when the Playoffs arrive, we quickly remember why Butler is considered one of the best players in the league when we consider both offense and defense. .
2. Scottie Barnes (95.1)
1. AND Anunoby (95.2)
You’ll notice that the jump from Jimmy Butler’s third place to our two leaders, Barnes and Anunoby, he rides so much, he rides so much, it’s huge, over four points. To give you an idea, it is the same difference that there is between position 3 and 22 on the list. And it is fully deserved. This is the distribution by position of the players that each one defends:
|
|
PG |
SG |
SF |
PF |
C |
|
Barnes |
21.9% |
19.8% |
16.6% |
20.3% |
21.4% |
|
Anunoby |
20.3% |
19.8% |
21.8% |
21.6% |
16.7% |
Nick Nurse uses Barnes and Anunoby as his spearheads on defense and it’s a treat to have two defenders like them to do it, especially with Anunoby. Individual defense data must always be taken a bit with tweezers, as there are some doubtful possessions that still elude even the artificial intelligences that take these measurements, but according to Synergy Sports data, Anunoby is the player that allows the lowest percentage of defenses. hit his rivals when they attack him clear, allowing less than 30% in field goals.
Let your own coach sing your praises.
“I’m not sure who is as versatile, with capital letters, and who is as effective as him, even on winning teams,” Nick Nurse said a few days ago. “To me he’s clearly a player who should be in the All-NBA defensive first team, that’s for sure, and maybe even a Defender of the Season award winner. He has defended DeRozan, Beal, Kawhi, Anthony Davis and Jokic in recent games, and he has done a great job in all of them.
In 28 seasons of history, the Toronto Raptors have only had one player break into one of the best defensive quintets. It was Kawhi Leonard in 2018-19, entering the second five on the way to the ring. The Canadian franchise has never had anyone in the top defensive quintet. Perhaps it is time for that to change.
