Utah often faces clogged lanes due to the presence of Gobert. Porter doesn’t exactly provide the most bang for your buck out of any player in our Top 100. So who will lead San Antonio forward? It’s a question that remains tough to definitively answer, and one that can similarly be asked about the Magic. If there are any concerns, it’s that at 31-years-old, Butler is no spring chicken. Ibaka has transitioned from an ultra-athletic four into a more traditional five on defense as he's aged, but it helps that he can stretch the court with a dependable three-point shot. The consecutive, unceremonious exits are blots on his ledger. —M.S. Williams ranked in the top five pick-and-roll ballhandlers in terms of frequency last season, but he generated only 0.92 points per possession on those plays. Vučević’s defensive impact is middling. These rankings are specifically for the upcoming season, and they do not take into account players’ long-term prospects or career arcs beyond 2020–21. But the way he’s defended may be the greatest testament to his greatness. He stops the ball, he plays the passing lanes, he’ll switch onto anyone and he understands better than any guard in the league how to leverage his size against taller players. Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos was suspended for two games and fined Monday for his role in an on-field brawl. Oladipo's stock has plummeted during two injury-plagued seasons marred by rumors of his unhappiness, but a strong contract year could make him a top free agency target next summer. Green was never as great as those two players at their height, which means even a little slippage in his game affects him much more significantly. On the other end of the floor, Adebayo is a fulcrum in the Heat’s motion attack. Since the start of the 2012-13 season, he has played the most games (637) of any player in the league and even entering his age-36 season, Tucker is an elite defensive force. There’s no shame here in Giannis ceding the top spot on our list, and it may not take much for him to reclaim it. The fifth-year forward continues to show impressive range from beyond the arc, making a legitimate leap in 2019–20 as he nearly doubled his scoring to 15.4 points per game. 1 pick was a major disappointment in the bubble because of conditioning issues, but he was a game-changing dunk machine before the hiatus. —M.S. Irving’s defensive shortcomings are notable. And while the Raptors discharged the Nets in four games, the 6' 6" guard averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 assists per contest on 18 shots per game. Test your knowledge on this sports quiz and compare your score to others. And he’s not a playmaker nor a pick-and-roll option, though he nominally functions as a point guard. Whether or not Redick is in the perfect role for himself on an up-and-comer, he should continue to provide some much-needed room for Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram through 2021. Irving's career has been on a downward trajectory because of injuries and personality concerns, but his new pairing with Kevin Durant could get him back on track. Few players in the NBA sport better instincts on the floor. His defensive value and transition prowess lands him the final spot on our Top 100, and he’ll need to improve his half-court offense to move much higher. 20 on this list, but he’s really just getting started. Still, speculate all you want about the longevity of his body type, but you cannot argue with the results. It’s a different brand of dominance now, but the impact and the weight of his influence remain unmatched when things count. But on the defensive side of the floor, the Wolves struggled last season, finishing as a bottom-third unit, with Towns playing in just 35 games. You might also see his playmaking skills and rebounding trend upward as his responsibilities change. In this article, we list the 10 best defensive players so far in the 2020-21 NBA season. Turner is a bit of a stationary shooter, albeit a quality one. He can lull you into a false sense of confidence because at first glance his style of play is not overwhelming. We’ll see if he can reverse his career narrative in a new location sooner than later. He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners, when he was named the Consensus National Player of the Year as a sophomore. 25. He’s more of a stationary shooter than anything on the offensive end, and his jumper ebbs and flows more than one would like. The Lakers’ championship doesn’t happen without that level of synergy. He took a real leap in the absence of John Wall, and now the Wizards are betting on Beal’s unusual malleability as a viable fit with Russell Westbrook. Whether his preferred style of play—which has never involved much defense—can run conducive to team success is still the question hanging over his real value. This year's list incorporated data and statistical context from Basketball-Reference, NBA.com, ESPN.com and Synergy Sports. And every now and then, he’ll also face up from the baseline and take his defender off the dribble. Only two or three players in the world right now are as impactful as Davis when he’s locked in on the defensive end, and frankly that skill alone makes him an incredibly valuable player. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks. Just nine finished with more blocks. It’s not just that Simmons is a poor shooter. Even at his advanced age and with years of playoff runs on his body, Lowry remains one of the most impactful guards in the game. Walker’s game isn’t as memeable as pull-ups from halfcourt. He can defend all over the floor. Bam’s footwork and intelligence belie his age. New Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren told reporters that Oladipo has looked like he has “a lot of bounce to him” this training camp, but it remains unclear whether Oladipo will appear in back-to-back games, something he didn’t do last year in an abridged return. —B.P. Vogel could cook up aggressive schemes because Davis served as the ultimate backline defender, punishing those who dared to challenge him in the paint. His athleticism gives his offense a little bit of bounce as well. He’s a high-volume, high-efficiency three-point shooter, and the stepback, midrange J is still as pretty as it was at Connecticut nearly 10 years ago. Yet it’s not only Gordon’s shooting that makes him a valuable asset. Efficiency is a bit of a bugaboo here, however. — R.N, 12. His defensive positioning has typically been sound, but he appeared to be moving his feet better than ever. — R.N. “I use a lot of communication as a center,” Gasol said recently. —B.P. Morant has a pair of true weapons in the frontcourt, headlined by the former Spartan. The Timberwolves selected Rubio with the fifth pick in the 2009 draft. James still finds ways to swing the outcome of games in unexpected fashion. 18. He can lead a fast break. With a new coach, new point guard and a clean bill of health, we should see the Gordon of old. Covington should continue to be a valuable defensive asset in Portland, where he’ll excel as a versatile frontcourt piece alongside Jusuf Nurkić and Derrick Jones Jr. Covington should help the Blazers secure a playoff spot in an increasingly crowded West. —J.W. The pair of free-agent signings will be joined by frontcourt newcomers Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu, creating a short-term logjam. Instead of worrying what he could become, it’s better to save the clichés and just appreciate what’s already happening. “Whatever happens, it was meant to be,” LeVert said recently. —B.P. The truth is that he’s always transcended positions, because he’s seven feet tall and is probably going to score on whoever’s defending him. Murray is likely the franchise headliner. Horford’s intelligence could have an effect similar to Chris Paul’s in Oklahoma City, though it’s unlikely to be truly reflected in the standings. How much longer James will hold the top spot is anyone’s guess, and going into this season, there are plenty of comers. While durability remains a concern for the 26-year-old center, Embiid could very well be the best big in basketball. The 28-year-old guard’s future with the franchise also appears to be in doubt, with trade rumors circulating. Interestingly, for someone who frequently finds himself in the paint, you’d think Dragić would get to the free-throw line a touch more regularly than he currently does (4.2 attempts per game last season). LeVert admitted during media week that he’s heard the noise around his name in rumors, but said that team general manager Sean Marks has been an “open book” in terms of keeping the 26-year-old informed. Irving is also a dangerous off-ball spacer, likely making him a perfect complement to Durant in 2020–21. On the other end of the floor, Beverley is a career 38.1% three-point shooter, which means he’s the kind of player who can stay on the court in the highest-stakes moments. The lanky Gilgeous-Alexander has found success at a young age with a herky-jerky game, emerging as the centerpiece of Oklahoma City's full-scale rebuilding effort. CP averaged 17.6 points, 5.0 assists, and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Thunder, while shooting 48.9% from the field. Redick remains one of the game's most reliable shooters even though New Orleans has shifted him into a backup role. —M.S. Nurkić’s sublime passing skills and crafty interior game was abetted by a little extra vertical oomph under the basket. Atlanta has its eyes set on the playoffs in 2021. It’s best to look at these rankings as short-term projections, based on performance history and the impact of a player's age—some growth can be expected from younger players, and a degree of potential decline from older veterans. After wasting last season with a 25-game drug suspension, the phenomenally athletic Collins must reestablish his place in Atlanta's core or risk becoming a trade piece. He comes in second here, only because arguably the greatest player in league history has yet to slow down in any meaningful way. He’s a terrific big-to-big passer in the lane, and his vision out of the pick-and-roll mirrors that of a quality point guard. Just because he’s stuck on an inconsequential Cleveland team doesn’t mean Kevin Love couldn’t have value for a franchise with higher aspirations in the present. Thanks to his smooth shot and prototyptical two-way game, Tatum might well be battling Doncic for the No. He’s proven that it will not be his brain or his skills that lead to his decline. He couldn’t stop the stream of missed triples vs. Golden State in 2018, and he was outdueled by Steph Curry down the stretch one year later. While the 6’ 8’’ Warren is by no means a lockdown defender on the wing, he also showed improvement on that end of the floor. The reigning sixth man of the year was a shell of himself in the bubble, but he should thrive as a high-efficiency finisher alongside Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Only seven players hit more off-the-dribble threes in 2018–19, and Griffin retained his prowess in transition at 1.22 points per possession. Maybe he’ll become the Nets’ true third star alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, or maybe he’ll get moved. He’s far enough removed from his torn Achilles that expectations are running high. Young rose from 32% to 36.1% from three even with a leap in attempts, and he improved his effective field goal percentage by a marked margin. Capela isn’t in the top tier of centers—largely due to his limited offensive skill set—though when healthy, he can truly be a dominant interior force. Covington's length and versatile frontcourt defense will be greeted with a hero's welcome in Portland after an offseason trade. The big unknowns are to what degree he can amplify his playmaking skills (in two seasons as more of a secondary handler, his assist-to-turnover ratio is a respectable 1.8), and just how dangerous he’ll become shooting from distance.