The National Basketball Association has always been synonymous with players who can score through the use of hops and those who employ varied tactics, but typically, it is the teams that play tough defense that emerge as the winners.
The middle position is one of the principal roles in team defense and it involves a person who is capable of blocking shots and dunking all day long, who is consistently aggressive on the boards, and can be the backstop.
Some of the best central players over the years have been those who have come up with a new approach to defense warranted by the excitement they brought to the game. In this article, the top 10 NBA players who are the most skilled defenders are being presented.
Best NBA Centers Of All Time
When somebody talks about shot-blocking, probably the first association that comes to our minds is always the name Dikembe Mutombo. The man was 7’2″ tall, and his wingspan hit one end of the paint while the other was at the opposite edge.
Thus, it is not that twisted for people to believe that Dikembe was the best ever in his position. Mutombo was annually voted the best defender in the NBA by the media and was an eight-time All-Star. In the 90’s NBA, among the trending highlights, was a finger wag gesture that Dikembe Mutombo used to make, though he is no longer playing the game.
It is actually a funny story from Mutombo to recall the way he used to do the middle finger wag at his opponents. The next one will realize six-seven records run and extremely high average scores. Mutombo stays number 2 in the all-time list of blockers with 3,289. Moreover, he was largely in the heart of the defensive teams of that time.
In particular, those Philadelphia 76ers, who won the Eastern conference but failed in the finals to the Lakers in 2001. His skill of ruling the inside and instilling fear in his opponents then certainly made this legacy for one of the greatest of the defenders.
Wally also confirmed to us that heart and hustle reversal of the minuses of small size is possible. At 6’9” tall, Walrus was small for a center position, but his relentless energy and defensive instincts overcame it.
Four times the best defender of the year, Walrus was the core of the Detroit Pistons’ amazing defense in the 2000s. He contributed significantly to the 2004 championship season, where the Pistons managed to keep the elite Los Angeles Lakers team to 81.8 points per game in the Finals. Playing along with the fact that Walrus could guard multiple positions, block shots, and grab rebounds were the things that made him an outstanding defense player.
Nate Thurmond is often forgotten when we talk about the best of the best, but his influence on the defense is definitely (possible to) ignored. A seven-time All-Star and a five-time member of the All-Defensive Team, Thurmond emerged as one of the first to achieve a quadruple-double in NBA history, indicating his capability to influence the game on both offensive and defensive ends of the court.
The man of the 100, 350 was known for his defense and grabbing rebounds. The opposition’s big men feared him, which was one of the most impressive things about his game. While his offensive performance was great, his ability to defend was what brought him the Hall of Fame status.
Alonzo Mourning’s main character trait was his ability to outlast anything. By playing excellent defense, being impregnable, and the only black football player in his team, Alonzo proved he was here for the long run. The NBA Hall of Fame member, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a seven-time All-Star, appeared to be a player who was among the elite inside the key.
Alonzo was born in Chesapeake, Virginia and when he was a young boy, he liked basketball but alas played his heart out to shine in the career of the NBA. The statistics reveal that he has risen from the original 22nd to the 11th place with 2,356 blocks in the all-time NBA career-blocked-shots list.
He filled his place as the shot-blocker as well as the Heat’s fans who always demanded him to deter opponents first to be able to throw the ball to their best players on offense. His most notable achievement was in 2006 when he propagated the Heat’s victory by providing them with the much-needed playing time when they were failing in the final stage statement.
In his prime years, Dwight Howard was the most dominating defender in his league. The 3-time NBA Defender of the Year, Dwight, additionally claimed five NBA rebounding leader awards and was 2 times a runner-up to the block shot title.
The combination of his athleticism and timing together allowed him to effortlessly protect the paint while his brute force rattled his rivals. Howard was the core of the defense on the Orlando Magic side, which made it to the NBA Finals in the year 2009 having had the most surprisingly successful season. With time, he has been performing at the highest level of defense as he has accumulated over 2,200 blocks and grabbed 14,000 boards.
Patrick Ewing left the NBA a rich legacy as one of the best big men of that period even though his defensive abilities got overshadowed most of the time. When Patrick Ewing was on the court, the threats of physical dominance and the skill of multipurpose playmaking, resulting in his drive to stay in the game, were unmatchable.
The one time Olympic player in two occasions and eleven times All-Star player, Ewing pushed the New York Knicks to make deep playoff runs at different times in his era. His defense in the paint was the most important, and his balanced contribution to the offense made him one of the most versatile centers in the history of the NBA.
Hakeem Olajuwon did not fail to prove that he was both a dominator on the floor as well as an extremely difficult player to face. He acquired both NBA Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA block titles.
His exquisite combination of strength, speed, and body coordination was really rare. In a game full of superstars, his defense was just out of this world. He was also the NBA’s all-time leader in division-leading rejection shots (3,830). Furthermore, his ability to drive to players on the perimeter and at low post along with his speed made him genuine.
The memories of Olajuwon’s legendary defense were vivid when the Houston Rockets ruled the basketball landscape as the league kings in 1994 and 1995 during which he defended and outplayed players like Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Shaquille O’Neal.
David Robinson, also known as “The Admiral,” undoubtedly gave a complete basketball show. The ten-time All-Star and 1995 MVP winner Robinson brought supreme defensive skills equally with his offensive ones.
He was the best defensive player in 1992 and kept the San Antonio Spurs’ defense solid for ten years. The talents of Robison in shot-blocking, rebounding, and perimeter guarding were the reason for which he is one of the most versatile defenders in NBA history. He also was the first adviser of a young Tim Duncan and the root of the future Spur dynasty success.
Tim Duncan’s passive, but resolute look, and this performance on the field are the characteristics that made an indelible impression on the fans of the San Antonio Spurs. Nevertheless, his all-around defense was not only outstanding but also remarkable.
The player who has truly altered the landscapes is Timmy with a 15-time selection of the NBA’s All-Defensive Team. In terms of his outstanding control skills and his impeccable decency, Timmy was the cornerstone of the Spurs’ defense of San Antonio. His defense helped the team bag five championship titles and continuously held the team to the league’s upper echelons in defense. Duncan’s ability to share the ball and his knowledge of the game was a prototype of modern defensive centers.
Bill Russell was an all-time great who left an unmatched impact on the defensive end of the game. He is the first great innovator of the sport to win 11 championship rings and become the defensive king by dominating the game. His method of breaking the shots, handling the board, and passing the ball to his teammates with his outlet passes showed new dimensions of play.
Russell’s on-court IQ and leads in defense were totally unmatched making him the key piece in one of the best sports dynasties ever. Even though there were no tracking statistics for blocks and of young steals in Russell’s time, his defensive impact was the real thing and withstood the years as the perfect model for all the centers.
Lastly About Best NBA Centers Of All Time
The position of the center over the years has changed but their importance on the defensive end is still relevant. From Bill Russell who was an interior force to the move and versatile outlook of Hakeem Olajuwon coupled with the shot-blocking drama Dikembe Mutombo brings out the aspects of a good intimidating big man. This they did by rejecting shots, blocking recipients, grabbing rebounds, and generally enhancing their teams.
As more changes came and are still coming, the presence of those defensive bruisers remind every spectator and follower of the NBA about the importance of a great center to the game.
