# [BDL] The top 10 best defenders of the last decade



## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

> *2. Shane Battier*
> 
> If you watch this guy, on any given possession, you'll understand. Just take your eye off the ball and watch Battier work — the guy acts as if he's in his own reality show, as if the cameras were on him for the entire 24-second turn, even if his man never gets the ball, while appearing deathly allergic to letting people down. Battier just does everything right. It may not mean he'll get the rebound, block or steal — and his guy might still nail the shot — but I've never seen someone pitch as many perfect games defensively.


Linkage


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

This list is whack. Ben Wallace should be #1. That's a slap in the face to have Battier over him. (and over guys like Duncan too).

Battier's best DWS season is 105th best in the decade, and his best D-Rtg season is 305th best of the decade. Wallace has top honors in both.

Not too hate on Battier, because he's a solid player. But I don't like how Wallace's defense in his prime is so underrated.


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## Spaceman Spiff (Aug 2, 2006)

Ben Wallace in his prime is overrated. He's a weakside helper.


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## mtlk (Apr 25, 2005)

So Shane is batter than Ron.:smackalot:


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

Spaceman Spiff said:


> Ben Wallace in his prime is overrated. He's a weakside helper.


A weakside help defender who put up the best season based on D-Rtg for a player who played 24+ minutes a game, who had the best DWS season since 1973, and who had the best postseason ever based on D-Rtg.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

BG7 said:


> Battier's best DWS season is 105th best in the decade, and his best D-Rtg season is 305th best of the decade. Wallace has top honors in both.


That is not the right way of looking at it. 

Individual defensive rating and defensive win shares are not a very good measure of defensive ability. Every big man on those Pistons teams had great defensive ratings. Hence why Darko has one of the best single-season defensive ratings of all time. There have been numerous examples of players on great defensive teams having defensive ratings that exaggerate their defensive prowess.

Ben Wallace was a great defender. Better than Battier. But his post defense wasn't great. Duncan offered considerably better post defense and was a safer help defender. Wallace was a better pick and roll defender and was slightly better at protecting the rim.

The list in the article overrates Battier, Snow and Hinrich, underrates Duncan and Bowen, and completely forgets about Rasheed, Payton, Christie and Kirilenko (though obviously not everyone can make the 10).


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