Greatest Defensive Team

of the guys you have actually watched play, who would be your top 5 defenders if you were putting a team together.

this squad could pretty much switch everything, would leave no rebound unturned, have plenty of length,e tc.

rodman
pippen
dwight
lebron
payton

honorable mention:
artest
hakeem

the best defensive team that comes to my mind

the 2003-2004 detroit pistons

That Piston team got alot of "pass" from the league trying to get rid of the Lakers... Bad Boys version I think were better.Mahorn, Rodman, Salley Laimbeer and Dumars

C: Abdul-Jabbar
PF: Rodman
SF: Pippen
SG: Jordan
PG: Payton

I would replace MJ w/ Moncrief but I have never watched him play...

KareemTheGreat33 wrote:That Piston team got alot of "pass" from the league trying to get rid of the Lakers... Bad Boys version I think were better.Mahorn, Rodman, Salley Laimbeer and Dumars

they were ridiculously good on D that season

they had like 4-5 games in a row where they held their opponent under 70 points! that is just crazy and unheard of

Pig Miller wrote:of the guys you have actually watched play, who would be your top 5 defenders if you were putting a team together.

this squad could pretty much switch everything, would leave no rebound unturned, have plenty of length,e tc.

rodman
pippen
dwight
lebron
payton

honorable mention:
artest
hakeem

Like most of your team but I can't understand why LeBron is on that list? Also, if we're taking these guys in their primes I would choose Artest and Olajuwon over LeBron and D12.

Pig Miller wrote:of the guys you have actually watched play, who would be your top 5 defenders if you were putting a team together.

this squad could pretty much switch everything, would leave no rebound unturned, have plenty of length,e tc.

rodman
pippen
dwight
lebron
payton

honorable mention:
artest
hakeem

The greatest offensive team:
Kobe
Pau
Howard
Nash
Artest

You know how much each complements each other on paper? We'd dominate everyone.... no one would be able to touch us.

The current Lakers team.

V1n5anity wrote:The current Lakers team.

against second graders

C: Hakeem
PF: Rodman
SF: Pippen
SG: Jordan
PG: Payton

Any team D'Antoni coaches.

You think just how the Bulls won 72 games in 1996 and you look at what MJ, Pippen Rodman were capable of on the defensive end and it's not that hard to believe anymore. Three of the greatest defenders ever on one team. That's a scary sight.

Lets Go Lakers wrote:C: Hakeem
PF: Rodman
SF: Pippen
SG: Jordan
PG: Payton

Hard to argue against this team.

C: Hakeem
PF: Rodman
SF: Ron Artest
SG: Michael Cooper
PG: Gary Payton

Defensively, prime Artest or Pippen?

Punk-101 wrote:Defensively, prime Artest or Pippen?

Pippen was more versatile. Artest was more visceral.

When you're surrounded by other great defensive players, versatility isn't as important IMO.

revgen wrote:

Punk-101 wrote:Defensively, prime Artest or Pippen?

Pippen was more versatile. Artest was more visceral.

When you're surrounded by other great defensive players, versatility isn't as important IMO.

True.

Artest can definitely bang with any SF and push them around, something Pip couldn't do. But give me Pippen. He could cover so much ground and with his long arms, he was a beast. It was only when Pip started guarding Magic full court during the finals when the series changed. He made Magic much less effective cause Magic had to work so hard just to get the offense set.

Punk-101 wrote:Defensively, prime Artest or Pippen?

Prime: Artest
Career: Pippen

John3:16 wrote:

Punk-101 wrote:Defensively, prime Artest or Pippen?

Prime: Artest
Career: Pippen

Damn that's close too...

I think the thing is in their primes it's really close, probably an edge to Artest. But over their careers it's not close to me and it's Pippen.

Pippen was a better all around defender, but in one-on-one situations, Artest might be one of the best to ever play the game. One-on-one the dude is amazing.

Big Mamma Jamma wrote:

Pig Miller wrote:of the guys you have actually watched play, who would be your top 5 defenders if you were putting a team together.

this squad could pretty much switch everything, would leave no rebound unturned, have plenty of length,e tc.

rodman
pippen
dwight
lebron
payton

honorable mention:
artest
hakeem

Like most of your team but I can't understand why LeBron is on that list? Also, if we're taking these guys in their primes I would choose Artest and Olajuwon over LeBron and D12.

I like lebron's versatility as a defender. can defend PGs all the way to centers, is arguably as strong as artest, certainly quicker. also, i think lebron plays passing lanes better.

i love hakeem as a player and defender, but i think dwight is better on pick and rolls, and a more intimidating shot better (maybe not more effective). i also see d12 as a slightly better rebounder.

i'd even be happy to swap our payton with jordan. then positions 1-3 can always just switch. no fighting through screens.

i love payton's on ball defense and tenacity, and quick hands.

Lets Go Lakers wrote:

revgen wrote:

Punk-101 wrote:Defensively, prime Artest or Pippen?

Pippen was more versatile. Artest was more visceral.

When you're surrounded by other great defensive players, versatility isn't as important IMO.

True.

Artest can definitely bang with any SF and push them around, something Pip couldn't do. But give me Pippen. He could cover so much ground and with his long arms, he was a beast. It was only when Pip started guarding Magic full court during the finals when the series changed. He made Magic much less effective cause Magic had to work so hard just to get the offense set.

Although Pippen was not as strong as Artest, he could definately bang with the best of them when needed. Look up the youtube clips of Pippen putting the clamps down on Barkley during the 93-94 season. Amazing stuff. Plus, Pippen could cover so much ground he was a nuisance to any opposing PG trying to set up the offense. Stockton admitted after the 98 Finals that Pippen was THE most difficult aspect in regards to playing the Bulls, and that was because of his defense alone.

My take:

Pippen
Jordan
Artest
Rodman
Olajuwon