2016 NBA Draft: Ranking The Draft’s Best Big Man Defenders
By Don Yates
An introduction to defense as the most important skill in draft prospects and a look at the 2016 NBA Draft class of big men defenders.
Defense is arguably the most significant skill for which to look in draft prospects across the board.
That is, defense is the most important singular skill, as opposed to shooting, passing, or slashing; even though “offense” is the antithesis of defense, defense is treated as just one of the four primary skill categories.
And while offense altogether may be more important than defense (especially in point guards, most notably), the fact that we as fans treat is as just roughly 25 percent of the total picture, when in actuality it is much closer to 50 percent, is certainly something that can be exploited when going against the grain.
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And even if we realize that defense is the most important trait to have for prospects, we still need to correct our methods if future top-five defenders in the NBA are falling to No. 35 and beyond in the draft.
But enough about the holes in consensus thinking; let’s get under way.
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