Greatest shot blocker in each NBA team’s history

Best shot blocker in Utah Jazz history: Mark Eaton

Mark Eaton was such an interesting player during his time in the NBA, who really only focused on one side of the ball. Unlike a good amount of players who only focus on getting buckets, Eaton’s mind was always geared towards the defensive end.

He stood at a whopping 7-foot-4, an outlier of sorts among the league’s centers, but nonetheless a terrifying inside presence. Eaton didn’t even really have to get off the ground to block a shot much less affect one. It’s already pretty difficult to score on NBA big men, but on a guy with those few extra inches? Even the best of scorers either have to get creative or laughably lucky.

Looking at his blocks per game, Eaton was extremely effective, averaging 3.5 per game over a decade-long career. This included two seasons in which he posted over four a game and his career-high topping out at 5.6, which he achieved during the 1984-85 season.

To put that number into perspective, Eaton alone would’ve ranked 11th in the league last season in blocks per game, a truly unbelievable feat.

At that size, he was also a magnet for rebounds. They pretty much just fell into his lap more often than not. Even if opponents did attempt to box him out, his 275-pound frame could easily bump them out of the picture.

He averaged just 6.0 points a night for his career, seemingly understanding his value to the Utah Jazz and their success lied in doing the dirty work others wouldn’t. With two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and five All-Defensive Team selections, Eaton seemed to have taken advantage of his gifts quite well.