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Ranking the five greatest defenders in NBA history

By Craig Cochran

MEMPHIS, TN - DECEMBER 10: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors has the ball stolen by Tony Allen #9 of the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedExForum on December 10, 2016 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - DECEMBER 10: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors has the ball stolen by Tony Allen #9 of the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedExForum on December 10, 2016 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Scottie Pippen, Chicago Bulls
NBA (Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dani) /

Scottie Pippen

Reasoning: Unanimously referred to as the best perimeter defender of all-time.

Though Scottie Pippen may not have played in an era riddled with high-scoring forwards, he is unanimously believed to be the greatest wing stopper basketball has ever known.

As far as physical traits are concerned, there could not be a more perfectly constructed human being to shadow an opposing teams’ best player. Standing at a muscular 6-foot-8 and boasting a ridiculous 7-foot-3 wingspan, Pippen might as well have been created in a basketball laboratory. With impressive physical strength to boot with that pterodactyl-esque length, opposing offensive players had a better chance of getting a floater over Dikembe Mutombo than they did dribbling around Scottie Pippen.

Physicality aside, what made Pippen such an impressive defender was his ability to guard quicker guards and larger forwards as effectively as he did wings. On each of the Chicago Bulls’ six championship-winning teams, Scottie’s job was simple: Guard the opposing team’s best player to provide Michael Jordan with some much-needed energy conservation.

Pippen would relish in the opportunity to take those challenges in stride, matching up against Magic Johnson in 1991, Clyde Drexler in 1992, a healthy combination of Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, and Dan Majerle in 1993, Shawn Kemp and the occasional Gary Payton in 1996, and a dosage of both John Stockton and Karl Malone in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals. Though he may not have fully locked down each of these all-time greats, he drastically slowed them down enough to allow the Chicago Bulls to win six titles in eight years.

Despite failing to win the coveted Defensive Player of the Year award, Scottie Pippen ranks 18th all-time in Defensive Win Shares and averaged two steals per game throughout his entire career, achieving the impressive feat on six separate occasions. Pippen also managed to make eight consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team honors (1992-1999 and two Second Team honors (1991, 2000) to account for 10 total All-Defensive honors—an honor held by only five other players.

If Scottie Pippen isn’t exactly what you imagine when the words “prototypical perimeter defender” are uttered, then perhaps you don’t know basketball as well as you once believed.