In this current era of NBA basketball, it’s all about who can shoot and dominate on the offensive end of the court. The days of lockdown defenders have disappeared and been replaced by terms like, “it’s a make or miss league.” With all the scoring we’ve seen this season, that’s all it is. Boston recently gave up 150 points to the OKC Thunder, and the Celtics are one of the association’s best defensive teams. And that was 150 points yielded to OKC without their best player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is averaging over 30 points per game. The night before that Thunderous outburst by OKC, Donovan Mitchell dropped a career-high 71 points on the Bulls.

With that said, there are still a few guys who make their living on the defensive end and even some who are considered two-way mavens. Although defense has become a lost art in some respects, these players exemplify what all NBA players should strive for on defense. But it’s not all based on stats. There’s also heart, hustle, leadership, and the eye test.