PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

[bo.jangles344]

You guessed it!

Against the top 5 offensive players in history.

Stack them up, by position, and tell me whether you think they would win a 7 game series.

Then tell me if you think that would be even half way as true with the top 5 defensive and offensive players with 2ks rosters in a 7 game series in patch 4 of this year's game.

I'll give you a hint: most of the offensive players in nba history have had a long list of decent to great defenders. If you gave me Scottie pippen in today's league instead of Jordan I'm not so sure he'd be the same player, hand checks aside. Essentially what I'm getting at is that the best defenders in history often had to be good on both sides of the ball in order to win championships. Period. A well rounded game is almost essential to make it in the pros. Can we please get a little love on the other side of the ball this year? Thx.

[Shady Mike]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

Team 1 in 5...

Defense
Payton
Jordan
Pippen
Chamberlain
Russell

VS

Offense
Iverson
Bryant
Durant / James (I personally think Durant is a better scorer than LeBron)
Malone
Olajuwan

[bo.jangles344]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

Team 1 in 5...

Defense
Payton
Jordan
Pippen
Chamberlain
Russell

VS

Offensef
Iverson
Bryant
Durant / James (I personally think Durant is a better scorer than LeBron)
Malone
Olajuwan

Irl, with everyone in their prime? Yeah i see that. On 2k tho, Jordan might be the only one to save you. Lol that second line up is beasty. Lol

Ai at the 1 with those teammates? Good god.

[PandaPower2k]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

Based on most NBA All-Defensive Team appearences, my top defensive team would be:

Payton
Jordan
Pippen
Garnett
Duncan

And in my opinion, this line up would beat any team IR and in game too.

It's not much different than my defense oriented team I've been playing in the 1st seed:

Sapphire Big O
Sapphire Paul George
Onyx Dr. J
Gold Lebron
Ruby Mutombo

Defense is the best offense in this game, and IRL.

[Real2KInsider]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

Team 1 in 5...

Defense
Payton
Jordan
Pippen
Chamberlain
Russell

VS

Offense
Iverson
Bryant
Durant / James (I personally think Durant is a better scorer than LeBron)
Malone
Olajuwan

Iverson a top 5 offensive player

LOLOL

At Point Guard

LOLOOLOLOL Defensive team sweeps
In a 20 game series

[HowDareI]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

Iverson a top 5 offensive player

LOLOL

At Point Guard

LOLOOLOLOL Defensive team sweeps
In a 20 game series

27 ppg average for his career, who else is a better scorer Jerry West? Sorry but I don't see that.

[MrWrestling3]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

27 ppg average for his career, who else is a better scorer Jerry West? Sorry but I don't see that.

Even at that, you can make a case for Jerry West being on the either team,the man was All-NBA Defensive First Team four times.

[HowDareI]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

Even at that, you can make a case for Jerry West being on the either team,the man was All-NBA Defensive First Team four times.

Jerry West was (obviously) really good, but the game's changed a lot and I don't think (personally) a guy like West would have the athleticism to cover players in today's game.

[MrWrestling3]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

Jerry West was (obviously) really good, but the game's changed a lot and I don't think (personally) a guy like West would have the athleticism to cover players in today's game.

True, maybe in of foot speed,would still be hard to shoot over though, he definitely had hops.....something like an 11'6" vertical.

I guess it's hard to say as some of those guys were known for their hustle and work ethic (just as some guys as now), would be interesting to see if they could adapt.

[8KB24]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

pg - Curry
sg - Kobe
sf - MJ
pf - Duncan
c - Shaq

v

pg - Payton
sg - MJ
sf - Pippen
pf - Rodman
c - Wilt (would put russell but he'd get eaten alive by shaq)

[QNo]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

pg - Curry
sg - Kobe
sf - MJ
pf - Duncan
c - Shaq

v

pg - Payton
sg - MJ
sf - Pippen
pf - Rodman
c - Wilt (would put russell but he'd get eaten alive by shaq)

If Russell could sort-of defend Wilt, he could also sort-of defend Shaq. I would either put Wilt/Russell or Kareem/Wilt in there. I really like your selection otherwise, though I'd probably put a stretch 4 in there as that floor spacing will really help the offense. So Dirk might be more useful than Duncan in this context, even though he's not as good as Duncan.

[8KB24]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

If Russell could sort-of defend Wilt, he could also sort-of defend Shaq. I would either put Wilt/Russell or Kareem/Wilt in there. I really like your selection otherwise, though I'd probably put a stretch 4 in there as that floor spacing will really help the offense. So Dirk might be more useful than Duncan in this context, even though he's not as good as Duncan.

Wilt still put up 2k-like numbers..it's that he couldn't involve his teammates what hurt his teams. Shaq in 01 would destroy Russell during his prime

[QNo]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

Wilt still put up 2k-like numbers..it's that he couldn't involve his teammates what hurt his teams. Shaq in 01 would destroy Russell during his prime

I fully disagree with this claim, Wilt was a phenomenal passer and the only C who ever lead the league in assists. He was also stronger and faster than Shaq and had way more post-moves. I like Simmons but not everything he writes is true. But this thread isn't about that so let's not digress.

[ronyell]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

first let me say that i LOVE this thread!

Offense:
Stephen Curry
Michael Jordan
Lebron James
Larry Bird
Hakeem Olajuwon

VS

Defense:
Gary Payton
Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen
Dennis Rodman (Kevin Garnett could easily go here as well)
Ben Wallace

i made my offensive list based on what i consider the most impossible to guard at their position & i made my defensive list based on ability & not necessarily the matchup

[bo.jangles344]

Re: PERSPECTIVE: Top 5 defensive players in NBA history vs...

My point in making this thread, I'm still on my phone so my formatting isn't great.

IRL(all in their prime) top 5 O vs D. best of 7, who wins?

Then ask the same in 2k.

I think the best offensive players in 2k would win in a 7 game series, but in real life and in the current nba rules i think the 5 best defensive players of all time would win almost 100% of the time.

This was prompted by someone saying that the cavs were a better defensive team than the warriors because they were bigger. I argued that they had some of the best defensive wings in the league in Oakland and that's the reason why they won having all their best defenders out there at the same time.