Can great defense beat great offense? How would you score on this team? (Basketball)

[Costanza]

Examples of offensive lineups to counter:
Curry, Klay, KD, KG, Jokic
Kyrie, Kobe, Tatum, LeBron, Embiid
CP3, Ray Allen, Durant, Duncan, Shaq
Magic, MJ, Bird, Malone, Wilt

Of course, you can cheat by focusing on two-way players but the question is:

Is it possible to build a team based PURELY on defense that would beat a great team based PURELY on offense?​

 

[Al Smith]

nah.. my defensive 5 would be:

1. Rodman
2. Ben Wallace
3. The glove
4. Dikembe Mutombo
5. Hakeem

 

[Costanza]

nah.. my defensive 5 would be:

1. Rodman
2. Ben Wallace
3. The glove
4. Dikembe Mutombo
5. Hakeem

This looks more like a top 5 list than a team.

Magic, MJ, Bird, Malone, Wilt​

Who is guarding MJ with this 5?

Curry, Klay, KD, KG, Jokic
Kyrie, Kobe, Tatum, LeBron, Embiid
CP3, Ray Allen, Durant, Duncan, Shaq​

Who is guarding Kobe, Klay or Ray?

 

[Costanza]

nah.. my defensive 5 would be:

1. Rodman
2. Ben Wallace
3. The glove
4. Dikembe Mutombo
5. Hakeem

This looks more like a top 5 list than a team.

Magic, MJ, Bird, Malone, Wilt​

Who is guarding MJ with this 5?

Curry, Klay, KD, KG, Jokic
Kyrie, Kobe, Tatum, LeBron, Embiid
CP3, Ray Allen, Durant, Duncan, Shaq​

Who is guarding Kobe, Klay or Ray?

Maybe Rodman at SG would be the ultimate example of all defense vs all offense.

I didn’t see early Rodman so hard for me to say.



I still think Al’s team is too big— you could pick a much better player at the 3 than Ben Wallace.

 

[Al Smith]

Both Rodman and Wallace would create havoc on shooting guards through centers. The glove would handle the point guards and the Dream and Mr. No-No-No would guard the paint, both strong and week side. People seem to forget that Wallace could handle all power forwards and centers in the post due to his strength and quickness. Rodman is a taller version of Wallace with more athletic ability..

 

[Pworld297]

No Bill Russell?

 

[Costanza]

No Bill Russell?

You think he was the best defensive center of all time?

Reminder that this is not a “best career” list but just picking your team.

I didn’t see Prime Hakeem. But I have been watching pro basketball for almost 30 years and, I know it seems wild because he’s only played three years but I’m going with the only unanimous DPOY ever, Victor Wembanyama.

I’ve never seen a better defensive center than him right now.

 

[Walter Panov]

Rodman, Pippen, MJ, Hakeem, Ben Wallace, Tim Duncan, John Stockton, Bill Rusell, Lebron James, Jason Kidd, are all up there
Get the overrated glove out that list. He's not even top 5 defensive point guard.

 

[Costanza]

Rodman, Pippen, MJ, Hakeem, Ben Wallace, Tim Duncan, John Stockton, Bill Rusell, Lebron James, Jason Kidd, are all up there
Get the overrated glove out that list. He's not even top 5 defensive point guard.

Duncan was never DPOY. I don’t think he was as good of a defender as Draymond.

Do you think Hakeem was ever as valuable defensively as Wembanyama is right now?

 

[Walter Panov]

Duncan was never DPOY. I don’t think he was as good of a defender as Draymond.

Do you think Hakeem was ever as valuable defensively as Wembanyama is right now?

Duncan better than Draymond, yes. Duncan was simply at another level. Draymond was just a good defensive player. And Wembanyama's too young to say if he'll be better than Hakeem. I honestly don't see it yet. Manute Bol got a lot of blocks but that doesn't mean he's was a great defensive player.

 

[Costanza]

Draymond was just a good defensive player.

I’m guessing you did not see him lock down Wemby and Kawhi this year. He’s past his prime now and I don’t think you could say that if you saw those games. Draymond is easily top ten all-time.

 

[Costanza]

And Wembanyama's too young to say if he'll be better than Hakeem. I honestly don't see it yet. Manute Bol got a lot of blocks but that doesn't mean he's was a great defensive player.

Nobody has ever deterred players from driving into the paint like Wemby. It’s straight up comical watching it.

Wemby is obviously too young to put ahead of Hakeem on an all-time list. But I doubt Hakeem was ever as valuable defensively as he is right now.

The distinction I’m making is similar to how some people say LeBron has had the greatest basketball career ever but MJ or someone else is the GOAT. Three years is too little to qualify for career discussions. But just looking at the games, it is clear to me that no big man in my time watching basketball impacts the game defensively like Wemby does. It isn’t even close.

 

[Walter Panov]

Nobody has ever deterred players from driving into the paint like Wemby. It’s straight up comical watching it.

Wemby is obviously too young to put ahead of Hakeem on an all-time list. But I doubt Hakeem was ever as valuable defensively as he is right now.

The distinction I’m making is similar to how some people say LeBron has had the greatest basketball career ever but MJ or someone else is the GOAT. Three years is too little to qualify for career discussions. But just looking at the games, it is clear to me that no big man in my time watching basketball impacts the game defensively like Wemby does. It isn’t even close.

And that's who Duncan was. Draymond guards one player. Duncan guarded everybody. So did Hakeem.

 

[Costanza]

And that's who Duncan was. Draymond guards one player. Duncan guarded everybody. So did Hakeem.

Would you describe them as lockdown defenders?

I don’t remember Duncan that way.

 

[Pworld297]

You think he was the best defensive center of all time?

Reminder that this is not a “best career” list but just picking your team.

I didn’t see Prime Hakeem. But I have been watching pro basketball for almost 30 years and, I know it seems wild because he’s only played three years but I’m going with the only unanimous DPOY ever, Victor Wembanyama.

I’ve never seen a better defensive center than him right now.

I didn't see Russell play but from everything I've heard, he was a hell of a defensive player and could have played in any era.

 

[Costanza]

“Yo Bron, stop it bro. You ain’t ever had to check nobody bro. His biggest defensive plays are the chase down blocks. That’s his biggest thing. He was sayin he could’ve got Marc Gasol’s award… I didn’t think not one time LeBron deserved that. If Marc didn’t get it, I should’ve got it. To see him say for his legacy he should’ve got that award, I’m saying to myself ‘bro every game you came in, you was the hunted. You was the guy.’ All you did was a couple chase down blocks a game. Name somebody that he had to lock up and get the win? He’s so hyped up because of the chase down blocks. — He locked up Paul Pierce? We made that man go to Miami! The decision started… You ain’t no defensive player. You the GOAT in basketball but not defense”

 

[Costanza]

 

[Costanza]

 

[doug777]

I'd like to see an All-Star game between the best offensive team vs best defensive team.

 

[Coldchi]

I don't know of no player that limited their opponent to 0 points.
Everyone gets scored on........everyone.

 

[PlayerR]

Nobody has ever deterred players from driving into the paint like Wemby. It’s straight up comical watching it.

Wemby is obviously too young to put ahead of Hakeem on an all-time list. But I doubt Hakeem was ever as valuable defensively as he is right now.

The distinction I’m making is similar to how some people say LeBron has had the greatest basketball career ever but MJ or someone else is the GOAT. Three years is too little to qualify for career discussions. But just looking at the games, it is clear to me that no big man in my time watching basketball impacts the game defensively like Wemby does. It isn’t even close.

WTF are you smoking? Yes Wemby gets blocks, but he'd get folded up & hurt if they played 80's. 90's, early 2000's ball. Dream played top tier defense & could play both finesse & physical ball. Wemby got exposed by the Knicks.

 

[Costanza]

WTF are you smoking? Yes Wemby gets blocks, but he'd get folded up & hurt if they played 80's. 90's, early 2000's ball. Dream played top tier defense & could play both finesse & physical ball. Wemby got exposed by the Knicks.

Are you one of those guys who claim Curry couldn’t play in the 90s, too?

 

[Flawless]

The fuck is Draymond doing on there?

 

[Costanza]

Shawn Marion says he was a way better defender than Draymond Green and the only player in NBA history who could guard one through five for an entire game

“We talk about versatile defenders, and Draymond, I love his tenacity, love his energy, love his heart, but I still think I was a way better defender than he was. The reason I say that is because when I had to guard point guards, I guarded you for the whole game. It wasn’t no few minutes here and there or trying to spare somebody. I locked in with you guys for the whole game. Most guys ain’t doing that”

“It’s way simpler for guys to just switch every possession. Everybody switches now. I can guard somebody for a quarter. It’s easy to do that. Guard that guy for the whole game, though. Most guys are not doing that. I’m the only person ever in NBA history to do that. Only person. Nobody guarded one through five the whole game”

 

[Costanza]

The fuck is Draymond doing on there?

You don’t know ball.

 

[Flawless]

This is when content creators try to hype some shitty ass player because they know people will go wtf and give him views.

 

[Costanza]

Shawn Marion says he was a way better defender than Draymond Green and the only player in NBA history who could guard one through five for an entire game

“We talk about versatile defenders, and Draymond, I love his tenacity, love his energy, love his heart, but I still think I was a way better defender than he was. The reason I say that is because when I had to guard point guards, I guarded you for the whole game. It wasn’t no few minutes here and there or trying to spare somebody. I locked in with you guys for the whole game. Most guys ain’t doing that”

“It’s way simpler for guys to just switch every possession. Everybody switches now. I can guard somebody for a quarter. It’s easy to do that. Guard that guy for the whole game, though. Most guys are not doing that. I’m the only person ever in NBA history to do that. Only person. Nobody guarded one through five the whole game”

 

[380snubnose]

point guard- penny hardaway or magic..they can see over Gary payton..or post him up..

shooting guard- jordan..nuff said.

small forward- I would go with Grant hill.. not after the injury grant..the before the injury grant..

power forward- garnett

center- Hakeem the dream

 

[Costanza]

 

[Simply Sickenin']

That's a solid list, but it would still come down to whichever eras rules they're playing under.

With how the game is currently geared for offense players to get fouls on nearly every play, that team would be hamstrung the 1st time they play a foul batter like Harden or SGA.

 

[Costanza]

My top 10 greatest defenders of all time:

1. Bill Russell: revolutionized the game of defense as a whole
2. Hakeem Olajuwon: all time blocks leader and elite room protection
3.Tim Duncan: 15x all defense, an anchor to the spurs dynasty
4. Dennis Rodman: 7x rebounding champion at 6’8. Elite lockdown defender
5. Ben Wallace
6. Dikembe mutombo
7. Kevin Garnett
8.David Robinson
9. Kawhi leonard
10.Scottie pippen

 

[blaze]

point guard- penny hardaway or magic..they can see over Gary payton..or post him up..

shooting guard- jordan..nuff said.

small forward- I would go with Grant hill.. not after the injury grant..the before the injury grant..

power forward- garnett

center- Hakeem the dream

Imma let you have your opinion, but Grant Hill over Bron for the 3?

 

[380snubnose]

Imma let you have your opinion, but Grant Hill over Bron for the 3?

Brah what i need lebron for..I have magic or penny..
What can lebron do to break down a defense brah..
He's not a knock down shooter...his back to the basket game is trash..and he can't dribble and break down a lock down defender..thats been proven..
Grant Hill before the injury was the second coming of jordan..if u never seen him on Detroit piston u wouldn't know..he can shoot..drive.. pass..lightening first step..
What I need lebron for...he's first team flopamerican..I dont have a spot for him on my team

 

[Costanza]