Top Defenders in 2023 NBA Draft
Despite how high scoring NBA games are in today’s game, defense is still a very valuable skill to have and it’ll always help you earn minutes and potentially be a closer late in a game. I’ll break down the top defenders into three separate superlatives because there are so many different important skills that go into being a high level defender. To keep it simpler, this is only first round projected prospects included.
Perimeter Defenders
Cason Wallace is the top point of attack defender in the draft. His instincts paired with his great defensive IQ allows him to be a disruptive guard defender. He has the ability to take opposing teams out of their offense due to his tenacity as a defender. He has the strength to bump ball-handlers out of their spots and the lateral quickness to beat them to where they’re trying to go. Wallace has drawn comparisons to Jrue Holiday, Marcus Smart, and Derrick White for a reason.
Anthony Black is an NBA-ready perimeter defender as he has the high feel and size to defend a variety of top tier different ball-handlers in the NBA. He has better measurables than someone like Wallace, just not the same level of discipline. At 6-foot-7 he can bother shorter sized ball-handlers due to his ability to contain ball-handlers off the dribble and size to hurt their court vision. He’s only going to get better defensively. Think of him as a Lonzo Ball type of defender.
Amen Thompson has the best defensive tools in the entire draft amongst all guards. He has his lapses right now but looks to be on the Ben Simmons trajectory to where they were way better defensively in the NBA compared to their pre draft stage. His lateral quickness, size, and great defensive instincts will allow Thompson to be one of the most disruptive defenders in the entire NBA one day. Expect him to rapidly improve as a defender month by month.
Interior Defenders
Victor Wembanyama is one of the most polarizing prospects we’ve ever seen before widely due to his two-way impact. His elite shot-blocking skills and projection as a defender are special. He has unreal size paired with great defensive instincts. He still has to fill out his frame to fill out in a post but it’s incredibly rare to see someone at 7-foot-5 to have the feel for the game and mobility like he does.
Dereck Lively II is the top rim protecting prospect in college basketball. He stands at 7-foot-1 and possesses an incredible 7-foot-8 wingspan which allows him to block or alter almost any shot that comes in the paint. He has vastly improved as a defender from when he first entered college to now so it’s easy to imagine that he’ll continue to improve as a paint defender when Lively gets to the NBA which is scary to think about.
Taylor Hendricks isn’t a center like the other two prospects but it’s his shot-blocking skills, great movement skills at 6-foot-9, and incredibly long arms as he has a 7-foot-2 wingspan makes him the paint defending forward in the draft. Hendricks is a quick leaper getting off the ground and pairing that with some good timing to alter shots inside the paint gives him great upside as an interior defender.
Versatile Defenders
Ausar Thompson is one of the best defensive prospects in the entire draft. He has the quickness and ability to defend ball-handlers at a high level while also switching onto forwards due to his size and length. He’s a stock monster as he lives in the passing lanes and is the best shot-blocking guard prospect I’ve ever seen due to his incredible vertical pop, instincts, and timing. He reminds a lot of scouts of Andrew Wiggins.
Jarace Walker has an NBA ready frame as he currently weighs in at 240 pounds and stands at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. His NBA ready physical tools and all-around athleticism gives him some ridiculous defensive upside. He can switch onto quicker guards late in the shot clock and has the ability to defend two through four at a high level. Walker doesn’t flip his hips incredibly quick but solid enough to guard out in space.
Rayan Rupert is one of the most intriguing defensive prospects in the entire draft. He’s a wing defender that stands at 6-foot-6 but has an unreal 7-foot-3 wingspan which gives him the upside to be an elite defensive playmaker in the passing lanes and on the ball. He has the ability to defend up and down any given lineup. He has drawn a ton of comparisons to an elite NBA defender in Matisse Thybulle.
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