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Perimeter defending in the NBA isn't an easy task, especially with players constantly evolving their approach to the game offensively.
Very few players have the footwork, hustle, reaction time and basketball IQ to be the perfect perimeter defender. More often than not, though, their work goes unnoticed. Perimeter defenders are rarely considered in the reckoning for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
But that trend might soon change. Players like Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons and Jrue Holiday, to name a few, are some of the elite defenders in the game and are finally getting the appreciation they rightfully deserve.
The players mentioned above are rising up the ladder to become some of the best. However, they still have to achieve a significant body of work before they can challenge some of the greatest perimeter defenders.
On that note, let's look at the greatest perimeter defenders in NBA history.
The best perimeter defenders in NBA history
#5 Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard continues to increase his standing as one of the greatest defenders to play the game. The "Klaw" started his league career primarily as a defender before turning himself into one of the best two-way players in the NBA.
Kawhi has made three All-NBA defensive first and second teams each. He has also won two back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards. He led the league in steals in 2015, tallying 148 in 64 games, averaging 2.31 per game.
His ability to catch players off-guard, fundamentals and his incredible wing-span and long hands make him a lethal defensive player on the perimeter. It also allows him to guard players of all sizes and use his defensive reactions in the best way possible. Kawhi's ability to read plays and come up clutch on the defensive end will surely rank him as an all-time top-three defender when he decides to call time on his career.
#4 Chris Paul
Chris Paul is one of the most intelligent players to have played in the NBA. His ability to organize his team on both ends of the floor is still as effective as when he made his debut in 2005.
CP3 has averaged 2 steals per contest in his career. Despite being a diminutive figure, he has used his high basketball IQ in the most effective way possible. The way he takes the physical challenge against younger point guards even at 36 years of age is still remarkable. His reading of the game enables him to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.
Paul's defensive prowess has earned him seven All-Defensive first-teams and two All-Defensive second-team selections. The "Point-God" has led the league in steals six times and is fifth on the all-time steals leaders in the NBA (2,330 steals).
#3 Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan was appreciated for his unparalleled offensive game, but that doesn't change the fact that he was one of the most fierce perimeter defenders of all time. Jordan was aggressive, fast, and a physically dominant player in his prime.
Much like all the players mentioned on this list, Jordan was a great student of the game. He knew how his opponents played individually and as a team, which allowed him to dominate them on both ends of the floor.
Michael Jordan won the NBA DPOY award in 1988 and earned nine straight All-Defensive First Team selections. He also led the league thrice in steals. He is currently number three on the all-time list for most steals made by a player in the NBA (2,514).
#2 Scottie Pippen
Regarded as Michael Jordan's "sidekick," Scottie Pippen was a beast on the defensive end. He was often tasked with guarding the opponent's top scorer and, more often than not, was highly successful in limiting them.
Scottie Pippen had the size, strength, footwork and all other defensive attributes to be a solid perimeter stopper. Like Jordan, Pippen was a great reader of the game and his opponents, giving him the upper hand while guarding them in crunch situations.
Although Pippen was always regarded as one of the best defensive players of his time, he never won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Nonetheless, he earned eight NBA All-Defensive first teams and two All-Defensive second-team selections in a ten-year span. He has 2,307 career steals, the seventh-highest in NBA history.
#1 Gary Payton
Gary Payton, to date, is regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in NBA history. The former Seattle Supersonics guard was bold and never shied away from challenging the best player on the opposition team. A prime example is when he took on the challenge of guarding Michael Jordan during the 1996 NBA finals.
Few players stood up to Jordan in his prime. However, not only did Payton take up the challenge, but he was also successful in his own right. Payton wasn't assigned to guard MJ in the first three games of the finals series, which the Bulls won comfortably.
However, in the next three games, Payton was tasked with limiting Jordan and he did so with great effect, with the Sonics winning two of the three games. Payton's team eventually lost game six of the finals and, therefore, the series.
Gary Payton won his only Defensive Player of the Year award the same year while leading the league in steals (235 steals, 2.8 per game). He also made nine straight All-Defensive First teams between 1994 and 2002. He ranks fourth on all-time steals in the NBA, with 2,445 to his name.
