NBA 2018-19: Top 5 lockdown defenders from last season

While scoring is the most glamorous in basketball, defense is what usually gives players and teams the edge to win games. If a team is able to score the basketball but not defend, they would keep trading buckets and fail to pull ahead. The NBA's best teams, more often than not, have elite defenders who bolster their team and put them in a better position to execute offensively.

Throughout the 2018/19 season, several players emerged as elite defenders for their respective sides - including Marcus Smart, Khris Middleton, Lonzo Ball and Ben Simmons. However, there were those who stood out even among the aforementioned players. So without further ado, here's a look at the best lockdown defenders over the past season:

#5 Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard defends Giannis Antetokounmpo

The reigning Finals MVP had a great defensive year en route to his second championship with the Toronto Raptors. Through 60 games, Kawhi Leonard averaged 1.8 steals and 0.4 blocks per game - with a total of 106 steals and 24 blocks during the regular season.

It all starts with his basketball IQ: Kawhi has a great understanding of the game and is able to anticipate plays before they happen. With the ability to read the offense, he's able to guard all five positions on court which allows him to switch on everything.

With a 7'3 wingspan on a 6'6 frame, he's able to disrupt offensive players as they make a move or pick up their dribble. He also has an excellent vertical leap and massive hands which earned him The Klaw nickname. Kawhi puts all of these physical gifts to use through a classic defensive stance, which he uses almost every time down the floor.

In recent years, Leonard has developed a strong offensive game too which compliments his defense well, making him one of the league's best two-way players today. The fact he has more career steals (829) than personal fouls (723) reiterates just how good a defender he is.

#4 Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday has made a name for himself through guarding opposing guards. Having always been a strong defender, his versatility is on full display in the modern-day NBA with most not realising just how strong Holiday is for his size.

An elite defender around the perimeter, the 29-year-old is extremely quick on his feet which allows him to stay with almost any other guard across the league. When matched with players his size, he's able to easily play the passing lanes to come up with steals or deflections. When beaten, it allows him to recover and contest shots - making him a tough matchup for anyone on the wing.

His strength, however, is what makes him stand out from other guards. While his size allows him to defend shooting guards, his strength makes him able to defend small forwards and occasionally power forwards too.

Having a weapon such as this on the defensive end allows the New Orleans Pelicans to willingly switch on screens while managing to get stops at the end of the possession. All these attributes allowed Holiday to average 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks through 67 games for the Pels last season.

#3 Draymond Green

Draymond Green defending Danny Green tightly

Draymond Green was heavily criticised for his lack of offensive productivity last season. However, the power forward still remained on the floor in crucial moments because Steve Kerr understood his defensive importance.

Throughout the last few years, Green has been the defensive backbone for the Golden State Warriors. With the ability to defend all five positions on the floor, he's a better shot blocker than most give him credit for. In the 18/19 campaign, he averaged 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

During the season, he constantly used his size and length on the perimeter to get into passing lanes and poke the ball out of opponent hands. Using his excellent timing proved pivotal as he contributed with help defense while protecting the rim continuously.

One aspect of Green's game that makes him stand out over the rest is his communication: he is a leader on the court and he shows precisely that as he's constantly communicating switches to teammates on the defensive end.

#2 Paul George

Paul George during last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder

Paul George has been a defensive force ever since he joined the league, averaging more than one steal per game in all but one career year due to injury.

In the 2018/19 season though, he averaged an impressive 2.2 steals and 0.4 blocks per game - able to do this while also enjoying a career-high scoring year, averaging 28 points per game. It landed him in the MVP race last term and deservedly so as part of an Oklahoma City Thunder side who ultimately underperformed again. Similar to teammate Russell Westbrook, George always hustles on defense. Persistent while pressuring the ball out on the perimeter, his size and length help him get a hand on passes.

In rare instances that he is beaten on defense, he has the ability to quickly recover and make an impact on plays. Paired with Westbrook, the Thunder had one of the scarier defensive backcourts in the league while his shock arrival alongside Kawhi Leonard at the LA Clippers is sure to have a similar effect next season and beyond.

#1 Rudy Gobert

There is a reason Rudy Gobert was named Defensive Player of the Year in successive seasons, while making an All-Defensive team over the past three years. Since coming into the league, Gobert has averaged more than two blocks per game in all but his first year, where he only averaged 9.6 minutes per game.

Last season, the French center averaged 0.8 steals and 2.3 blocks per game through 81 games for the Utah Jazz. He has been an exceptional rim protector over the past few years, with his athletic ability, size and wingspan allowing him to contest every shot at the rim, if not blocking it outright.

Gobert's defensive presence goes beyond just his physical abilities, however. With him being such an imposing force at the basket, opponents think twice before driving or trying to finish at the hoop. He has proven a pivotal piece for the Jazz, who have become a regular face in the playoffs.

Edited by Mosope Ominiyi