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Defense has become underappreciated by some in the modern NBA. Offense is more flashy and makes for better highlights, but sometimes your shots just aren't going to fall. After all, off-nights exist, even for the best players. What players can do every single night, rain or shine, is play hard nose, smart, and effective defense to make things difficult for your opponents.
Length reigns supreme when containing your opponents or attempting a help side block. However, plenty of players make it work while lacking the physical gifts of their peers. Unlike for moments on offense, there is no one player who is going to make an entire team's defense exceptional. Rotations and an understanding of coverage are essential among all five players on the floor.
Often, teams with shutdown defenses seem to communicate at a high level. In 2020-21, the five best defensive ratings in the NBA were the Los Angeles Lakers (106.8), Philadelphia 76ers (107.0), Utah Jazz (107.5), New York Knicks (107.8, and the Golden State Warriors (109.4).
Before we get into this list, here's why we left the Lakers and 76ers out of the top five. The LA Lakers lost what may have been their two best perimeter defenders on the roster in Kentavious-Caldwell Pope and Alex Caruso. Pope was included in the exchange for Russell Westbrook, who can be shaky on that end. Caruso walked in restricted free agency to the Chicago Bulls.
As for Philadelphia, it does not appear that Ben Simmons is going to play another game with them. Embiid is a phenomenal defender in his own right, but it was the pairing of him and Simmons that made the 76ers elite on that end. We predict they will still be good on defense, just no longer in the top five.
So here are the teams I do think will post the top five defensive ratings in the 2021-22 NBA season.
5) Memphis Grizzlies
This may come as a shock to some, but the Memphis Grizzlies were the seventh-best defense in the NBA last season. That was without one of their highest upside defensive players in Jaren Jackson Jr. Dillion Brooks's defensive ability and desire were on full display in the play-in tournament against Stephen Curry and then against the first-seeded Utah Jazz.
Kyle Anderson possesses great length and instinct and Steven Adams feels like a significant defensive upgrade to Jonas Valacuinas - even if it's a huge downgrade on offense. Once some of the bench pieces start to make their way onto the floor, the defense improves even more so.
De'Anthony Melton is one of the best point guard defenders in the NBA, Desmond Bane had a promising rookie season and should continue to improve, and all of Brandon Clarke's questions are on the offensive end. They also recently traded for Jarrett Culver and Kris Dunn, who are negatives on offense but contribute on defense.
Defense was a focus last year for Taylor Jenkins and the Grizzlies, and it should be more of the same in the 2021-22 NBA season.
4) Miami Heat
In 2020-21, the Miami Heat finished tied for the ninth-best defensive rating, 110.7. It would not be a surprise to see Bam Adebayo garner serious consideration for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. We've all heard about Jimmy Butler's defensive prowess throughout his career.
The real improvement comes from going from Goran Dragic, Kendrick Nunn, Andre Igoudala and Nemanja Bjelica to Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, Markieff Morris, and Victor Oladipo. With Lowry and Tucker as the obvious headliners, the Heat should thrive with another pesky and extremely intelligent point of attack defender like Lowry.
Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro are the obvious weaknesses, but if most lineups only feature one of the two shooters, the Heat should be able to cover for them well.
It also helps that Miami has its body fat requirements and a culture of relentless effort.
3) New York Knicks
We probably should have expected the New York Knicks to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA once Tom Thibodeau took over the head coaching role. Thibodeau is highly regarded as a defensive specialist who gets his players to commit to that end of the floor while placing them in optimal situations for their skillsets.
It also helps when some of those skillsets come from the likes of RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, and Nerlens Noel. The loss of Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock may be more substantial than anticipated, considering they are being replaced by Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. The frontcourt defense remains, and that is the most essential.
At this point, Tom Thibadeou feels like the coach to bet on when it comes to rolling out a high-level NBA defense.
2) Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks somehow tied for ninth-best defensive rating in the NBA last season. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a perpetual Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Jrue Holiday is often mentioned by his peers as one of the most underrated defenders in the NBA.
Brook Lopez's drop coverage has proven to be successful and Khris Middleton is locked in on a nightly basis. PJ Tucker has departed for the Miami Heat, but Semi Ojeleye and Donte DiVincenzo should be capable of picking up the slack.
DiVincenzo seems undermentioned as someone who started 66 games before suffering a torn ligament in his left ankle prior to the NBA Playoffs. Ojeleye has been somewhat hyperbolically labeled a "Giannis stopper" throughout his career with the Boston Celtics.
If the main core of the Milwaukee Bucks can remain healthy, their roster is more than capable of being the top defense in the NBA.
1) Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have the best defensive player in the NBA on their roster in Rudy Gobert. The 7'1 french big man swallows up defenders with his 7'9" wingspan and legimitmatley scares NBA players away from driving to the basket. He averaged 2.7 blocks per game, second only to Myles Turner last season, and led the way for Utah to finish with the third-best defensive rating.
While Gober is an undeniable anchor to this elite Utah defensive roster, he is far from the lone impact player on that end. Mike Conley made the All-Defensive team back in 2012-13, and has remained a high-level point of attack defender since to this point in his career.
Donovan Mitchell's standout quickness translates well to his lateral speed and he is never one to back down from a challenge. Joe Ingles is going to lock you up while talking trash the entire game. Royce O'Neale has been criminally undermentioned as a valuable NBA starter.
The losses of Derrick Favors and Georges Niang could make for a slight adjustment period to start the year, but the chief parts of a continual top NBA defense remain in place.
