Top 3 Defensive Players for the 2010-11 NBA Season

Defensive players are very hard to come by in today's league, but there are some players who are actually good enough to be compared to the top defenders from the 1990s. During the 90s, defensive specialists such as Scottie Pippen, Mookie Blaylock, David Robinson and Gary Payton dominated the NBA with their old school defense. Back then, players were able to get away pushing and taunting. The best defensive players from today's game are not as good as they were fifteen ears ago, but are still fun to watch.

The third best defender in the league is none other than Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics. His performance throughout both the regular and postseason have surprised fans and sport analysts. Rondo may be the quickest basketball player in the NBA, but that does not mean he is the best point guard in the league. Rondo's speed enables him to intercept the ball while on transition. His Celtics could have beaten the Los Angeles Lakers in game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals had it not been for the unfortunately injury of Kendrick Perkins.

It is tough not to rank Kobe Bryant as the best defender in the National Basketball Association, but offensive abilities easily eclipse his defensive abilities. Sure, it is a bad reason not to rank him number one, but you can't help but notice his declining explosiveness during games in the fourth quarter. He is still a dominant player, but recent injuries may have plagued his usual capabilities. Throughout the 2009-10 season, Bryant has shown viewers that he is still the best one-on-one defender in the league. Bryant is currently the NBA's only perfect player and no one else even comes close. For more information regarding Kobe Bryant's background, please visit http://kb24.com/.

Dwight Howard can easily be considered as the best defender in the NBA, but could he have been this good had he played against the juggernauts from the 1990s? A large part of me wants to say no, but Howard does possess incredible athleticism for a big man. Had he been around during the 90s, Howard may have given both small and power forwards a difficult time in the paint. However, it is hard to imagine him matching up with centers like Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon would most likely destroy Dwight Howard in the paint since he is the fourth best center in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell. Nonetheless, Howard is still one of the best players in the NBA. He may not be crafty as Olajuwon, but he can sure outmuscle at least 95 percent of the league. Howard's shot blocking abilities and incredible rebounding abilities easily make him one of the best defenders in the league. He is currently the best center in professional basketball and will be for many years to come. If you are interested in reading more about Dwight Howard, try visiting www.dwighthoward.com.

Information regarding these NBA players was collected at www.nba.com.