The NBA’s top All-Defensive candidates? Here’s your guide to a doozy of an awards race

As we get closer to the end of the regular season, it’s only natural that award chatter will perk up. The narrative pendulum has swung quite a few times in the MVP race for example; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nikola Jokić turned into an SGA unanimous shout, which led to Cade Cunningham and Jaylen Brown shouts, which set the table for Luka Dončić and Victor Wembanyama to make their presence (and strong cases) felt.

Are you excited yet? Are you tired yet? Don’t answer either of those out loud; I know you’re nodding, it’s fine.

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I always have a fun-yet-stressful time sorting through the various awards and related cases, even more so with the 65-game minimum to (officially) factor in, at least for now.

The All-Defensive teams are especially a doozy. Teams have different schemes, roles, and assignments to sort through. While it can be easy (though kinda irresponsible) to stack a bunch of numbers together to glean offensive value and impact, you can’t really do that to the same degree on the defensive end.

You should be watching games to put numbers into their proper context anyway, but you really have to do it to put together coherent thoughts defensively. We went in-depth on this on Tuesday’s episode of The Dunker Spot.

This article serves as my attempt to highlight the top (eligible) candidates for this year’s All-Defensive teams, and ultimately list what my two teams would be as of March 27. First, let’s get some disclaimers out of the way.

As a reminder, to qualify for the major awards — Sixth Man of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and the All-Rookie teams are exempt — a player must appear in 65 eligible games out of 82, or roughly 79% of a team’s games. By eligible, I mean a player must log at least 20 minutes in a game for it to count toward the total. The rule allows for two “freebies” — games where a player doesn’t hit 20 minutes, but logs at least 15 — that’ll count toward the total.

To that end, here is a list of notable players who are either ineligible now or, as of this writing, are below the 79% threshold and are on pace to be ineligible: Ausar Thompson (minutes; will be an easy First Team selection if he qualifies), Alex Caruso, Isaiah Stewart, Jarrett Allen, Isaiah Hartenstein, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Suggs, Ron Holland (minutes), Jrue Holiday, Herb Jones.

My work is always a mix of film and numbers — particularly tracking and on-off data. All tracking data below, aside from the rim defense (NBA.com) comes courtesy of Second Spectrum. The on-off data comes from Cleaning the Glass. Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus (D-EPM) is courtesy of DunksAndThrees.

In terms of the filtering used, I wanted a minimum of 50 games played generally to build out the list. As for the tracking data, the minimum thresholds were as follows: Drives defended (200; 245 players), pick-and-rolls defended (500; 85 players defending ball-handlers, 72 players defending the screener), dribble handoffs (DHOs) defended (150; 100 players), isolations defended (100, 201 players), off-ball screens defended (300; 101 players), rim FG% allowed (200 attempts; 75 players), on/off differential (1,500 minutes played; 127 players)

With all of that out of the way, here are my top candidates by position groups. I like to split things into four: guards (1s and 2s), wings (2s and 3s), forwards (3s and 4s), and bigs (5s).

All stats are updated through games played on Thursday, March 26.

GUARDS (6)

Derrick White — First Team

Key Stats: 2nd in on/off differential (-11.2), 7th in D-EPM (+2.8), 11th in rim defense (54.5% FG), 14th in blocks (1.4, leads all guards), T-15th in charges taken (7), 18th in drive defense (0.91), 20th in PnR BH defense (0.92), 43rd in steals (1.2), 46th in ISO defense (0.89)

White has been the best defender on an elite defense across the board: 4th in transition defense, 6th in half-court defense, 4th in defensive rating overall, per Cleaning The Glass. His screen navigation has been superb, and his recovery skills have shined when he does get clipped. The blocked jumpers, both on rearview contests and 3-point closeouts (he’s blocked nine), are incredibly impressive. The fact that he provides legitimate, consistent value as a rim protector is icing on an already-delicious cake.

Cason Wallace — Second Team

Key Stats: 2nd in steals (2.0), 25th in PnR BH defense (0.93) + off-ball screen defense (0.91) + DHO D (0.91), 36th in on/off differential (-2.2)

On a defense this good, it can sometimes be difficult to suss through who deserves the most credit. Wallace’s activity, in light of his role and minute load increasing, has made that assignment easier for me.

He’s a graduate of the Kawhi Leonard School of Chain Snatching — he doesn’t just blindside you with poke-aways or jump passing lanes, he’ll flat-out snatch the ball from you. He and Lu Dort have taken turns picking up the top perimeter assignment this year, and I’ve remained impressed with Wallace’s ability to navigate screens and recover against bigger matchups at times.

Dyson Daniels — Second Team

Key Stats: 5th in steals (1.9), 9th in PnR BH defense (0.88), 14th in D-EPM (+2.2), 20th in off-ball screen defense (0.89), 24th in DHO defense (0.91), 39th in on/off differential (-2.0), 46th in drive defense (0.95)

Daniels’ role has shifted some this year. He doesn’t always get the top billing assignment, though that’s more about the Hawks wanting to weaponize his off-ball prowess — and his teammate Nickeil Alexander-Walker (more on him shortly) affording them the flexibility to do so — more than any slippage on Daniels’ end.

He’s still an incredibly annoying defender to deal with, using quick, strong hands to harass ball-handlers and take advantage of shaky handles. It’s no surprise he’s among the steal leaders again, but I’ve gotten a kick out of the amount of times Daniels has timed-out when his assignment would throw a pass and he’d deflect or outright steal a pass meant for someone behind him.

Marcus Smart — Second Team (but Ausar Thompson may knock him off if eligible)

Key Stats: 2nd in charges taken (20), 5th in on-off differential (-8.5), 18th in D-EPM, 22nd in PnR BH defense (0.93) & DHO defense (0.9), 23rd in steals (1.4), 29th in off-ball screen defense (0.92)

The Smart case was something that’s been on my periphery. When the Lakers were a mess defensively, he was one of the few positives: guarding any and everyone, mucking things up on the back end with timely rotations, and barking out instructions for his teammates, whether they took heed or not.

As the Lakers’ defense has rounded into form (12th since the All-Star break), Smart has remained incredibly important to their operation. It’s the same matchup versatility and difficulty, the same off-ball work, the same communication — especially important in light of the Lakers’ uptick in zone this year.

I saw and felt the impact, but transparently, the numbers were so much better than I was expecting them to be. It went from “Smart deserves further inspection” to “hey, man, Smart probably needs to be on the team right now” — but, hey, that’s precisely why you dig deeper.

Kris Dunn — Honorable mention

Key Stats: 9th in steals (1.6), 34th in D-EPM (+1.4), 40th in on/off diff (-1.9)

It’s a bit cruel that this is the year that Dunn has logged enough 20-plus minute games to qualify for All-Defensive honors. The field is tough so he’s on the outside for me right now, but it’s been another season of Dunn being an absolute menace on the ball — hounding guards and bigger wings alike.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker — Honorable mention

Key Stats: 14th in PnR BH defense (0.91), 33rd in drive defense (0.94), 43rd in DHO defense (0.96)

The career arc for NAW has been a fun one: he went from bucket-getter that needed to carve out a role to stick, to carving out that role as a defensive specialist in Minnesota that could dabble in the bucket-getting when needed, to averaging 20 points a night while also taking on the toughest perimeter assignment at times to further unlock Dyson Daniels off the ball. Funny enough, NAW’s off-ball defense is probably the biggest thing holding me back with his case this year, but I’ve enjoyed him overall.

WINGS (3)

Stephon Castle — Second Team

Key Stats: 7th in PnR BH defense (0.88), 16th in on/off differential (-5.3), 25th in D-EPM, 26th in ISO defense (0.84), 44th in steals (1.2)

Victor Wembanyama is obviously the biggest reason why the Spurs are elite defensively, but the importance of Castle shouldn’t be slept on. He will guard anybody. He will fly around — even if it gets him in trouble sometimes. But to the flying around — his film is littered with (chasedown) blocks and steals that he should have no business thinking about, much less actually getting. There’s room to grow in terms of his pre-screen prep and off-ball discipline — again, having Wemby behind him helps — but he’s legitimately very good and versatile in his own right. Assuming refinement comes, he could be a mainstay on these teams.

Amen Thompson — Honorable mention

Key Stats: 17th in steals (1.4), 28th in PnR BH defense (0.93), 33rd in off-ball screen defense (0.92) & DHO defense (0.94), 41st in D-EPM (+1.3)

Like Daniels and others that have been mentioned, it hasn’t felt like Thompson has been guaranteed to guard the #TopDawg every night — Tari Eason and, earlier in the year, Josh Okogie were/are getting some of those reps.

(With Reed Sheppard’s recent insertion into the starting lineup, we’ve seen those duties ramp back up in Thompson’s favor.)

Like the others, this is more about deployment elsewhere — weaponizing his speed and instincts off the ball, but also saving some wear-and-tear in light of his heightened on-ball responsibility this year — than any on-ball slippage.

Thompson still mirrors guys in space as well as anyone in the league. He’s able to teleport from one spot to the other, leading to some jaw-dropping challenges at the rim or pick-6s of errant passes. The Rockets are lucky to have him.

Lu Dort — Honorable mention

Key Stats: 13th in DHO defense (0.86), 22nd in ISO defense (0.83), 34th in PnR BH defense (0.94)

It’s been an odd year for Dort — he’s been more banged up than usual, and the minute count (27.6) is the lowest it’s been since becoming a full-time starter back in the 2020-21 season. There’s been a little slippage as a screen navigator, but he remains very good at it overall. The Thunder still need his physicality, and it’s gone underrated just how often he has to shift between shifty guard and bulkier wing when taking on top assignments (on the nights Wallace doesn’t).

FORWARDS (4)

Scottie Barnes — Second Team

Key Stats: 10th in blocks (1.5), 12th in on/off differential (-5.9), 22nd in D-EPM (+1.9), 24th in PnR BH D (0.93), 25th in steals (1.4), 36th in rim defense (62.0%), 55th in PnR screener defense (0.98)

Versatility and situational impact is the case for Barnes. I know I’ve dropped some variation of “he’ll defend anyone” a couple times in this piece already, but Barnes is one of the rare 1-through-5 defenders we have in the league. Once again, the Raptors have not been shy about giving him guard assignments at times this year, in addition to some of the late-clock-switch stuff he’s had to dabble in.

I remain more impressed with what he does when defending 3-through-5. You can’t power through him, and he’s so good at recovery angles that he’ll pin your shot or send it to Row C even if you do beat him. His work against centers this year has been both impressive and kinda unfair to him, in light of what they need (more of) from him offensively. I’d also argue that nobody has made more clutch defensive plays than Barnes this year: 13 clutch stocks (4 steals, league-leading 9 blocks) would make the case.

OG Anunoby — Honorable mention

Key Stats: 7th in steals (1.6), 33rd in D-EPM (+1.4), 23rd in on/off differential (-3.9), 28th in DHO defense (0.94), 41st in off-ball screen defense (0.93), 43rd in ISO defense (0.88)

It’s hard for anything to truly go under the radar considering how often the Knicks are discussed (positively or negatively), but, like, hey the Knicks are 7th in defensive rating in 2026 after a lot of (well-earned) hand-wringing earlier in the season. It hasn’t been as tidy of a screen navigation season from Anunoby, but he remains a monster on-ball defender that will ruin your night if you aren’t ready for him.

Jaden McDaniels — Honorable mention

Key Stats: 10th in off-ball screen defense (0.86, 1st in volume), 15th in rim defense (55.1%), 18th in DHO defense (0.88), 30th in blocks (1.0) & D-EPM (+1.6), 45th in PnR BH defense (0.96)

We talked about McDaniels’ case on Tuesday’s episode of The Dunker Spot, it’s worth repeating just how tough his job is. Only two players (Daniels, Amen Thompson) have defended more ball screens, and neither player has to guard them higher up the floor on average (28.3 feet, 3rd) than McDaniels. Gobert is an elite security blanket, but you feel that blanket less when it’s on the other side of the house.

His work as a secondary rim protector and, as my esteemed cohost Steve Jones Jr. has pointed out, the center of a wonky Wolves zone has been cool to witness. His best on-ball moments rival just about any perimeter player in the league; some navigation slippage and issues with foul trouble (3.4 per game, four foul-outs) is what ultimately keeps him out for me.

Toumani Camara — Honorable mention

Key Stats: 4th in charges taken (15), 7th in DHO defense (0.84), 26th in drive defense (0.92), 34th in off-ball screen defense (0.92, 3rd in volume)

It starts with the pressure from Camara. The Blazers dabbled in a ton of full-court pressure this year, and Camara ranks first by a mile in backcourt pickups — the only player to defend over 2,000 touches in the backcourt this season. Because of that extended pressure, he’s one of two players (Camara, 28.5 feet; Daniss Jenkins, 28.4 feet) that has to navigate screens higher on the floor than McDaniels. He’s physical, rangy, and an important part of a Blazers defense that very quietly has been a top-10 half-court unit this year, and a top-10 unit overall in 2026.

BIGS (6)

Victor Wembanyama — First Team

Key Stats: 1st in blocks (3.1) + D-EPM (+4.7) + on/off diff (-13.5), 3rd in PnR screener defense (0.86), 4th in rim defense (52.4%)

Do we really need to spend much time here?

We’ve never seen anything like this: 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot wingspan, always lurking, rarely defeated. Norm Powell using the rim as a shield with a reverse layup, a textbook avoid-the-big move, and still getting his shot blocked with relative ease is all the evidence you need.

Of course, it’s not just about the blocks for Wemby, of which there are plenty. He’s grown as a communicator and traffic director, a necessary development with how the Spurs attempt to keep him low on the floor. The late switches can be an adventure, but because of his length and timing, he’s still able to turn the water off for opponents. His presence alone makes his teammates better, allows them to breathe easier. The film and the numbers scream “this is already one of the greatest defenders of all time” — he just has to stay healthy enough to prove it.

Chet Holmgren — First Team

Key Stats: 2nd in blocks (1.9) & rim defense (48%), 3rd in D-EPM (+3.4), 8th in PnR screener defense (0.89), 9th in drive defense (0.89) & on/off differential (-7.1), 36th in ISO defense (0.87)

The Thunder have a deep cast of high-level defenders, but Holmgren stands out as their best and arguably most unique one. His interior presence takes the Thunder from “elite” to “what on earth are we supposed to do with this?” The shot-blocking is loud and valuable, but it’s his necessary growth as a rebounder, not-so-quiet growth as a communicator (OKC likes to keep him low on the floor, too), and increased comfort in late-switch situations that rings louder for me in a broader sense.

He was my if-Wemby-doesn’t-qualify DPOY pick before the year, and I feel pretty good about that right now.

Bam Adebayo — First Team

Key Stats: 16th in drive defense (0.91), 19th in on/off differential (-4.7), 20th in D-EPM (+1.9), 28th in PnR screener defense (0.94), 31st in ISO defense (0.86), 47th in steals (1.2) & rim defense (64.3%)

Everyone that’s been discussed in this space has some element of “you gotta watch it to truly get it” about them — I’m not sure if that platitude rings louder for anyone than Bam.

He’s never going to be a Wemby-like shot-blocker; and because the Heat don’t often blitz ball screens or deploy wings on centers to let him roam, I doubt you’ll ever get a demonstrably high steal season from him either. He’s also graduated from “High Volume Switch Defender with Tons of Stops” to “Yeah, let’s get him to switch then move him waaaay over there” — but that respect is the point.

It’s the proof.

It’s why, almost regardless of the personnel, the Heat keep pumping out top-10 defenses like they are this year. Bam, as he always does, executes whatever coverage is asked, guard whoever he needs to (he is still an insane switch defender, after all), and single-handedly save the Heat’s bacon on the defensive glass.

Rudy Gobert — First Team

Key Stats: 3rd in on-off differential (-11.0), 5th in blocks (1.7), 9th in rim defense (54.2%) & D-EPM (+2.6), 10th in drive defense (0.89), 11th in ISO defense (0.79), 13th in PnR screener defense (0.92)

Another year, another campaign filled with high-level rim protection, way-better-than-you-think iso and switch numbers, and incredibly loud on/off splits that highlight both how important he is to the ecosystem, and a jarring need for the Wolves to figure out some kind of consistent contingency plan when he sits or isn’t available.

We’ve had all of the Gobert conversations before: you either think he’s an All-Time Defender with a Hall-of-Fame resume, or you think he’s food when it matters while the offense (and especially the hands) continue to baffle you. I’m not here to change your mind — we’re enough words into this thing — but this kind of defensive impact, year after year after year, should be commended.

Evan Mobley — Honorable mention

Key Stats: 4th in blocks (1.8), 19th in rim defense (55.9), 24th in ISO defense (0.83) & on/off differential (-3.9), 42nd in PnR screener defense (0.97), 48th in D-EPM (+1.1)

I’ve spent all year trying to get a beat on the Cavs, and on the Mobley season overall. I’ve largely landed here: because Mobley hasn’t made the leap, what he hasn’t done has largely overshadowed what he has.

To use a 2K example: Mobley not going from an 87 to a 93 has a lot of people forgetting that being an 87, at age 24, is still pretty darn good!

Mobley has still protected the rim well, and can still hang in space — on switches or natural matchups. Scheme-versatile defenders at his size don’t grow on trees.

Neemias Queta — Honorable mention

Key Stats: 4th in on-off differential (-9.2), 7th in ISO defense (0.77), 10th in D-EPM, 16th in blocks (1.3), 19th in PnR screener defense (0.93), 23rd in rim defense (58.0%)

Queta’s going to factor pretty heavily in Most Improved Player talks, and rightfully so. While I’d love to wax poetic about his screening, we’re here to talk about his defense.

He’s taken such a step forward in terms of his timing; that discipline is the biggest reason why we’ve seen his rate of fouls drop. To that end, this is the first time in his career he’s averaging under six fouls per 100 possessions (5.7).

The Celtics have largely kept him in a deep drop, though I remain intrigued by the rare occasions he’s tasked with coming up higher on the floor. He’s altered his fair share of shots this year, and his growth as a rebounder has been important for a Celtics group that struggled mightily early on (29th in defensive rebound rate through November) before finding its way (2nd since Dec. 1).

My All-Defense teams, in summary

First Team
Victor Wembanyama
Chet Holmgren
Rudy Gobert
Bam Adebayo
Derrick White

Second Team
Cason Wallace
Stephon Castle
Dyson Daniels
Scottie Barnes
Marcus Smart

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