Defense will always be underrated in comparison to offense but history has taught us that to win the crown, you need to have at least one consistent lockdown defender. So, how about a quick ranking, in terms of their performance, of the best lockdown defenders of the Eastern squads.
#15 Philadelphia 76ers - Joel Embiid
Joel is just average on the defensive end but he is already the best bet of the 76ers. He forced his opponent to shoot 3.7% worse.
# 14 Brooklyn Nets - Trevor Booker
He limits his assignments to 43.4% FG, 2.5% worse than their normal FG%.
#13 Chicago Bulls - Taj Gibson
He forced the shots that he contest inside 6 feet to 7.1% worse. He is also on the 65.0 percentile in terms of isolations.
#12 Indiana Pacers - Myles Turner
The sophomore is not only thriving on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end. He forced his opponent to a -6.3% worse FG% and he is at 72.2% percentile, in terms of defending isolation.
#11 Atlanta Hawks - Dwight Howard
He is in the 91% percentile in defending post-ups as he forced them to 31.3% FG. His overall defense shows a -5.7% effect to the shooting of his assignments.
#10 Boston Celtics - Tyler ZellerSurprise! Tyler has the 2nd best overall opponent FG% impact with -5.6%. He is also on the 96.9% percentile in terms of defending post-ups.
#9 Charlotte Hornets - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
MKG is as versatile as ever. He is their fourth best in terms of overall FG% impact and he is on the 69.9% and 63.8% percentile in terms of isolation and post-ups, respectively.
#8 Detroit Pistons - Marcus Morris
His assignments register a 5.6% decrease in their FG%. He stop them to 28.6% accuracy from beyond the arc and he is in the 92.4% percentile in terms of isolation.
#7 Washington Wizards - John Wall
The Wizards are struggling but not their main man. Wall is stealing 2.2 balls per game, 3rd in the league. He is also the second best in the team in overall opponent FG% impact with -4.2%.
#6 Orlando Magic - Aaron Gordon
Gordon is not yet comfortable in playing the 3 but in offense but in defense, he is already thriving. He is minizing the efficiency of his man by 7.3%. He is also at the 78.2% and 78.5% percentile in stopping isolation and pick-roll ball-handler.
#5 Toronto Raptors - DeMarre Carroll
Carroll is doing the main reason why Toronto signed him, lockdown guys. He is in the 86.6 percentile in terms of isolation and overall, his opponent shot 5.1% worse. He is facing 4.9 three-pointers per game and he managed to impact it with a 5.1% drop.
#4 Miami Heat - James Johnson
James is killing it. He has not allowed any single isolation field-goal up to this point! His man has registered an 11.5% drop in their efficiency. That is the fourth best in the league!
#3 Cleveland Cavaliers - Lebron James
It is time to appreciate the greatness of the King on the defensive end. He decrease the efficiency of his man in three-pointers by 6.9%. He is also at 79.8% percentile in defending isolations and he contest 6.4 shots a game, an above average mark.
#2 Milwaukee Bucks - Matthew Dellavedova
Matthew exhibits how intelligent he is in taking advantage of the length of his teammates as he forced his assignments to -10.5% worse FG%, fourth best in the league. The most amazing number is the 12.1% of the long bombs that he contest.
#1 New York Knicks - Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps is not only shining on the offensive end, he is also an stable defensive anchor. He is on 73.6% percentile of defending post-ups and he is contesting 15.2 shots a game! Inside 6 feet, his opponent's FG% drop by 14.7%!
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