NBA top 100 defenders rankings (1-10): Victor Wembanyama, Draymond Green, and Alex Caruso land on 2025-26 list

Who are the league's best defenders? That's the question that I've tried to tackle on an annual basis at Sporting News. I already hit on the no. 11-100 defenders in the league in Part 1 of this series. Now we're on to Part 2: the top 10. 

Each of these players is talented enough to win a Defensive Player of the Year award under the right conditions. Their skills show though that there are different ways to be impactful on defense. Some rely on massive size and agility. Others have preternatural instincts. All of them care deeply about defense, combining their special gifts with high effort. 

Without further ado, here are the best 10 defenders entering the 2025-26 season. 

The best defenders in the NBA: 1-10

1. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

Wembanyama would have been a shoo-in for Defensive Player of the Year had a blot clot not kept him out of the latter part of the season. He has a chance to go down as the best shot-blocker in league history, once he meets the 400 career games requirement. His 3.7 blocks per game eclipse the 3.5 of current record-holder Mark Eaton. Nobody in the league currently tops his eight-foot wingspan, which he uses to its fullest extent. 

Even more impressive than the blocks are the shots that he deters. Opponents routinely u-turn in the paint when they see him lurking there. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Spurs give up 3.8 percent fewer shots at the rim when he's on the floor, which ranks in the 92nd percentile of all players. 

A perfect example of the unmatched rim deterrence Wembanyama provides.

The Nuggets pass up five potential shots at the basket because of his presence. pic.twitter.com/FjJMDMPPDu

— Noah Magaro-George (@N_Magaro) January 4, 2025

Speaking of that impact, the Spurs defended at a top-eight level when Wemby was on the floor last year. When he was on the bench, they were worse than the no. 30-ranked Pelicans. That massive shift ranked in the 97th percentile of all players. 

Wembanyama racks up 5x5 games like nobody else in league history. His defensive highlights go viral. He even did the impossible, stopping Nikola Jokic's famous Sombor Shuffle in order to clinch a win. He has a chance to go down as the greatest defender in league history, and his reign as the best defender in the league has already begun at age 21.

MORE: Ranking the NBA's best centers

2. Evan Mobley, Cavaliers

Mobley won the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year award after finishing no. 3 in the 2023 voting (he didn't play in enough games to qualify in 2024). At age 24, he is already one of the best defensive big men in the game. 

Mobley can do it all on defense. He's versatile enough to guard multiple positions effectively. He played all over the Cavs' zone, even heading the top of it during the playoffs. He's a great rim protector with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, and also has the fluidity to cover ground like a wing. He finished no. 13 in the league with 7.0 defensive rebounds per game last season.  

The Cavs were the no. 25 defense in the league before Mobley was drafted onto the team. They have been a top 10 defense through all four of his seasons. He's an anchor to an automatic elite squad due to his natural tools, extremely high feel, and do-everything approach. 

MORE: Ranking the NBA's best power forwards

3. Alex Caruso, Thunder

There is no way that a 6-foot-5 guard should be this high up a list of the NBA's top defenders. Caruso has been defying expectations his whole career, though. He doesn't back down from anyone, as he showed in effectively guarding Jokic during a pivotal Game 7 of the Western Conference playoffs. He can completely lock down the best guards in the league while also bruising with power forwards or the occasional center.

What makes Caruso special is the reckless abandon that he plays with. He throws his body around, leading the playoffs in times that he dove on the floor for loose balls. He is undoubtedly aggressive, but he also has textbook technique.

There isn't a better screen navigator in the league. Caruso gets skinnier than a piece of paper, beats opponents to where they want to go, and forces a ton of illegal screen calls. He constantly blows up what other teams are running, calling out plays as soon as opposing coaches signal for them. He is the ultimate disruptor.

Caruso has ranked no. 1 in several of the defensive advanced metrics, including xrapm and estimated plus-minus (EPM). His instincts are second to none, allowing him to wreak havoc whenever he's on the floor. 

MORE: Alex Caruso's wild basketball journey, from 'a nice little camp player' to NBA superstar stopper

4. Bam Adebayo, Heat

Adebayo never gets quite the love that he should for Defensive Player of the Year because he's not a traditional behemoth rim protector like some of the other typical winners. He proves though that you don't need to have gaudy block numbers in order to be one of the best defenders in the league. You do have to pay attention beyond the box score in order to recognize his value. 

Adebayo is one of the best at guarding out at the perimeter while also banging down low with bruisers. He can play an aggressive blitz, get up to the level of the screen, play in more traditional drop coverages, switch, or man the Heat's killer zone from the middle. 

Adebayo's agility, quick hands, and footwork separate him from other big men when he has to switch onto guards. And while he doesn't block a ton of shots, he's a great helper that can cut off driving lanes or come in from the weak side to alter attempts. He's also a solid rebounder who always has a massively positive impact on team rebounding when he's on the floor. 

MORE: Ranking every NBA starter: 1-10 | 11-150

5. Dyson Daniels, Hawks

The Great Barrier Thief has one of the best nicknames in the league. It's well-deserved — he put up an impressive campaign last year that earned him Sporting News' Defensive Player of the Year award.

Daniels is on another planet when it comes to deflections and steals. His 229 steals on the year were 98 higher than anyone else, and his 443 deflections were 171 ahead of second place. He's so disruptive because of his terrific instincts of when to dart into passing lanes, when and how to swipe at the ball (he swipes low to avoid foul calls and prefers to swipe on the first dribble), where to position himself as a helper, and how to bait opponents into doing exactly what he wants. His timing is otherworldy. 

Other high-steal players get them by gambling and putting teammates in a bad position. Daniels rarely does that. He stays solid and picks his spots judiciously. He's a great on-ball defender, and he had to provide extra help when teams relentlessly targeted teammate Trae Young on defense. 

Daniels is a one-of-a-kind defender who is always primed to make a big play. He can pull wins out of thin air with steals during the most critical moments of games. 

MORE: Ranking the NBA's best shooting guards

6. Draymond Green, Warriors

Green has lost a step or two at age 35, but what hasn't gone away is his intelligence. He is one of the smartest defenders in league history. Watch him live, and you will see him constantly instructing teammates on where to be or opponent tendencies to watch for.

The Warriors were able to play a more aggressive style this year because of how well Green cleans up everything at the rim. At 6-foot-6, he looks undersized. But he's an elite post defender and uses his strength to seal off opponents on the defensive glass. He has textbook verticality on his contests, getting in early position because he knows where every play is going. 

There has never been a player better at stopping 2-on-1 fast breaks than him — he darts back and forth between players, playing a cat-and-mouse game that freezes those opportunities in their tracks. 

Green does everything, drawing charges, getting a ton of deflections, making perfect rotations, and erasing advantages. He will go down as one of the best defenders ever when he retires. 

MORE: Ranking the NBA's best point guards

7. Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves

(NBA Entertainment)

Gobert isn't mentioned in the best defender in the league conversations any more. He received just one DPOY vote last year, finishing in 13th place. He's won the award a record-tying four times though, and he was deserving of more votes last season. 

Gobert is still an elite rim protector despite his block numbers dropping from his peak. Opponents shot 9.7 percent worse within six feet against him, which ranked 15th of the 209 players that defended at least 200 shots from that range. And the Wolves were the no. 3 team in the league at field goal percentage allowed at the rim, largely due to his presence. 

Gobert has always been criticized for his inability to guard on the perimeter. He's had some high-profile failures, but he was consistently great as an isolation defender during this year's playoffs. 

Rudy Gobert has been excellent guarding in isolation on the perimeter this postseason. pic.twitter.com/1XEzHcaS4C

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) May 10, 2025

The Wolves were the no. 6 defense in the league last year with Gobert anchoring the paint. He has been part of top 10 defenses in almost every year of his career. He's a one-man wrecking crew in the paint. 

MORE: Ranking the NBA's best power forwards

8. Ivica Zubac, Clippers

Zubac anchored the no. 3 defense in the league last season, using his 7-foot, 240-pound frame to protect the rim. He is one of the strongest guys in the league, able to defend bigs like Jokic as good as anyone 1-on-1. 

Zubac is also a great help defender, stepping over on drives to prevent easy layups and consistently finding himself in the right position. His rim protection numbers were sterling — opponents shot 9.2 percent worse within six feet of the basket against him, putting him in the 93rd percentile of all defenders. 

The Clippers were a bad defensive rebounding team last season, ranking 24th in the NBA. Zubac was a big reason for their turnaround. His 8.9 defensive boards per game helped them rise up to no. 1. 

9. Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies

Jackson has one DPOY trophy under his belt from 2023 and made Second Team All-Defensive honors last year. His block numbers have slipped a bit from his peak, but he's still a force at the rim and has good mobility.

Jackson has great defensive tools, starting with his 7-foot-4 wingspan. His agility is elite for his size, and he has quick feet that let him guard on the perimeter. He's also always up there in deflections and steals among centers. He's got a knack for knowing when to contest, which comes from a surprising source — he has credited the video game NBA 2K for helping him figure out his timing. 

Jackson's one Achilles heel has been his mediocre defensive rebounding. That puts him a notch below some of the other premier defenders on this list.

10. Anthony Davis, Lakers

Davis may never have won a Defensive Player of the Year award, but he's finished top 10 in voting six times. He's led the league in blocks three times in his career, and his 2.2 blocks per game last season would have been the no. 3 mark in the league had he played enough to qualify for the leaderboards. 

Davis is able to get so many blocks due to a massive 7-foot-6 wingspan, great timing, and speed that allows him to cover a ton of ground. He's a brick wall in the paint. Those traits also make him a capable switch defender, where he can hold his own against smaller players. He's always been a great rebounder too, thanks to that long wingspan. 

When Davis is 100 percent locked in, he's a top five defender in the league. He did have more lapses than usual last season, contributing to transition defense issues for the Lakers before getting traded to the Mavs. A change in scenery could vault him back into that range. He has the talent, but the focus needs to return to where it was in previous years.

The best defenders in the NBA: 1-100

Here is the full list of the top 100 defenders in the league. Even beyond the top 10, there are players that anchor their teams' defenses, perennial All-Defensive candidates, disruptive point-of-attack defenders, and a sprinkle of promising rookies that will usher in the next era of greatness. 

For more specifics on what these players do well, check out Part 1 of this series where I go more in-depth on what makes each of these players an asset.