NBA: Identifying the best defensive player at each position in 2022

Shooting guard – Derrick White – San Antonio Spurs

Yes, right now the Spurs have the best defensive guard combo in the NBA. Dejounte Murray is the one going for all the steals, but White is the one challenging all the shots, and he’s incredible at it.

According to NBA Defensive stats, White has the 2nd best defended field-goal % (47.0%) out of any player in the league that has played at least 25 games and defends at least 2 shots per game. This is better than all the best rim-protectors you would expect to hear like Rudy Gobert, Giannis, Jarrett Allen, or Hassan Whiteside.

White is also 3rd amongst guards in blocks per game (0.9), a stat he has averaged over the past four seasons. Like Murray, White is also 6-foot-4, so he makes a fearsome partner with his fellow Spur and the two of them have been causing havoc on the defensive end.