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

Power forward – Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

This one was really tough.

You could go with either Giannis or Draymond Green at the power forward slot, and both are good enough for the selection. Green is the best team defender in the NBA, in that he communicates the best on the defensive end and is the best leader in the league.

However, he doesn’t have the potential to make the same defensive plays that Giannis can. We saw it in the Finals last year; in Game 4, with the potential of going down 3-1 heading back to Phoenix, Giannis contains Devin Booker in the screen-and-roll, rotates over, and is somehow able to block DeAndre Ayton on the attempted alley-oop.

No one else in the history of the NBA can make that play, and that is why I’m giving this spot to Giannis. He can make the move that no one else can, and when you need something special in a Playoff or Finals game, he’s the one with the highest potential to get you a stop.

There’s no player I’d want more in a Finals series than Giannis.