When discussing the NBA, it is always emphasized that defense wins championships. If we look at statistics, the phrase holds in most accounts.
For a team to be successful, they must start honing their craft on the defensive side of the floor. While scoring might be fun to watch, defense still holds the key to separating mediocre teams from the elite teams in the league.
Find out who the best teams in the NBA are when it comes to defense.
30. Washington Wizards
The Wizards mightily struggled on the defensive end last season, allowing a whopping 123 PPG from their opponents. While the signing of Jonas Valanciunas might help them a little bit in that area, don’t expect them to become lockdown defenders anytime soon.
29. Toronto Raptors
This is going to be a trying year for the Raptors’ defense, as they just don’t have the pieces to be great on that end of the floor. One look at their lineup, and you’ll notice that Scottie Barnes is the only player capable of defending at a high rate on a consistent basis.
28. Atlanta Hawks
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
The Hawks don’t have the pieces to be a competent team on defense. Trae Young is widely considered one of the worst on-ball defenders in the NBA. This is a team that wants to score and outrun everybody.
27. Indiana Pacers
While the Pacers do have a high-octane offense, their defensive capabilities as a unit are quite the opposite. This was one of their main weaknesses last year. They do have multiple players who are capable of switching on the perimeter defensively.
26. Detroit Pistons
New Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff has preached defense all summer long for this young team. It’s not surprising, though, as his former squad, the Cavaliers, was one of the best defensive teams in the league in recent years. But can the Pistons improve in that area? That will take a little while.
Also Read: Ranking All 30 NBA Teams Defenses From WORST To FIRST For The 2023 Season
25. Portland Trail Blazers
It’s hard to gauge where the Blazers are headed this season. They might want to be competitive in the NBA, but they are kind of mediocre on both offense and defense. Nobody is scared of attacking Deandre Ayton inside the paint.
24. Utah Jazz
Even with Walker Kessler back in the starting lineup, the Jazz will have their fair share of struggles on defense for the 2024-2025 NBA season. They aren’t really good at defending switches after a pick-and-roll action, especially against superior opponents.
23. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets allowed their opponents nearly 117 PPG last season, and with an almost intact roster, don’t expect them to improve much in that area. They are a young-ish team who will try to outscore their foes on a nightly basis.
22. Golden State Warriors
Steve Kerr isn’t known as a defensive specialist during his coaching career. While the Warriors do have the pieces in order to be effective on defense, they are still far behind other superior teams in the NBA.
21. Milwaukee Bucks
As good as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez are defensively, the same can’t be said for the other members of this rapidly aging team. They might lose some tight contests this year due to their inconsistency in that department.
20. San Antonio Spurs
The addition of Chris Paul, at least in theory, should be enough to add a little bit of intensity on the defensive side of the floor for the Spurs. In addition, we might see Victor Wembanyama average more than four blocks per game this season.
19. Los Angeles Clippers
With Kawhi Leonard constantly on the injury list and Paul George gone, the Clippers will have a long season ahead of them regarding their defensive capabilities. However, the reason they are not ranked so low is due to the brilliant mind of head coach Tyronne Lue.
18. Chicago Bulls
One odd thing about the Bulls is that, even though they are a middle-of-the-pack team, they are somehow capable of defending some of the best offenses in the NBA. Can they continue that streak this year, even without Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan?
17. Sacramento Kings
If this list was about offense, you can count on the Kings as one of the league’s top teams. However, this is not the case when it comes to defense. They are still decent in that area but nowhere near the top 10 on anybody’s rankings.
16. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are widely expected to have a terrible campaign for the 2024-2025 NBA season, but at least they are a decent squad on defense. One thing that bodes well for them in that area is that they have the right mix of players who can disrupt opposing teams’ offense.
15. Los Angeles Lakers
Defense is not really a strong suit for the Lakers, but with JJ Redick at the helm for this popular NBA franchise, they might improve a bit on that end this year. If Anthony Davis somehow has a career year, then this team should be fun to watch.
14. Houston Rockets
The addition of Dillon Brooks hasn’t really panned out for the Rockets just yet. This once-proud NBA franchise was banking on him to improve their defense as a team. But don’t fret as they do have the right pieces to become a very good defensive team as the season progresses.
13. Dallas Mavericks
Losing Derrick Jones Jr. via free agency should not disrupt the Mavs’ defensive schemes this year. While he was good, they’ve added quite a number of young NBA guys who are expected to contribute on defense. And oh, they have two centers that are quite good at protecting the painted area.
12. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers might barge into the top 10 or fall outside of the top 20 in this year’s rankings, depending on the availability of Paul George and Joel Embiid. When healthy, they are going to be a very good defensive unit.
11. Phoenix Suns
Surprised? In all honestly, the Suns were fairly decent on defense last season. Hiring head coach Mike Budenholzer should vastly improve them on that side of the floor.
10. Memphis Grizzlies
The presence of Jared Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey in the middle should be enough to deter some teams from attacking the basket. In addition, even though Marcus Smart’s offensive game will continue to decline, his on-ball defense is still considered an All-NBA quality.
9. Denver Nuggets
Losing KCP will have some unintended impact on the floor for the Nuggets this season. He was a very good defender, albeit underrated in that area. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. will now have to elevate their defensive game further in order for this team to have a good number of wins this season.
8. Miami Heat
For nearly half a decade now, Miami has proven to be one of the best defensive teams in the league, and all that praise should be directed to their coaching staff and their scouting department. Their biggest problem right now is their offense.
7. New Orleans Pelicans
If we talk about switching on defense, then the Pelicans are one of the top NBA teams in the league on that statistic. Watch out for rookie Yves Missi, as he has the potential to become a very good defensive big man in this league.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
It’s interesting to see where new Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson will take this team this year. He has promised that Evan Mobley will have a much improved year as he will be labeled as “positionless” on the court. Overall, Cleveland has been a good defensive unit in recent years.
5. New York Knicks
Coach Thibs truly loves to preach defense, and the Knicks have surrounded all-star guard Jalen Brunson with the right defensive pieces on the team this year. The addition of Mikal Bridges should do wonders for them on both ends of the floor. And let’s not forget that they still have OG Anunoby on the roster.
4. Orlando Magic
Even though the Magic doesn’t shoot many threes, they are a relentless bunch on defense. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s addition should do wonders for them, as he can provide a winning attitude for this young squad for years to come.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
Oh boy. The duo of Alex Caruso and Lu Dortz should pose a ton of problems on the court for elite players like Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, and Jayson Tatum. It also doesn’t hurt that both SGA and Chet Holmgren are capable on-ball defenders. This should be a fun year for OKC.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
Was last year a fluke for Minny? Probably not, as they still have four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert on the fold. Plus, they have a bunch of guys on their roster whose primary role is to defend whenever they are deployed. Expect bigger things from this squad this season.
1. Boston Celtics
The Celtics only allowed 107.6 PPG from their opponents last season – a solid third in the NBA. Then why are they listed at the top of this year’s rankings? It is because they are capable of elevating their defense into a higher gear in the NBA. From top to bottom, nobody in their roster is a defensive liability.
Also Read: Magic Johnson Believes Bronny James Is A “Tenacious” Defender And Will Thrive In The NBA
