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Heard a claim on Twitter that Evan Mobley was the best rookie defender of the 21st century. Do you agree with that? Who else is in the discussion? Who are some other standout rookie defenders going further back than Duncan?

Well, probably the best ever was Bill Russell. Maurice Stokes was also excellent rookie defender. So was Wilt.

Among more recent ones, Kirilenko was excellent, probably the best of the 21st century.

Herb Jones has been really good this season. He has a case for an All-Defensive 2nd team.

I actually think Herb Jones may have been a better defender this season compared to Evan Mobley. Both of them have exceptional defensive tendencies and abilities at a young age. Herb Jones reminds me of a young Kevin Garnett.

Andrei Kirilenko is better than both by a long shot though. His Rookie season was absolutely absurd. He was an elite role player/impact guy in year 1.

Bobby Jones came into Denver as a rookie replacing multiple All-Defensive specialist Julius Keye and the team instantly improved to 3rd in the league in his rookie year. But the choice will probably (like any greatest defender comp) be someone like Bill Russell, David Robinson who was an elite rim protector.

Tim Duncan and Drob have to be in the conversation.

jalengreen wrote:Heard a claim on Twitter that Evan Mobley was the best rookie defender of the 21st century. Do you agree with that? Who else is in the discussion? Who are some other standout rookie defenders going further back than Duncan?

Between Mobley, Scottie & Herb, we're loaded with great defensive rookies.

Guy I'll bring up many won't think about is Buck Williams. While as a rookie he was not acknowledged for his defense, he would be over time, and from what I see, he had that big impact right from day one.

penbeast0 wrote:Bobby Jones came into Denver as a rookie replacing multiple All-Defensive specialist Julius Keye and the team instantly improved to 3rd in the league in his rookie year. But the choice will probably (like any greatest defender comp) be someone like Bill Russell, David Robinson who was an elite rim protector.

Incidentally, ElGee has said that Scottie Barnes reminds him some of Bobby Jones. Wonder your thoughts on that.

70sFan wrote:Well, probably the best ever was Bill Russell. Maurice Stokes was also excellent rookie defender. So was Wilt.

Among more recent ones, Kirilenko was excellent, probably the best of the 21st century.

All true, and Kirilenko is important not to forget.

Incidentally:

As I'm spending more time in deeper history, George Mikan is interesting here.

While the Laker dynasty really seems to exist primarily on the back of Mikan's defense which continued to be best-in-world through their last championship while his offensive effective took a major dive...I don't think this was the story in his rookie season.

What I see in his rookie season is dominant scoring without obvious signs of defensive dominance, plus stories about Mikan getting roughed up by professional centers - Leroy "Cowboy" Edwards first and foremost, who knocked a bunch of Mikan's teeth out early in the year (and also had more success stopping Mikan's offense than anyone else in the pros in those early years).

Among the reasons this is interesting is that I think there's no doubt that in college, prior to the goaltending rules, however valuable Mikan and Bob Kurland were on offense, their defense had to have been more valuable still. Then they made the goaltending rule and these guys still dominated...but it had to have changed how they dominated.

While I think the pro game was rougher than college, my guess is that once they made the goaltending rule, their dominance shifted to a more offensive focus at first until these guys (or at least Mikan, harder to know about Kurland since he wasn't in the NBL/NBA), gained new defensive savvy.

Oh hey, Artis Gilmore certainly deserves a mention too!

Doctor MJ wrote:Oh hey, Artis Gilmore certainly deserves a mention too!

That's such a great mention I feel ashamed that I didn't mention him first, as his biggest fan of this board!

Olajuwon is among the best.

migya wrote:Olajuwon is among the best.

I don't think rookie Hakeem was nearly as good defender as rookie Robinson or rookie Duncan. He was raw and he fouled a lot.

Doctor MJ wrote:Between Mobley, Scottie & Herb, we're loaded with great defensive rookies.

Jalen Suggs has been great defensively too, he's been about as good as a rookie guard can be on that end.