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Amare is the only really great offensive big that I can think of with a worse defensive rep than Barkley. How do they really compare during their primes?

Barkley advantages (career numbers):
Defensive rebounding 23.7 v. 19.5 (def reb rate)
Steal %: 2.1 v. 1.2 (though steals can be deceptive if you make bad gambling decisions)
Lower body strength, tough to move off a spot

Amare advantages:
Height 6'10 v. 6'6
Shotblocking 2.9 v. 1.4


I would also say Amare made less bonehead plays defensively, but played with less energy overall. I wouldn't trust either to guard a great big man, and I'd trust Amare more on a normal sized PF with the average type of game that each faced during their career (rather than try to measure them against a 2020s type stretch 4).

Over the years, I've seen posters claim Barkley had stretches earlier in his career where he played defense. I've never seen anyone say anything remotely positive about Amare, defensively.

When he went to NY in 2011, there were articles on how he was more focused on defense.