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There are defensive GOAT candidates that have played the power forward position. Several were also elite solo rim protectors, or would/could have been in another era.

Who do you want if you already have your rim protector (a roster with Dikembe, Gobert, or Wilt for example). What do you want your power forward doing in that scenario? Is secondary rim protection the most important? Versatility? Elite guarding against the biggest, strongest stars? A giant monster at the nail?

At one end of the spectrum, we have guys who are basically centers versatile enough to play with slower bigs (Tim Duncan). At the other extreme, maybe you want a huge wing (Pippen, Kawhi, LeBron, OG Anunoby, Rodman, Artest) to give you supreme matchup flexibility. Maybe you want a guy who can do both (KG).

Today we've got some pretty crazy defensive bigs that play next to bigger centers. Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr, possibly Chet if he gets healthy next to Hartenstein. If you can take any defender from history to play next to another rim protector, who is it? Which player and which style do you find the most valuable?

I'd take draymond

It's a boring ass answer but the answer to most questions like this is KG. Draymond is also reasonable.

Draymond, KG, and Bobby Jones were the 3 guys that jumped out at me, but Bobby was more a help protector and less a stopper than the other two. Consistent high stock guy in addition to being a great system guy and defensive quarterback, but I went with Draymond in the end. KG with limited offensive responsibility might be the best but he was always a major offensive threat through his prime and that takes a lot of energy as well. Dray is a very good playmaker and Bobby Jones an hyper efficient guy but neither were a major offensive threat.

I mean, if you already gave an ideal rim protector like Duncan, then yes you pair him with KG. Because you already have Duncan.

AK may also have been a great shotblocker, but was great allround defensively. Better having two great shotblockers than one, if they are better at other facets defensively. AK was a beast but only really lasted three or so seasons.

Other

As evidenced by his performance as a 40 year old alongside a rim protector vs the top 2 PFs in the league in b2b series in 2004 the answer for me is Karl Malone.

He absolutely put the clamps on MVP KG in game 6 of the WCF. He was on his last legs and both Dunxan and KG had fits trying to score 1 on 1 vs him.

Hot take, LeBron - he makes your offense way more dynamic than any listed here. And as we all know offense bleeds into defense and vice versa.

Garnett, followed by Jones.

"Other" HM to McHale and Artest.

Horace Grant deserves an honorable mention

EmpireFalls wrote:Hot take, LeBron - he makes your offense way more dynamic than any listed here. And as we all know offense bleeds into defense and vice versa.

Yeah if I have an elite defensive center, I'm plugging Lebron in. He's the best player available.

If my only concern was defense(it never is) then just give me the best guy which is Tim Duncan. With the bonus that when my center sits I still have an elite defensive center.

Draymond probably my only other real consideration.

Texas Chuck wrote:

EmpireFalls wrote:Hot take, LeBron - he makes your offense way more dynamic than any listed here. And as we all know offense bleeds into defense and vice versa.

Yeah if I have an elite defensive center, I'm plugging Lebron in. He's the best player available.

If my only concern was defense(it never is) then just give me the best guy which is Tim Duncan. With the bonus that when my center sits I still have an elite defensive center.

Draymond probably my only other real consideration.

What version of Lebron do you like best as a defensive PF?

I think if you're the most attracted to the defender also being able to play center: Duncan, KG, and Sheed (also Bam, AD, Mobley, JJJ, theoretically Russell and Thurmond as well?) are probably the best ever at playing both of those positions. All three of them are elite defensive centers. I wonder a little bit about Duncan as a defensive power forward in a more modern game, but think he's the best drop rim protector of this group.

cupcakesnake wrote:What version of Lebron do you like best as a defensive PF?

Well if I'm taking Lebron, I'm more focused on getting the best offensive version of him. I could find better defensive PF's, but I can't find a better overall player. I'm probably taking 2013 Lebron.

I think Duncan does just fine and I think we overrate how much trouble great players would have moving forward in time (and ironically we vastly underrate how much trouble modern players would have going backwards).

But in that case I just go with Draymond where there are zero doubts how he translates.

You list some other really interesting choices obviously. Spurs era Kawhi, Pippen, KG. Giannis should be mentioned here because again you get this freight train of an offensive player on top.

One other name I'd at least consider is Sheed. Positives for him include the ability to use him as a go-to scorer when my star misses a game, his ability to space the floor, and his complete lack of concern for his offensive touches despite a lot of offensive ability.

cupcakesnake wrote:

Texas Chuck wrote:

EmpireFalls wrote:Hot take, LeBron - he makes your offense way more dynamic than any listed here. And as we all know offense bleeds into defense and vice versa.

Yeah if I have an elite defensive center, I'm plugging Lebron in. He's the best player available.

If my only concern was defense(it never is) then just give me the best guy which is Tim Duncan. With the bonus that when my center sits I still have an elite defensive center.

Draymond probably my only other real consideration.

What version of Lebron do you like best as a defensive PF?

The correct answer is always 2009.

OP question is best defensive forward. Not sure why people keep talking about the offensive abilities.

jjgp111292 wrote:Horace Grant deserves an honorable mention

I know it was just a one off series that ended with only a 4 game sample but I don't know what happened to him in the 95 Finals.

I understand having trouble guarding Hakeem when he wasn't matched up with Shaq, but Horry that couldn't create his own offense shouldn't have been allowed to score that well (17ppg) imho.

Voting Draymond. KG mostly only had elite impact when he was played as the primary rim protector. Draymond could do it all over the floor.

FuShengTHEGreat wrote:

jjgp111292 wrote:Horace Grant deserves an honorable mention

I know it was just a one off series that ended with only a 4 game sample but I don't know what happened to him in the 95 Finals.

I understand having trouble guarding Hakeem when he wasn't matched up with Shaq, but Horry that couldn't create his own offense shouldn't have been allowed to score that well (17ppg) imho.

Horry could though of his own shotmaking. Rockets Horry is a very ideal stretch forward next to a superstar. Personally I wish he got more of an on ball role 94/95 but because he was flat the best shooter that was the role he was put in (basically the best passer too I may add).

Add to what is what like back then, players weren't comfortable, not that great defenders wouldn't manage it's just that it's not what we see today.

Vote Green easily, he's a mastermind, A locked in Lebron is also all time with a less offensive burden/has the gas in the tank. Always thought that's the best version not surprising he won 4 chips with 3 different scorers. 2020 Lebron stuffed pnr play and obviously a tank on weak side/help.

Duncan/Lebron
Howard/Lebron
Keem/Lebron

Filthy

DCasey91 wrote:
Vote Green easily, he's a mastermind, A locked in Lebron is also all time with a less offensive burden/has the gas in the tank. Always thought that's the best version not surprising he won 4 chips with 3 different scorers. 2020 Lebron stuffed pnr play and obviously a tank on weak side/help.

For me, I can't quite get Lebron into the same discussion as the highest ranked defensive power forwards. Functionally, yes he gives you a ton of mobility on switches and rotations, and his vertical rim protection pairs nicely with that to give you a monster defensive impact guy.

There are weaknesses though. He doesn't have freakish length (7'0" wingspan), and his lower body strength during his athletic prime wasn't quite good enough to guard centers (Lakers Lebron could guard centers but not do most of the other stuff). This doesn't make him bad, I just think when comparing him to guys like Draymond and KG, I can't imagine picking Lebron for defense. I like everyone I put in the poll better than Lebron, but he'd be right there in the next group of guys with a lot of more wing-ish power forwards (Covington, OG, PJ Tucker, Batum). Giannis is probably the guy I'd rank last out of the poll options, and it's hard to imagine picking Lebron over Giannis, defensively.

cupcakesnake wrote:

DCasey91 wrote:
Vote Green easily, he's a mastermind, A locked in Lebron is also all time with a less offensive burden/has the gas in the tank. Always thought that's the best version not surprising he won 4 chips with 3 different scorers. 2020 Lebron stuffed pnr play and obviously a tank on weak side/help.

For me, I can't quite get Lebron into the same discussion as the highest ranked defensive power forwards. Functionally, yes he gives you a ton of mobility on switches and rotations, and his vertical rim protection pairs nicely with that to give you a monster defensive impact guy.

There are weaknesses though. He doesn't have freakish length (7'0" wingspan), and his lower body strength during his athletic prime wasn't quite good enough to guard centers (Lakers Lebron could guard centers but not do most of the other stuff). This doesn't make him bad, I just think when comparing him to guys like Draymond and KG, I can't imagine picking Lebron for defense. I like everyone I put in the poll better than Lebron, but he'd be right there in the next group of guys with a lot of more wing-ish power forwards (Covington, OG, PJ Tucker, Batum). Giannis is probably the guy I'd rank last out of the poll options, and it's hard to imagine picking Lebron over Giannis, defensively.

He's way smarter than that next group for starters. Context matters a lot. We saw what an older Bron did next to ATG rim protection, heck in his early Cavs days we saw it as well.

I do not care about measurables or athletic traits when it comes to Lebron Bloody James. Dude is a super soldier. Bron is uber fukn fast in his athletic prime, dumb strong and dumb jumpy, he's a better mover than Garnett or Green.