How would you categorize Magic/K Malone as defenders? How would they do today?

[1993Playoffs]

Different positions but same height and Somewhat similar physical profiles

How would you characterize their defense in their own era?

Would they be able to have more impactful/versatility in today’s league?

[70sFan]

I think quite highly of Malone's defense. He was a very strong and crafty post defender, but he had also absurdly quick hands and quite quick feet to cover the ground. His lack of verticality on defense certainly hurt his case for all-defensive level impact, but I still view him as a very, very good defender at his best. Would he do better today? I don't know, I'm afraid that he'd develop his body to a different direction and we just don't know how much of an impact he'd be able to make. He was a smart player who had physical tools though, so I think he'd be roughly the same.

Magic is significantly worse in my evaluation, although I still view him as a positive on defense in his best years. Until he got old and very slow laterally, he could give you some value with his play on passing lanes and he was quite crafty at playing free safety role (something at which he is highly underrated vs Bird in my opinion). He still had some weaknesses though - gambling tendencies, slow feet, lack of length, inconsistent effort. I am not sure how well Magic would fare in today's league, I'm afraid teams would have to hide him on defense like they do with someone like Doncic (though Magic would be definitely better than Luka in the last few years in my opinion).

[1993Playoffs]

I think quite highly of Malone's defense. He was a very strong and crafty post defender, but he had also absurdly quick hands and quite quick feet to cover the ground. His lack of verticality on defense certainly hurt his case for all-defensive level impact, but I still view him as a very, very good defender at his best. Would he do better today? I don't know, I'm afraid that he'd develop his body to a different direction and we just don't know how much of an impact he'd be able to make. He was a smart player who had physical tools though, so I think he'd be roughly the same.

Magic is significantly worse in my evaluation, although I still view him as a positive on defense in his best years. Until he got old and very slow laterally, he could give you some value with his play on passing lanes and he was quite crafty at playing free safety role (something at which he is highly underrated vs Bird in my opinion). He still had some weaknesses though - gambling tendencies, slow feet, lack of length, inconsistent effort. I am not sure how well Magic would fare in today's league, I'm afraid teams would have to hide him on defense like they do with someone like Doncic (though Magic would be definitely better than Luka in the last few years in my opinion).

Thanks for answering great post I was under the impression that magic would actually be better today due to positionless basketball and everything being so spaced out but I may be overrated his defense if your comparable to Luka

[70sFan]

I think quite highly of Malone's defense. He was a very strong and crafty post defender, but he had also absurdly quick hands and quite quick feet to cover the ground. His lack of verticality on defense certainly hurt his case for all-defensive level impact, but I still view him as a very, very good defender at his best. Would he do better today? I don't know, I'm afraid that he'd develop his body to a different direction and we just don't know how much of an impact he'd be able to make. He was a smart player who had physical tools though, so I think he'd be roughly the same.

Magic is significantly worse in my evaluation, although I still view him as a positive on defense in his best years. Until he got old and very slow laterally, he could give you some value with his play on passing lanes and he was quite crafty at playing free safety role (something at which he is highly underrated vs Bird in my opinion). He still had some weaknesses though - gambling tendencies, slow feet, lack of length, inconsistent effort. I am not sure how well Magic would fare in today's league, I'm afraid teams would have to hide him on defense like they do with someone like Doncic (though Magic would be definitely better than Luka in the last few years in my opinion).

Thanks for answering great post I was under the impression that magic would actually be better today due to positionless basketball and everything being so spaced out but I may be overrated his defense if your comparable to Luka

I think he'd be clearly better than Luka, don't get me wrong. I just think he'd struggle against spaced out game and you'd see him a lot covering unskilled wings.

[carlquincy]

I remember Malone giving Duncan problems with his post defense in the 04 playoffs. Extremely quick hands

[migya]

Malone was a very good defender, he just wasn't much of a shotblocker. To be playing up to the best PFs (Duncan and KG) at the end years of his career shows how good he was.

[eminence]

There aren't many PFs as big as Karl these days, I could see him being employed more often as a C (or maybe he doesn't bulk up quite as much). In the scenario where he doesn't bulk up (as much) I think he's fine at the 4, though I do think his main strength in post defense is a bit nullified in the modern game. He's got plenty of athleticism to defend in space in this scenario, though I don't think he's the fastest in terms of processing stuff so I do see him struggling a bit in PnR coverage and off ball.

Overall I'd say he'd drop from being a good borderline All D guy to more of a slight positive on defense in the modern era. Can't really think of a good comparison guy though.

[70sFan]

There aren't many PFs as big as Karl these days, I could see him being employed more often as a C (or maybe he doesn't bulk up quite as much). In the scenario where he doesn't bulk up (as much) I think he's fine at the 4, though I do think his main strength in post defense is a bit nullified in the modern game. He's got plenty of athleticism to defend in space in this scenario, though I don't think he's the fastest in terms of processing stuff so I do see him struggling a bit in PnR coverage and off ball.

Overall I'd say he'd drop from being a good borderline All D guy to more of a slight positive on defense in the modern era. Can't really think of a good comparison guy though.

What about Paul Millsap kind of defender?

[eminence]

There aren't many PFs as big as Karl these days, I could see him being employed more often as a C (or maybe he doesn't bulk up quite as much). In the scenario where he doesn't bulk up (as much) I think he's fine at the 4, though I do think his main strength in post defense is a bit nullified in the modern game. He's got plenty of athleticism to defend in space in this scenario, though I don't think he's the fastest in terms of processing stuff so I do see him struggling a bit in PnR coverage and off ball.

Overall I'd say he'd drop from being a good borderline All D guy to more of a slight positive on defense in the modern era. Can't really think of a good comparison guy though.

What about Paul Millsap kind of defender?

That's a pretty good one, I think of Millsap as a bit more agile and a bit smarter on team defense, but some of that is probably era.

[1993Playoffs]

There aren't many PFs as big as Karl these days, I could see him being employed more often as a C (or maybe he doesn't bulk up quite as much). In the scenario where he doesn't bulk up (as much) I think he's fine at the 4, though I do think his main strength in post defense is a bit nullified in the modern game. He's got plenty of athleticism to defend in space in this scenario, though I don't think he's the fastest in terms of processing stuff so I do see him struggling a bit in PnR coverage and off ball.

Overall I'd say he'd drop from being a good borderline All D guy to more of a slight positive on defense in the modern era. Can't really think of a good comparison guy though.

What do you think of Magic ? Do you think he’d be used how in today’s game of defense like 70sFan pointed out?

[eminence]

There aren't many PFs as big as Karl these days, I could see him being employed more often as a C (or maybe he doesn't bulk up quite as much). In the scenario where he doesn't bulk up (as much) I think he's fine at the 4, though I do think his main strength in post defense is a bit nullified in the modern game. He's got plenty of athleticism to defend in space in this scenario, though I don't think he's the fastest in terms of processing stuff so I do see him struggling a bit in PnR coverage and off ball.

Overall I'd say he'd drop from being a good borderline All D guy to more of a slight positive on defense in the modern era. Can't really think of a good comparison guy though.

What do you think of Magic ? Do you think he’d be used how in today’s game of defense like 70sFan pointed out?

Sounds like I'd be a bit higher on Magic in the current era than 70sfan would be, though I'd still think of him as a neutralish defender. I generally found him pretty smart on defense and his size is fine for a modern 4. Bit slow of foot even for a 4 and no vertical bounce holding him back.

Mega Diaw on offense, but more just Diaw on defense.

[Joao Saraiva]

I think quite highly of Malone's defense. He was a very strong and crafty post defender, but he had also absurdly quick hands and quite quick feet to cover the ground. His lack of verticality on defense certainly hurt his case for all-defensive level impact, but I still view him as a very, very good defender at his best. Would he do better today? I don't know, I'm afraid that he'd develop his body to a different direction and we just don't know how much of an impact he'd be able to make. He was a smart player who had physical tools though, so I think he'd be roughly the same.

Magic is significantly worse in my evaluation, although I still view him as a positive on defense in his best years. Until he got old and very slow laterally, he could give you some value with his play on passing lanes and he was quite crafty at playing free safety role (something at which he is highly underrated vs Bird in my opinion). He still had some weaknesses though - gambling tendencies, slow feet, lack of length, inconsistent effort. I am not sure how well Magic would fare in today's league, I'm afraid teams would have to hide him on defense like they do with someone like Doncic (though Magic would be definitely better than Luka in the last few years in my opinion).

Well, assuming Malone built his body the same way it would translate bad for him to go into today's game. He definitely was a great man to man defender with quick hands like you said, but his help D was always suspicious and that's much more needed nowadays than defending man to man in the post.