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20 greatest defensive point guards ever: The HoopsHype list
Feb 19, 2025
HoopsHype staff
We have taken our list and split it into five positions: point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards and centers. The players who received some votes but were ultimately left out are now included in the positional rankings, so you can see who nearly made the cut for our Top 78.
Gary Payton aka The Glove is our pick for best defensive point guard ever. Check the full list down below:
1. Gary Payton
Top defensive accolades: One Defensive Player of the Year award, nine All-Defensive 1st Team selections, one time NBA steals leader, eight years receiving Defensive Player of the Year votes
NBA rank: 5th in steals, 179th in defensive rebounds
One of just two players listed at point guard to ever win Defensive Player of the Year, Hall of Famer Gary Payton took home the award in 1995-96, a season that saw him lead the league in steals with 2.9. Payton finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year vote two other times in his career.
Without a doubt, Payton is the GOAT when it comes to point-guard defenders, as he had elite lateral quickness, fantastic hands and played with a whole lot of tenacity and swagger on that end of the floor, making defense look cool. He also had a knack for getting in opponents’ heads with his trash-talking prowess.
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