A lot of sports media and fan engagement online has turned into conversations about “best-of” lists.
It doesn’t matter the sport, the position, or the topic; sports fanatics can find a way to create lists to debate with their friends or co-workers.
This tends to be an especially heated debate among basketball fans, who commonly argue about who the greatest player of all time is.
Some believe it to be LeBron James, others Michael Jordan, and others still have come up with explanations for who the greatest is.
Kendrick Perkins added to this noise differently, as NBA Central called out on X.
He recently called out his top five defensive players in the league, starting with Alex Caruso, followed by Evan Mobley, Amen Thompson, Victor Wembanyama, and Luguentz Dort.
Kendrick Perkins’ top 5 defensive players in the NBA:
1. Alex Caruso
2. Evan Mobley
3. Amen Thompson
4. Victor Wembanyama
5. Luguentz Dort
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 ) pic.twitter.com/69gts3ZTYh
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 6, 2025
This list was met with lots of criticism and questions, as there were some surprising names on his list, while others were surprise omissions.
One of those names is Rudy Gobert, who many believe is the best defensive center in the league, perhaps second to Wembanyama when considering his other attributes.
Regardless of how fans react, this is Perkins’ list, one he’s sticking to as it relates to current players.
This list could change as the 2025-2026 season begins and games start playing out, but it seems set in stone for the moment.
The season might not start for a few months, but with a lot of offseason chatter going on, which includes lists like Perkins’, the year will be here before fans know it.
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