The 2025-26 NBA season is quickly approaching. After an action-packed 2024-25 campaign that saw the Oklahoma City Thunder emerge victorious over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, fans are ready to get a new year underway.
With the season coming up fast, a lot of opinions are being shared about where players rank among each other throughout the league.
Over the years, the league has transitioned towards offense. Gone are the days of praises being sung far and wide about elite defenders.
Despite that fact, former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins took some time to reveal who he believes the top defenders in the league are.
His list includes five worthy candidates. However, at the No. 1 spot, Thunder wing Alex Caruso came in as the pick.
Behind Caruso, Perkins picked Evan Mobley, Amen Thompson, Victor Wembanyama, and Lugentz Dort.
Perkins' list immediately drew quite a few reactions from NBA fans on social media. They did not hesitate to share their opinions on the topic at hand.
"No disrespect to these 5, but Derrick white not being on this list is insane," one fan commented.
Another said, "No Bam makes the list invalid."
"Solid list. Could interchange the order or a name here and there. Folks just wanna be mad about something," a third fan wrote.
A fourth comment read, "No AD is crazy other than Wemby I got him best defensive player in the game."
Notably, Perkins included two members of the championship winning Thunder on his list. Both Caruso and Dort tortured opposing offensive players all year long.
Without Oklahoma City's two defensive geniuses, there is a very good chance that the Thunder would not have prevailed over the Pacers in the NBA Finals.
Caruso has been an extremely underrated player for years. He ended the 2024-25 season averaging 7.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 44.6 percent overall and 35.3 percent from three-point range.
Fans may not love Perkins' list, but all five names are elite defenders. Caruso receiving the pick may not have been loved by all, but he is more than deserving of being in the consideration for being the best defender in the NBA.
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