Ben Wallace vs Metta World Peace - Taking a statistical deep dive into the defensive prowess of 2 stalwarts
The game of basketball is not always about scoring. You can't win a championship without playing defense.
Several great teams are known for their defense. One primary reason for the Chicago Bulls' success in the '90s was their defense. They locked down their opponents in the playoffs.
Let's break down two of the greatest defensive players of their generation.
"Big Ben" Wallace made a name for himself through defensive skills
Ben Wallace entered the league undrafted. But the Washington Wizards signed the unknown player. He eventually ended up with the Detroit Pistons as the central piece of their "Going to Work" team.
Wallace quickly drew comparisons to Pistons legend Dennis Rodman. The city of Detroit embraced him because of his tough defensive stance and relentless rebounding.
Wallace is best remembered for helping the Pistons defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals. The Lakers were heavy favorites with Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone.
Ben Wallace played excellent defense against Shaquille O'Neal, leading the Pistons' record-breaking defense.
Ben Wallace helped prove that defense wins championships. During his first stint in Detroit, the Hall of Fame center averaged 12.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.8 blocks per game. Wallace is the only player in NBA history with more career blocks than fouls and more steals than turnovers.
Ben Wallace won Defensive Player of the Year four times (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. He was also a 4x NBA All-Star and 5x NBA All-Defensive First Team.
Wallace also played for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers before returning to the Detroit Pistons to retire.
Career Stats: PPG 5.7 RPG 9.6 APG 1.3 SPG 1.3 BPG 2.0
NBA fans think Metta World Peace was one of nastiest defensive players
Metta World Peace, formerly Ron Artest, was the 16th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 1999 NBA Draft. Three years later he got traded to the Indiana Pacers.
World Peace became a leader with the Pacers. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2004 Playoffs, losing to the Detroit Pistons. The series became known as one of the most physical in NBA history.
World Peace played a big part in their success with his stifling on-ball defense.
World Peace became an All-Star for the first time in 2004.
He later played for the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009. He helped Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol win the title.
World Peace frustrated his opponents with his sticky defense and unorthodox tactics.
World Peace won Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and was named the 2x NBA All-Defensive First Team.
Career Stats: PPG 13.2 RPG 4.5 APG 2.7 SPG 1.7 BPG 0.5
Who was the better defensive player?
The two defensive-minded players made their mark on the NBA in the early 2000s as the league's best defenders.
Here is an analysis of the two based on a ranking of 1-10 (10 is the highest) of a few skills.
Ben Wallace:
- Perimeter Defense – 5
- Low-post Defense – 9
- Blocks - 8
- Steal - 5
Metta World Peace:
- Perimeter Defense – 7
- Low-post Defense – 6
- Blocks - 5
- Steal - 6
Ben Wallace seems to be the better defensive player based on statistics, awards and overall impact on the game. Few players have reached the Hall of Fame while scoring less than 10 points per game. World Peace was an excellent defender, but Wallace changed the game.