Top 5 rim protectors ahead of 2024-25 NBA season
As the saying goes, defense wins championships. Though the quote was first applied to college football by legendary head coach Bear Bryant, the same holds true on the basketball court. In the NBA, teams are separated by defensive ability.
On the defensive end, rim protection is one of the most important aspects of the game. Most NBA teams build a defense around an anchor in the post and expect the big men to block and influence shots close to the rim. Looking at this specific part of NBA defenses, let's review the top-five best rim protectors in the NBA ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Top five NBA rim protectors for 2024-25
1. Victor Wembanyama
Despite entering just his second NBA season, Victor Wembanyama is already the best rim protector and shot blocker in the NBA. Throughout his rookie season, players routinely passed up seemingly open layup attempts, fearing Wembanyama would block their shot. Wembanyama notched the third-highest blocks per game by a rookie in league history, averaging 3.6 blocks, which led the NBA.
2. Rudy Gobert
Despite some believing Wembanyama deserved the award, Rudy Gobert established himself as one of the greatest rim-protectors in NBA history after winning his fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023-24. Gobert has averaged 2 or more blocks per game in nine of his 11 NBA seasons and is tied for 12th all-time in career blocks per game. He also joined Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo as the only players to win DPOY four times.
3. Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis reestablished himself as a true defensive anchor last season, earning his first All-Defense nomination since his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019-20. Anthony Davis is arguably the best defensive player in NBA history without a DPOY award in his trophy case, averaging 2.3 blocks per game for his career, which is 10th-best in NBA history.
4. Chet Holmgren
Like his rookie counterpart Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren made an instant impact on the defensive end of the court in his first NBA season, averaging 2.3 blocks per game. Holmgren also ranked eighth in the NBA in block percentage among players with a minimum of 60 games played.
5. Daniel Gafford
Daniel Gafford was able to show his defensive impact on the big stage after being traded from the Washington Wizards to the Dallas Mavericks last season. Gafford gave Dallas a true paint protector and provided a spark down the stretch of the season. In his fifth NBA season, Gafford posted his first year with 2 or more blocks per game, breaking out as one of the NBA's best shot-blockers and rim protectors with 2.1 blocks per game last season.