1 (tie). Dwight Howard, Magic and Ron Artest, Lakers:
Howard leads the league in rebounding, blocked shots and intimidations.
(Is that an official stat? If not, it should be.) But as Lakers Nation
would be quick to point out, Ron-Ron (despite sporting this hairdo) has been the league's top defender for the past month.
Howard allows his teammates to gamble more because he is always the
last line of defense and is able to cover up their mistakes. Artest is
the NBA's top perimeter defender, constantly aggravating his opponent
with his chest-to-chest style. (Last week: 1 and 2)
2. Andrew Bogut, Bucks:
He is averaging 2.5 blocks and more than 10 rebounds per game. In the
past, he would try to draw a charge, but this season he is attempting
to swat shots away. (Last week: 4)
3. Gerald Wallace, Bobcats: Ask the Warriors about what kind of terror Wallace is on defense -- he blocked five of their shots Saturday night. (Last week: 3)
4. Josh Smith, Hawks: The league's fourth-best shot-blocker has at least two rejections in five straight games. (Last week: 5)
5. Anderson Varejao, Cavs:
I've been reading that LeBron is a top-three DPOY candidate, which is
interesting because he is not even the top defender on his own team.
Varejao's energy and toughness around the basket tend to get
overlooked. (Last week: NR)