Top 5 shot-blockers in the NBA

It raises the energy of the team and the home crowd, and is a huge defensive play at any minute in a game as it more often than not gives the opposition an empty possession. In terms of gaining or maintaining the lead in a game, any defensive play creating turnovers and giving the opponents an empty possession is vital to the team and the Block is one such defensive play.

The top spots in shot-blocking, for obvious reasons, are occupied by the big men of each team keeping in mind their height and long wingspan.

My criteria for naming the top 5 shot-blockers in the NBA would be their number of blocks, agility in defense and how their great shot-blocking has helped impact their team defense.

Here is my Top 5:-

5. Larry Sanders(Milwaukee Bucks)

Larry Sanders (Getty Images)

The 6’11 Forward averages 1.9 blocks per game (bpg) for his career and his shot-blocking skills have improved each year. He averaged 1.2 in his rookie season and followed it up by averaging 1.5 bpg the next season. In his third season in the NBA he averaged 2.8 bpg which is a huge improvement from the previous seasons. He finished third in the NBA’s most improved player category behind Paul George of the Indiana Pacers and Greivis Vasquez of the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans).

Even with his breakout season this year, and averaging more for the season than some of the players on this list, he hasn’t been able to help the Bucks with his shot-blocking ability. He once had 10 blocks as part of a triple double game against Minnesota in a loss. Adding the facts, the Bucks lie a lowly 12th in the defensive efficiency category, considering the kind of defensive and shot blocking ability that their center has.

4. Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets)

Dwight Howard (Getty Images)

The most popular man in the NBA this post season has got his share of media glare and now needs to concentrate on helping and leading the Rockets to a long post season with his game, predominantly his defense and impact in the paint.

He averages 2.2 bpg for his career spanning 9 seasons and had league leading years in the blocks department, in consecutive seasons that too 2008-09, 2009-10 with a bpg of 2.9 and 2.8 respectively. He had 2.4 bpg this season with the Lakers but the team defense wasn’t impacted as the Lakers ended 18th on the defensive efficiency table.

His averages in the years 2008-10 have impacted the decision in him winning 3 consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. Houston would have a lot of hopes resting on D-12 this season.

3. Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers)

Roy Hibbert (Getty Images)

Indiana beat Memphis by a small margin in the category of defensive efficiency and a large part of that reason has been this 7’2 center from Georgetown.

His shot blocking improved over the past two seasons with averages of 2 and 2.6 bpg. However, this ability came to the fore when the defensive strength of the Pacers and his presence in the paint made the Miami Heat sweat in the 2012 Conference Semifinals. He averaged a playoff and career high 3.1 bpg that series. Hibbert sets the bar really on how a man’s individual presence in the paint can help the team defense. Of course the team defense is also coach Frank Vogel’s philosophy.

This year he contributed once again to the team, being the big man in the paint that he is in the Conference Finals with the Heat; the absence of big men in the Heat being the weakness that led to the series going to 7 games. The Pacers will expect the same, if not better, performance from him this season too.

2. Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)

Tim Duncan (Getty Images)

He is not known in the league for his shot-blocking, however in a career spanning 17 years he averages 2.2 bpg. He had a career year in 02-03 season with 2.9 bpg, but since then his best season was last year where he averaged 2.7 bpg.

His defense in the post is well known and that’s where a majority of his blocks are seen on the opponent big man’s fading jump shots in the post. In terms of affecting team defense, he has been a constant figure in the paint for the team, whether it is shot blocking, rebounding or just his defense. No wonder the Spurs ranked third in the league last year in Defensive Efficiency.

With their title run last year ending in disappointment, the Spurs would look to the veteran for his leadership and his constant and consistent impact in the paint.

1. Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Serge Ibaka (Getty Images)

The Spanish national deserves to be on the top of the list and with his performance and statistics in this category he commands his place at the top. The man is a beast in the paint and feared in the league. He averaged a career high and league leading 3.7 bpg in just his third season in the league. Last year, once again, he averaged a league leading 3 bpg.

His extraordinary skills in blocking do not take OKC’s defense as high in the league as one would expect. Still his averages in bpg continued in the Playoffs and was a major reason behind OKC competing in the post-season even with Russell Westbrook out.

Along with his shot blocking, his points and rebounds have improved too. He had a career year last season in points per game and rebounds. OKC would expect the same scale of improvement from the Spanish national this season in hopes of another shot at the title, with their hopes ending in a second round exit to the Grizzlies these Playoffs.