NBA Post Defenders

[NSDukeFan]

After much deliberation, the New Orleans Hornets select...Anthony Davis. If you look at the list of NBA champions over the last 10 years, they'll have one thing in common, a solid post defender, with the possible exception of Andrew Bynum and the Lakers. While the Hornets are years away from competing, Davis will hopefully be the cornerstone around which the team can build itself into a successful franchise for the next decade.

Isn't Bynum one of the most solid post defenders out there? Were you maybe saying that when the Lakers won, he wasn't one of the premier defenders at that time? I guess that is potential but it looks like your pick is solid when you do look at past champions. Was Shaq a better post defender for Miami that Bynum for the champions Lakers? I don't know.

[superdave]

Isn't Bynum one of the most solid post defenders out there? Were you maybe saying that when the Lakers won, he wasn't one of the premier defenders at that time? I guess that is potential but it looks like your pick is solid when you do look at past champions. Was Shaq a better post defender for Miami that Bynum for the champions Lakers? I don't know.

This was Bynum's best season to date. He played his best, was healthy all year and got more minutes due to the loss off Lamar Odom.

He blocked 116 shots, 6th in the NBA. (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bynuman01.html) He had 11.8 rebounds per game, 3rd in the league. His defensive rebound % was 5th. I'd say he is blossoming into a really good defender. He still did not get any votes for All-Defense (http://www.nba.com/2012/news/05/23/nba-all-defensive-team-2011-2012/index.html).

[dcdevil2009]

Isn't Bynum one of the most solid post defenders out there? Were you maybe saying that when the Lakers won, he wasn't one of the premier defenders at that time? I guess that is potential but it looks like your pick is solid when you do look at past champions. Was Shaq a better post defender for Miami that Bynum for the champions Lakers? I don't know.

The possible exception for Bynum and the Lakers was more injury related than talent related. Against Orlando in '09 he only played 95 minutes compared with Odom (169), Gasol (212) and his counterpart, Dwight Howard (213). With the Heat, Shaq might not have been a better post defender, but I when I was thinking of that Heat team, the post defender that came to mind was Alonzo Mourning. While he only played 66 minutes, he had 9 blocks and 19 rebounds. Although he was well past his prime, those are certainly better defensive stats than Bynum put up in more minutes per game in '09.