Maybe not stone cold lockdown defenders but.
AK47 Andrei Kirilenko (when healthy can play defense)
Mano Ginobli is no slouch on D.
Samuel Dalembert (Haitian/Canadien citizen now)
Andres Nocioni (Argentina)
Still can do it as Yao's back-up.
Dikembe Mutombo (Congo) at 42 can still block shots and rebound. All time NBA shot blocker still active. 4 Time NBA Defensive player of the year.
Oldest player in NBA history to collect over 20 rebounds in a game (March 2nd 2007 vs. Denver Nuggets).
wil.
AK47 Andrei Kirilenko (when healthy can play defense)
Mano Ginobli is no slouch on D.
Samuel Dalembert (Haitian/Canadien citizen now)
Andres Nocioni (Argentina)
Still can do it as Yao's back-up.
Dikembe Mutombo (Congo) at 42 can still block shots and rebound. All time NBA shot blocker still active. 4 Time NBA Defensive player of the year.
Oldest player in NBA history to collect over 20 rebounds in a game (March 2nd 2007 vs. Denver Nuggets).
wil.
Here's an article that talks about this subject:
(www.interbasket.net) -- The NBA announced their 2007-08 All-NBA Defensive Teams today—which included Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan, but neither the first or second team included an international NBA player, and that got me thinking.
What would an all-defensive team look like it, if it was solely comprised of all foreign-born NBA players?
Keep in mind that I don't consider Tim Duncan or Raja Bell as international players. With that in mind, who would be on that team?
Would Andrei Kirilenko, whom has lost a step but is still a great lockdown and help defender, make the team? Would multiple-NBA defensive player of the year Dikembe Mutombo make the team despite his lack of playing time and his age?
What about energetic players who are constantly on the move, like Ronny Turiaf and Andres Nocioni? Or players who consistently sacrifice their bodies to take offensive charges like Eduardo Najera and Anderson Varejao? What kind of global defensive team could be put together?
My defensive team would begin with the hyper-competitive Manu Ginobili, along with the long arms and quick feet of the athletic Mickael Pietrus in the backcourt.
At the forward positions would be solid all-around defender Luol Deng and defensive jack-of-all-trades Andrei Kirilenko.
As for the center position, it was a close call between the Haitian shot-blocker Samuel Dalembert and the solid team-defender Andris Biedrins Of Latvia. I tossed a coin and went with Dalembert.
My second team would be comprised by the fiery Jose Calderon, up-and-coming defender Thabo Sefolosha, team-oriented hustler Najera, the frenetic and awkward Varejao, and the aforementioned Biedrins, who gets off the floor like a seven-foot Latvian cat.
No international players were included on either all-NBA defensive teams, but many received votes—including Deng (5), Kirilenko (5), Ginobili (4), Tony Parker (1), and Francisco Elson (1).
Check out the list of players and vote for your top-five in our discussion forum.
Sources: San Antonio Teammates Bowen and Duncan Top 2006-07 NBA All-Defensive
(www.interbasket.net) -- The NBA announced their 2007-08 All-NBA Defensive Teams today—which included Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan, but neither the first or second team included an international NBA player, and that got me thinking.
What would an all-defensive team look like it, if it was solely comprised of all foreign-born NBA players?
Keep in mind that I don't consider Tim Duncan or Raja Bell as international players. With that in mind, who would be on that team?
Would Andrei Kirilenko, whom has lost a step but is still a great lockdown and help defender, make the team? Would multiple-NBA defensive player of the year Dikembe Mutombo make the team despite his lack of playing time and his age?
What about energetic players who are constantly on the move, like Ronny Turiaf and Andres Nocioni? Or players who consistently sacrifice their bodies to take offensive charges like Eduardo Najera and Anderson Varejao? What kind of global defensive team could be put together?
My defensive team would begin with the hyper-competitive Manu Ginobili, along with the long arms and quick feet of the athletic Mickael Pietrus in the backcourt.
At the forward positions would be solid all-around defender Luol Deng and defensive jack-of-all-trades Andrei Kirilenko.
As for the center position, it was a close call between the Haitian shot-blocker Samuel Dalembert and the solid team-defender Andris Biedrins Of Latvia. I tossed a coin and went with Dalembert.
My second team would be comprised by the fiery Jose Calderon, up-and-coming defender Thabo Sefolosha, team-oriented hustler Najera, the frenetic and awkward Varejao, and the aforementioned Biedrins, who gets off the floor like a seven-foot Latvian cat.
No international players were included on either all-NBA defensive teams, but many received votes—including Deng (5), Kirilenko (5), Ginobili (4), Tony Parker (1), and Francisco Elson (1).
Check out the list of players and vote for your top-five in our discussion forum.
Sources: San Antonio Teammates Bowen and Duncan Top 2006-07 NBA All-Defensive
It depends on what you mean by international player. Tim Duncan isn't from the U.S. even though he is a U.S. citizen. Yao Ming isn't horrible is he? Patrick Ewing was born in Jamaca. Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria, he was pretty good. As of right now I guess maybe: Andrei Kirilenko from Utah. He was born in Russia and has been named to a couple NBA all defensive teams.
AK47 is a beast on defense when he wants to be. He is probably one of the best defenders in the league when healthy.
Europeans have a bad rep for being soft, but people forget that the Spurs are mainly Euros and they have arguably been the best franchise of this decade.
Europeans have a bad rep for being soft, but people forget that the Spurs are mainly Euros and they have arguably been the best franchise of this decade.
