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NBA top 100 defenders rankings (1-10): Victor Wembanyama, Draymond Green, and Alex Caruso land on 2025-26 list

Who are the league's best defenders? That's the question that I've tried to tackle on an annual basis at Sporting News. I already hit on the no. 11-100 defenders in the league in Part 1 of this series. Now we're on to Part 2: the top 10.

Each of these players is talented enough to win a Defensive Player of the Year award under the right conditions. Their skills show though that there are different ways to be impactful on defense. Some rely on massive size and agility. Others have preternatural instincts. All of them care deeply about defense, combining their special gifts with high effort.

Without further ado, here are the best 10 defenders entering the

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