Steady increases in pace and three-point shooting across the NBA have contributed to major upticks in offensive performance, meaning it’s never been more difficult to stop opponents from scoring. Per Basketball Reference, average offensive efficiency was at an all-time high in 2019-20, with the 30 teams combining to score 110.6 points per 100 possessions. That broke the previous record of 110.4, which was established the previous season, in 2018-19.
As a result, “defensive specialists” sometimes seem on their way to extinction, as clubs try to field lineups featuring five players who can all do significant damage at the offensive end. Despite those trends, there is plenty of room – and demand – for roster additions who can help a squad be more competitive defensively, something New Orleans must do in order to make a leap in the Western Conference. The Pelicans (30-42) ranked 21st in defense last season, allowing 111.8 points per 100 possessions.
Defensive ability often falls to the bottom of the list of traits analysts use to define and evaluate draft prospects, but that’s definitely not the case for these handful of players, who are commonly praised for prowess at that end of the floor:
Tre Jones, Duke sophomore guard
The first line of his NBA.com draft profile describes him as “a gifted defensive point guard,” while it later notes that “Jones is a pesky on-ball defender who showed the ability to really muck things up for opposing offenses for stretches… (he) was one of the best defenders in college basketball each of the last two seasons.” Jones averaged 1.8 steals in his two-year career with the Blue Devils, topped by six thefts apiece in games vs. Texas Tech and Miami (Fla.) as a freshman.
Current projections: If the mock drafts are correct, he may land in the 20s. CBSSports.com tabs him as going No. 23 to Utah, while The Athletic has him at 27 to New York. SI.com drops him to early in the second round.
Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky freshman guard
The 6-3 backcourt player coincidentally turns age 20 today. Like Jones, he’s considered above average at picking up ballhandlers defensively and forcing them to work to advance the ball. NBA.com notes that Maxey “held his own on the defensive end last season. He may not have forced many turnovers, but he used his size and length well to pressure the ball and allowed only 0.26 points per one-on-one possession (97th percentile).” As NBA.com alludes, Maxey averaged just 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks.
Current projections: Just beyond the lottery. SI.com predicts he will go No. 16 to Portland, while other sites have him in the same range, with CBS and The Athletic placing him 19th and 20th, respectively.
Onyeka Okongwu, USC freshman center
A graduate of Chino Hills (Calif.), the 6-9, 245-pounder played high school basketball with LaMelo Ball, the potential No. 1 pick of this draft. Okongwu has drawn inevitable comparisons to Miami’s Bam Adebayo due to his defensive versatility, which allows him to stay with smaller players quickness-wise. Okongwu was one of the NCAA’s best shot-blockers, averaging 2.7 swats, to go with 1.2 steals. NBA.com: “He has a rapidly developing feel for how to use his tools consistently on the defensive end.”
Current projections: A top-10 pick. Some sites have him in the top half of the lottery, such as CBS, which projects Okongwu sixth to Atlanta. Both SI.com and The Athletic predict he goes ninth to Washington.
Isaac Okoro, Auburn freshman forward
Drawing comparisons to elite wing defenders such as Andre Iguodala, CBS confidently notes that Okoro “will be a lock-down defender from the second he steps on an NBA court.” His defensive stats don’t jump off the page (averages of 0.9 blocks, 0.9 steals), but SI.com believes Okoro “has the tools and mentality to be a perimeter stopper.” NBA.com called the 19-year-old “among the more versatile wing defenders to come out of the NCAA ranks in recent years.”
Current projections: The 6-6 wing’s stock seems to be rising. He’s regularly in the top 10 of mock drafts, usually in the range of 7-9. The Athletic tabs him seventh to Detroit, while CBS believes he’d be an excellent fit at No. 9 to Washington, which struggled mightily on defense last season.
Patrick Williams, Florida State freshman forward
The rare draft prospect who did not start a single game in his college career, Williams totaled 29 steals and 30 blocks in his 29 games off the bench for the Seminoles, who won the ACC championship and went 26-5 overall. NBA.com notes that Williams is “a gifted athlete with the size, length and speed to guard multiple positions (and is) a promising defender. Able to slide with guards and fight for position inside, he held his own in a variety of situations but is still learning how to defend off the ball.”
Current projections: The 19-year-old might be expecting to go in the tweens. Both The Athletic and SI.com predict that he gets picked 11th by San Antonio, while CBS has him a pick later to Sacramento.
