The San Antonio Spurs appear twice on this list of best defenses of the decade by overall defensive rating.
Looking back at the best defensive units of the last decade, taking into account their overall Defensive Rating (Def Rtg).
1. San Antonio Spurs, 2015-16: 99.0 DEF RTG
The 2015-16 Spurs team finished the regular season with a 67-15 record but lost in the Western Conference Semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder by a 4-2 tally. The Spurs roster didn’t have many changes from the 2014-15 to the 2015-16 season, so the core of the team was the same on both ends of the court. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan were older, but Kawhi Leonard was continuing to establish himself as the league’s premier defender as he won Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. They also had veterans such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Miller and David West.
T-2. Golden State Warriors, 2014-15: 101.4 DEF RTG
The 2014-15 Warriors finished the regular season with a 67-15 record and won the NBA title over the Cleveland Cavaliers in LeBron James’ first year since returning to the franchise following his Miami Heat tenure. This Warriors team was one of the first Golden State units to embrace the “small-ball” concept, with Draymond Green playing at center and Andre Iguodala at power forward alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes. Their starting unit regularly featured Andrew Bogut, who provided excellent rim protection to complement the Warriors’ otherwise smaller and more agile lineup constructions.
T-2. Atlanta Hawks, 2015-16: 101.4 DEF RTG
The 2015-16 Hawks used a defense-first mentality to fuel their 48-34 record. Their superior defense carried them to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Those Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, would end up winning the NBA title over the Warriors in one of the best NBA Finals series in league history. That Hawks team was anchored defensively by their frontcourt of Al Horford and Paul Millsap, but the presence of Jeff Teague and Kent Bazemore in the backcourt was also a huge plus.
4. San Antonio Spurs, 2014-15: 102.0 DEF RTG
The 2014-15 Spurs won 55 games and posted a 55-27 record, tied with the above-listed Grizzlies for fifth place in the Western Conference. However, San Antonio didn’t translate that success into the postseason and suffered a first-round exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, who won Game 7. That defense was elite not only because of their Big Three of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker, but also because of their role players such as Danny Green, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills. And of course, the ascendant Leonard was arguably the biggest factor of them all as he took home Defensive Player of the Year honors.
5. Memphis Grizzlies, 2014-15: 102.2 DEF RTG
Known as the “Gritty Grizzlies,” the 2014-15 Memphis squad finished fifth in the Western Conference standings that season and reached the semifinals, but they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. Their defense was anchored by two of the best defenders of the last 15 years in the NBA in Tony Allen and Zach Randolph. That team also featured Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, two players who were defensive impact flew under the radar.
