Pick your All-International NBA Defensive Team (2007-08)

[stuart]

With the All-NBA Defensive Teams being released today, it got me wondering, who would be on your all-NBA international defensive teams? (Tim Duncan or Raja Bell do not count)

Here's a short list of some players to consider:
Anderson Varejao
Manu Ginobili
Dikembe Mutombo
Andrei Kirilenko
Andres Nocioni
Yao Ming
Mickael Pietrus
Andris Biedrins
Zaza Pachulia
Linas Kleiza
Andrew Bogut
Darko Milicic
Sasha Vujacic
Jose Calderon
Pau Gasol
Rasho Nesterovic
DeSagana Diop
Eduardo Najera
Zydrunas Ilguaskas
Samuel Dalembert
Nene
Luol Deng
Bostjan Nachbar
Fabricio Oberto

edited to add: Leadro Barbosa, Thabo Sefolosha, Adonal Foyle and Ronny Turiaf

The questions that are out there -- what do you consider good defense? Blocks and steals? Taking charges? Effort? Did Dikembe Mutombo play enough minutes to even qualify?

If you don't like all the choices given in the poll, write in your votes! I tried to pick the top-15 defensive players, but i am sure I am missing a couple from the list.

Stuart

[Phantim3dx]

my vote was on
bogut
kirilenko
mutombo
nocioni
varejao

i shall give u my personall assesment on each as to why i picked them in terms of defense

bogut to me plays dirty basketball, when he gets frustrated or just wants to rough someone up he will shove, push, and just foul you hard. ive seen plenty of him doing this in the times ive watched him. he wouldnt get close to mr bill lambieer but he has some traits of that guy.

kirilenko is perhaps the defensive specialist out of all te ones i chose. with a wingspan like his and just good feel of when to jump and perimeter defense, i cant say enough about kirilenko and how he alters games. hell tats how the jazz won in the last game right, he stuffed kobe 2 or 3 times. and im sure a good portion oft he lakers shots were altered because of him

mutombo in his career was a block specialist; not to mention mr elbow was someone you didnt want to encounter, whether it was intentional or not you know those elbows would be flying and im sure it made a good portion of guys in his playing career want to stay away from him down low

nocioni, to me andres nocioni is a bit of a puzzle, he doesnt fit the argentinian style of defense and flop that ive come to see from his other teammates(although scola i would have voted for over nocioni but i didnt see him). to me nocioni just plays rough and hard, good old fashion tough nose defense. and to me this is always a good thing. you may not be a kirilenko but if u can wear out your man with gritty defense there'll always a be a spot in my book for such a person

varejao....where to start with this guy. from the PURPOSELY GIVEN ELBOW to one of the greek players, to just flaying his arms, body and anything else to make others not get in his way when rebounding or boxing out a certain space...he is by no means a mr clean, mr nice guy, and that again is why i chose him.

as you can see from my case, i prefer defenders and especially those who are gritty and not so much on the "saint" side. ive always appreciated those a bit on the dark side of basketball in terms of defense.



i know some of yout hink varejao is a flopper, i hate flopping with a passion but i admit i also do it! its one of those double edge swords...like cristiano ronaldo, i hate the living daylights of that football players but at the sametime IMO i tihnk he is the best inth e world and most skilled now

[mvblair]

Good poll. My All-International Defensive team is:

• Dalembert - The Haitian Sensation from Toronto is an underrated center
• Kirilenko - Naturally
• Nocioni - You could break a nail on his butt, he's as tough as anything and always mans-up
• Pietrus - One of those lanky, drapping guys who can defend multiple positions
• Deng - Plays the passing lanes great

I picked a natural team with a C, 2 Fs and 2 Gs, but I could have easily picked five Cs or PFs from the list, starting with Big Z, Scola, and Mutombo.

[stuart]

Jay,

When I was putting my teams together, I definitely noticed that I could easily put an aggressive, rough-them-up team and a decent team-focused defensive team. To show you that I am not lying:

Rough them up:
C: Andrew Bogut (Zaza Pachulia)
F: Anderson Varejao (Nene)
F: Ronny Turiaf
G: Andres Nocioni
G: Sasha Vujacic

Team-Oriented:
C: Andris Biedrins (Samuel Dalembert, Adonal Foyle)
F: Eduardo Najera (Kirilenko can go here too)
F: Luol Deng
G: Manu Ginobili
G: Jose Calderon

Lockdown by Position:
C: Dikembe Mutombo (DeSagana Diop)
F: Andrei Kirilenko
F: Mickael Gelabale
G: Thabo Sefolosha
G: Mickael Pietrus

Stuart

[kestas]

I wonder how does Songaila stack up there. the same goes about Gasol. I mean, you added Kleiza to the list and Kleiza plays for the team that hardly plays any defense. is he a good defender?
overall I have big respect for Kirilenko's defensive tallent (and his tallent overall).

[elaj]

Rasho is professor for half of those guys when it comes to defense.

Songaila should be also mentioned.

[mvblair]

Originally Posted by elaj

Rasho is professor for half of those guys when it comes to defense.

You know, Rasho is a pretty good defender. He's better than he gets credit for. I mean, anybody with that size is going to be pretty good by the rim. You're right.

[stuart]

Yeah, I missed Songaila. He's definitely a tough defender.

Though he bothers me, I think Sasha Vujacic, considering his size and weight, has done a good job frustrating opponents. He does some sneaky things, bumps players after plays have stopped and has gotten into the head of some of his matchups. The way he complains about every call - he could be the next Bruce Bowen or Bill Laimbeer.

Stuart

[Trifilli]

My team:

C - Rasho Nesterovic
F - Andrei Kirilenko
F - Andres Nocioni
G - Mickael Pietrus
G - Manu Ginobili

I was switching between Manu Ginobili, Thabo Sefolosha and Sasha Vujacic, but then decided that one Bull is enough in this team, also because Ginobili is extremely helpful and important to his team, taking all the charges.

[Vasileios Spanoulis]

How the hell does Calderon have 4 votes? He's a great offensive player but on defense he's horrible.

[TheGreek333]

calderon
kirilenko
mutombo
pietrus
ginobili