In the modern NBA, defense is more difficult than ever. The best defenders have to be able to guard without hand-checking or any other physical contact, while also being versatile enough to guard multiple positions.
The average points per game for teams has been rising almost every season since 2012. In the 2011-12 season, teams only averaged 96.3 PPG in the regular season. In comparison, teams averaged 113.8 in this previous 2024-25 season, a staggering 17.5 PPG increase in only 13 years.
Surprisingly, this trend took a dip this last season when the 2023-24 league average of 114.2 PPG declined to 133.8 PPG in the 2024-25 season. Last season also had the lowest average player field goal percentage since 2022 at 46.7%.
Maybe the defensive emphasis is starting to trickle back into the NBA. Here are the top 10 teams that should be the best defensively in the 2025-2026 NBA season.
10. Los Angeles Clippers
Last Season: 110.3 DRTG (3rd in NBA)
Prediction: 113.0 DRTG (10th in NBA)
Last season, the Los Angeles Clippers surprised the NBA by having the 3rd best defense in the league. Their success was mainly a result of their talented defenders, such as Kris Dunn, Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr, and Ivica Zubac, but also a result of good defensive effort from their coaching.
As a defensive-minded coach, Jeff Van Gundy’s presence and strategic input were instrumental in building a fundamentally sound and effective defensive unit for the Clippers.
Multiple players and coaches expressed the positive impact of Jeff Van Gundy on the Clippers, especially on the defensive end.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue stated, “He changed our defense and our program defensively and brought us some things that we haven’t been accustomed to that’s worked”. Clippers player Norman Powell added, “He’s changed the identity of our team”.
Jeff Van Gundy and all of LA’s primary defenders are set to return for the upcoming season. The team’s defensive performance is likely to remain solid, although there might be a slight decline anticipated due to the aging roster.
9. San Antonio Spurs
Last Season: 117.2 DRTG (25th in NBA)
Prediction: 112.8 DRTG (9th in NBA)
The Spurs are desperately hoping that they will get a full, healthy season with Victor Wembanyama, and if they do, their defense should be among the best in the league.
In their 46 games with Wembanyama last season, San Antonio held the 15th best defense in the league, but without him, they were 29th in defensive rating in the league.
Outside of Wembanyama, the Spurs also have other quality defenders like Stephon Castle, Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, and De’Aaron Fox.
When healthy, Victor Wembanyama is the best defensive player in the league. If he stays healthy, it’s almost certain that he’ll win his first Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as lead the Spurs to a top 10 defense in the NBA.
8. Portland Trail Blazers
Last Season: 114.7 DRTG (16th in NBA)
Prediction: 112.2 DRTG (8th in NBA)
The Portland Trail Blazers have an abundance of talented defenders, many of whom are underrated. Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III are good rim protectors, while Toumani Camara and Matisse Thybulle are both elite wing defenders.
They also have a new, important defensive addition in Jrue Holiday. Holiday has made six All-Defensive teams throughout his career, and still remains a good perimeter defender at 35 years old.
This team doesn’t have a lot of offensive firepower, especially with Damian Lillard out due to his Achilles injury. If they want to reach the playoffs, the Blazers will have to obtain a top 10 defense in the league, and they definitely have the defensive talent to do that.
7. Memphis Grizzlies
Last Season: 113.0 DRTG (10th in NBA)
Prediction: 112.0 DRTG (7th in NBA)
The Memphis Grizzlies are a franchise known for their defense. They had their “grit-and-grind” style of defense through the early to mid-2010s, and have had defensive success in the 2020s as well, exemplified by having a top 10 defense in their last 4 out of 5 seasons.
Their defense is led by their 2023 DPOY winner, Jaren Jackson Jr. Jackson Jr. is an exceptional rim protector who’s also known for his ability to guard multiple positions, which is critical in the modern NBA.
The Grizzlies also traded for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a quality ‘3 and D’ player, who will likely start at shooting guard for the Grizzlies. If Memphis stays healthy for the majority of the season, it’s very likely that this Grizzlies team will produce another top 10 defense in the league next season.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
Last Season: 112.2 DRTG (8th in NBA)
Prediction: 111.5 DRTG (6th in NBA)
After an impressive 64-18 season and reaching the second round of the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be bringing back the same core players as last season.
Without any major moves or adjustments, the Cavs will likely return to being a top 10 defensive team in the league again. Their 2025 DPOY winner Evan Mobley is only 24 years old, so we can expect him to have another outstanding defensive season.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
Last Season: 111.5 DRTG (6th in NBA)
Prediction: 111.2 DRTG (5th in NBA)
The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t make any big offseason additions, and they really didn’t need to, either, after accomplishing the 6th-best defense in the NBA and reaching the Western Conference Finals last year.
The center of the Timberwolves’ defense is an all-time great defender in Rudy Gobert. His defense dropped off slightly last season, most notably because of his blocks per game sliding from 2.1 BPG in 2024 to only 1.4 in 2025. Gobert is still one of the best defenders in the league, but Minnesota’s other key defenders like Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels will be crucial in helping the Wolves secure a top 5 defense.
The Wolves’ defensive system should be similar to last season’s defensive system, and they’ll be one of the toughest teams to score on in the West.
4. Orlando Magic
Last Season: 109.6 DRTG (2nd in NBA)
Prediction: 110.4 DRTG (4th in NBA)
The Orlando Magic’s defense last season was 2nd in the NBA, which was the reason they made the playoffs, since they were only 27th in offense.
Their defense was elite due to a combination of individual defensive talent, excellent coaching and game plans, and a strong defensive identity that prioritized effort and communication. Key contributing factors included long, versatile defenders like Jonathan Isaac and Franz Wagner. Jalen Suggs has also developed into a great defensive guard, both on-ball and off-ball.
The Magic consistently played with high effort, were well-communicated, and focused on shutting down opponents in the half-court, which made it difficult for opposing offenses to score effectively.
Trading away Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Desmond Bane may hurt their defense slightly, but overall, they should be one of the NBA’s premier defenses once again next season.
3. Dallas Mavericks
Last Season: 116.0 DRTG (21st in NBA)
Prediction: 110.3 DRTG (3rd in NBA)
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison stated, “defense wins championships,” after he traded for Anthony Davis, and this Mavericks team is indeed a terrific defensive team.
The Mavericks enter next season with all the pieces available to be a defensive powerhouse. Anchored by Anthony Davis and Derek Lively II’s rim protection and vertical presence, Dallas now has a true defensive backbone that can erase mistakes on the interior.
Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg give them two rugged wing stoppers who can take on tough assignments, while P.J. Washington provides size and physicality at the four, allowing Dallas to toggle between small-ball looks and bigger frontcourts without losing much on the defensive end.
It’s uncertain how impactful Cooper Flagg will be on defense in his rookie season. His defense in college has already drawn comparisons to other former elite defenders like Kevin Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko, so it’s likely Flagg’s defense will be beneficial at the very least for the Mavericks.
With a full season of cohesion and Jason Kidd’s emphasis on effort and discipline, this group has the depth, length, and athleticism to suffocate opponents and finish among the league’s elite defenses.
2. Houston Rockets
Last Season: 110.8 DRTG (4th in NBA)
Prediction: 110.0 DRTG (2nd in NBA)
The Rockets are headed into this 2025-26 season as the tallest team in the NBA. Their most likely starting five will include Fred VanVleet (6’0), Amen Thompson (6’7), Kevin Durant (6’11), Jabari Smith Jr. (6’10), and Alperen Sengun (6’11). They’ll be able to use their abnormal height to their advantage on defense to contest and block shots at a frequent rate on the perimeter and at the rim.
They lost Dillon Brooks (a good defender) and Jalen Green (a mediocre defender), but gained Dorian Finney-Smith (a good defender) and Kevin Durant (a good defender), so it’s likely they’ll see the same, if not better, defensive success as last season.
Their defensive rebounding was also a key part of their success, and they still have Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, as well as an overall taller lineup than before, so their rebounding ability will still remain strong.
This Rockets team is possibly the most intriguing defense in the league, and should be a very difficult team to try to score on in the 2025-26 NBA season.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Last Season: 107.5 DRTG (1st in NBA)
Prediction: 108.0 DRTG (1st in NBA)
The Oklahoma City Thunder have a very well-rounded defense that was historically great last season. They’ll be bringing back a nearly identical team, so there’s no reason to believe they won’t be the best defense again for this next season.
What makes their defense elite is their mix of elite perimeter and interior defense. The Thunder were 1st in the league in steals and were 2nd in blocks.
No team has nearly as many great defenders as the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein all make this Thunder defense special.
The Thunder stayed very healthy last season, and their historic defensive year may be hard to replicate, but we’ll see if they have another outstanding year on the defensive end soon.
